Senior Legal Secretary / Legal PA (Private Client Department)

Hours: Full Time

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and proactive Senior Legal Secretary / Legal PA to join our busy and growing Private Client Department.

This is a key support role working directly with a Partner who undertakes a varied workload including general Private Client matters, business management, compliance and regulatory responsibilities. The successful candidate will be trusted to provide high-quality secretarial, administrative and organisational support, helping to ensure the smooth running of the department and supporting the delivery of excellent client care.

This role would suit an experienced legal secretary looking for a position with greater responsibility and variety, or an individual already working in a legal PA role.

Key Responsibilities

Legal Secretarial Duties

• Audio and copy typing of correspondence, attendance notes and legal documents.
• Preparation and formatting of letters, emails, spreadsheets and documents.
• File opening, maintenance and closure.
• Management of electronic and paper filing systems.
• Processing incoming and outgoing post.
• Assisting with case progression and file administration.
• Liaising with clients, beneficiaries, executors, financial advisers and other professionals.
• Ensuring client due diligence and compliance documentation is obtained and recorded.
• Maintaining accurate records within the firm’s case management system.

Legal PA and Administrative Support

• Diary and appointment management.
• Assisting with prioritisation and organisation of workloads.
• Monitoring outstanding tasks and chasing actions where required.
• Managing correspondence and helping ensure deadlines are met.

Client Care

• Acting as a first point of contact for clients.
• Providing a professional, empathetic and compassionate service at all times.
• Communicating confidently and sensitively with bereaved and vulnerable clients.
• Building strong relationships with clients and maintaining the highest standards of client care.

Essential Requirements

We are looking for someone who is:

• An experienced legal secretary, legal PA or senior secretary, preferably experience of working in a private client department.
• Exceptionally organised and able to manage competing priorities.
• A confident and accurate typist with excellent attention to detail.
• Highly IT literate and comfortable with learning new systems.
• Experienced in using Microsoft Office, particularly:
  • Word
  • Outlook
  • Excel and spreadsheets
• Experienced in using case management systems.
• Able to produce professional correspondence with excellent written English.
• Proactive and capable of working under their own initiative.
• Professional, reliable and discreet.
• A strong communicator with excellent telephone and interpersonal skills.
• Comfortable working as part of a team and contributing positively to the workplace culture.

Personal Qualities

The successful candidate will be:

• Empathetic and compassionate.
• Friendly, approachable and professional.
• Calm and resilient under pressure.
• Positive and adaptable.
• A genuine team player.
• Self-motivated and keen to take ownership of tasks.
• Able to build effective working relationships with colleagues and clients alike.

What We Are Looking For

This is not simply a traditional typing role. We are looking for someone who can become a trusted member of the team, provide outstanding support to a busy Partner and department, communicate sensitively with clients, embrace technology and help ensure the efficient operation of a fast-paced legal department.

The successful candidate will enjoy a varied role with significant autonomy and responsibility and will play an important part in supporting both client service and the wider running of the firm.