Lawyer – Dispute Resolution & Compliance
Hours: 35 Hours Per Week
Work Pattern: Office attendance twice a week
Contract: Temporary, 3 Months
Location: 7th Floor, Civic Centre, SM4 5DX, London Borough of Merton
Pay Rate: £40.16 per hour
About the Role
We're recruiting a Lawyer – Dispute Resolution & Compliance to provide specialist legal advice and manage a complex caseload within Merton. This is a key role within the Innovation and Change Department, ideal for an experienced litigation lawyer with strong advocacy skills and knowledge of housing law.
What You'll Be Doing
- Handling a wide range of housing management issues including:
- Housing possessions
- Anti-social behaviour injunctions
- Housing disrepair
- Homelessness cases
- Managing a complex caseload, including drafting legal documents, agreements, notices, and orders
- Providing timely and effective legal advice to elected members, senior managers, and officers
- Representing the council in court, arbitration, mediation, or public inquiries
- Supervising and supporting junior staff where required
- Advising on new legislation and case law relevant to housing and dispute resolution
- Ensuring compliance with statutory requirements and council policies
- Liaising with external solicitors, courts, and other professionals
What We're Looking For
We're looking for someone proactive, resilient, and confident in managing complex litigation cases.
You'll ideally have:
- Qualified solicitor, barrister, or chartered legal executive status (or equivalent legal experience)
- Strong experience in housing litigation and dispute resolution
- Demonstrable experience of drafting and advocacy in housing law cases
- Preferably experience working for a local authority or social landlord
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Ability to manage competing demands and meet deadlines
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Commitment to the principles of the Shared Legal Service
Why Apply?
- Competitive hourly pay £40.16
- Opportunity to work on high-profile housing and dispute resolution cases
- Varied responsibilities across litigation, compliance, and advisory work
- Chance to contribute to service transformation and support council objectives
- Temporary contract offering valuable local government legal experience
Additional Information
- Office attendance required twice a week
- Must be eligible to work in the UK
Order - 5301419
Job Type: Temporary
Contract length: 3 months
Pay: £40.16 per hour
Expected hours: 35.0 per week
Benefits:
Experience:
- housing litigation and dispute resolution.: 3 years (required)
- lawyer: 3 years (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Qualified solicitor, barrister, or chartered legal (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
