A little bit about us:
EMG Solicitors is an award winning Legal 500 law firm with offices across the North but acting nationally, specialising in Court of Protection, Deputyships, Mental Health Law, Family Law and Mediation, Residential Conveyancing, Dispute Resolution, Employment Law, Education Law and Wills, Trusts & Probate services.
Our mission is to provide the legal support our clients require in order to achieve anything from their basic needs to their wildest dreams and everything in between.
What are we looking for?
We are currently looking to recruit a Paralegal, with at least 1-2 years experience.
Where will you be based?
This role will be based in our Reading office, but we would expect you to travel and work from other offices from time to time.
How many hours will you be working?
This is a full-time role which is 35 hours per week, however at EMG Solicitor we work flexibly, its not a 9 to 5 role, but we do expect the work to be done, when you do it can be largely up to yourself, your Team Leader and the requirements of your clients.
A brief overview of the role:
This role works within the Court of Protection Property & Affairs team. We actively support one another and place a great deal of emphasis on teamwork. In this role you will manage your own caseload as part of the team. You will also be expected to generate your own new work and work for other departments by taking a proactive approach to business development initiatives.
What will we expect from you:
Generating work
Your work will come from a mixture of delegation and work you will generate for yourself.
We encourage all our team members to win work, which can be achieved in a variety of ways, including:
- Becoming known as a go-to specialist in a field, including writing articles and speaking at events, both external and internal.
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Attending networking events and flying the EMG Solicitors flag.
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Developing relationships on a one-to-one basis.
Each of these methods is equally valid and we will support you in not only making a plan which works for you and the firm but also providing you with any additional training you may need to help you with this aspect of your role.
Undertaking work
You should be passionate about providing:
- Technically excellent advice and support to clients, delivered in a user-friendly way.
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Exemplary client service.
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We take the view we stand and fall as a team - you will need to work both on your own and as part of a team.
Getting paid for the work you do.
- You will be responsible for taking monies on account of fees and disbursements where this is possible and if it is appropriate.
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Time-recording is an essential aspect of this role, and you will need to record time accurately and in line with chargeable and non-chargeable targets.
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It is important you have the confidence to agree fees with clients in advance of billing, whether by agreeing a fixed fee or through hourly rates with a fee estimate.
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You will also need to collect cash promptly from clients in the settlement of their bills.
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You will need to be able to collate court bundles and other documentation.
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You will be confident in corresponding with clients, courts, and third parties.
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You will be confident in building up referral sources for property and affairs work.
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You will conduct matters on behalf of clients with due diligence, in particular ensuring excellence when it comes to providing technical advice, a client friendly service and using user friendly language.
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You will offer support to other fee earners and colleagues within the Court of Protection department, in addition to those within any other departments depending upon business need.
To be able to perform this job you will need.
- As far as qualifications go you will need a good standard of education, a legal qualification would be desirable.
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You will need to be an excellent communicator in how you work with both clients and colleagues.
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Effective time management and organisational skills will need to be part of your skill set and you will need to be able to work under your own initiative to be proactive when working to tight deadlines.
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We also love to promote from within the firm, so we are looking for someone who has a desire for continuous personal and professional development.
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You will need to have good attention to detail.
A little bit about the colleague were looking for:
Were looking for a colleague who aligns with our core values of:
- Cooperation - we proactively support our clients and each other.
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Courage - we are ambitious and think big.
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Excellence - we deliver excellence.
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Integrity - we are open and transparent.
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Kindness - we value people, communities, having fun and being happy.
We want someone who will work proactively to deliver exceptional client service through the knowledge and skills they bring to the role. We want someone who will go the extra mile for both their clients and their colleagues, so we can all achieve anything from our basic needs to our wildest dreams and everything in between.
Some of the behaviours we want to see demonstrated in this role:
Co-operation You will need to work proactively together with your team towards your common goals, being willing to give up your own time and helping clients and colleagues even when you are under pressure yourself.
Courage You will fight for your clients cause; however, we dont want you to just say yes to your client we want to give the difficult answers and advice too.
Excellence We are one legal firm and, in your role, we would expect you to seek to help your client with all their legal issues. In working with your clients, we expect excellence in client care keeping them up to date with what can be done and buy when.
Integrity You will work in a way which demonstrates fairness, openness and honesty offering training and sharing knowledge. If you do happen to make a mistake, we would want you to raise these with your supervisor without fear of any reprisal.
Kindness We ask that you listen, encourage participation and allow people to be heard, noticing when colleagues and clients may need an extra hand and an offer of help.
What you can expect from us:
Firm wide annual bonus scheme, in addition to a competitive salary.
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4% Pension employer contributions offered through Standard Life.
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25 days holiday entitlement per year (FTE) with an additional three days off at Christmas.
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5 extra days paid leave on your 5-year anniversary (and every 5 years thereafter).
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Life Assurance providing your loved ones with a 3 X salary death in service benefit.
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Employee Assistance Program a Freephone number you can call 24/7 for personal, legal and financial issues; to arrange counselling and a GP helpline.
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Free annual flu injection.
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EMG Rewards Vivup well-being & Tastecard apps offering discounts across a large number of retailers & restaurants.
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£50 Gift card on your birthday as well as a late start or early finish.
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£50 Gift card at Christmas plus Christmas closure (subject to variation).
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Cycle to work scheme.
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Salary Sacrifice Electric Car scheme.
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Fruit and refreshments in each office.
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If you want to take the family or friends out, we have two passes for Beamish open air museum which you can book out and take up to 10 people.
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Opportunity to join EMG working groups, such as our Green Team, Better Health at Work Team, Empowerment, Diversity and Inclusion Team & our Community Team.
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- Regular surveys to understand issues our team care about. Includes regular guest speakers on a wide range of topics.
EMG Solicitors are an equal opportunities employer
To apply for this role you must have the right to work within the UK
