Location: Lewes, East Sussex

Job Purpose

To use your knowledge of legal work in a specific Department and area of law to progress aspects of client matters independently, under the supervision of a legal adviser. You will be responsible for liaising with and updating enquirers, clients and third parties and for completing all administrative aspects of a matter, freeing legal advisers to focus on the legal aspects of matters.

You will not have matters in your own name but will be expected to charge for many of your activities on a file and will have significant time and financial targets. You will be expected to support the Department legal advisers in all offices, not just the local team.

• Dealing with new enquiries routed to Dept by switchboard, gatekeeper or from Enquiries Team

• Contacting enquirer to ascertain need/initial instructions, gather full personal details including ID and/or make appointment/ gather information prior to instruction

• Carrying out conflict search of all relevant names at the earliest opportunity and consult with legal adviser on conflict position if a match on a name is found.

• Providing written estimates/price proposals of costs to new clients, in the absence of or under the direction of the legal adviser(s)

• Complete an Opportunity form (for all enquiries) and/or Matter form to send to the Database & Compliance Team or provide the information gathered to a Legal Support Assistant (LSA) to enable them to complete the forms

• Follow up all enquiries where instruction is not received, either by contacting the prospective client, or by ensuring the legal adviser does, updating the Opportunity with information

• Initiating the creation of the new matter on receiving instruction

• Drafting outset letters and documents to all parties under supervision of the Legal Adviser

• Paralegals will time record and will have a financial target

• Take responsibility for the administration, management and progression of the client matter. Ensure that all client work is processed expeditiously, and that the client is kept regularly informed of progress and costs

• Ensure the legal adviser is reminded of what needs doing and by when

• Adding and monitoring key dates and bringing to the legal adviser's attention

• Using tasks to set reminders (in Peppermint - synchronised to Outlook if desired)

• Ensuring matter status summary notes are up-to-date and accurate on Peppermint at all times to enable the matter to be picked up by anyone at any time

• Ensuring all contact details used (email address, telephone numbers) are recorded in Peppermint and maintained

• Electronic filing of emails and inbound post, completeness of Peppermint master file, ensuring the correct name and labelling on all documents and that they are filed in the correct folders

• Independent drafting of letters, documents and forms and preparing relevant enclosures (under supervision)

• Dealing with work that has been delegated by legal adviser(s) - (see also Dept Specific section below)

• Witnessing of documents

• Communicating with clients, and all third parties (e.g. agents, valuers, mortgage lenders, courts, experts, counsel and solicitors) by telephone, post, email or in person as needed, and to keep them up-to-date

• Adding experts and counsel to the Expert Register, maintaining their Register details, updating the expert status on a matter and ensuring legal adviser feedback is added at the end of the matter

• Dealing with Lexcel tasks/monitoring - risk assessments, costs updates, change of legal adviser letters, file reviews, file closure letters

• Assisting with financial management, especially monitoring of costs and timely costs updates

• Ensuring all relevant costs are present on the ledgers (disbursements, expenses etc)

• To raise draft invoices at the appropriate point

• Chase up payment of invoices and assist with credit control if required

• Maintaining Legal Adviser matter lists to ensure only current matters are listed

• Deal with any matter balances and pass to Legal Support Assistant for closing procedures

• As required, temporarily covering work of partner/legal adviser during absence and seeking assistance as appropriate with problems/queries

Process

• Utilise Peppermint case management system

• Compilation of initial contract pack (sale only)

• Drafting of sale contracts and TR1 forms

• Submission of searches (purchase and remortgage only)

• Deal with legal reporting work

• Dealing with progress enquiries throughout from clients, estate agents, mortgage brokers/financial advisers and colleagues in other departments (eg PTW or Family) who may have some involvement in the matter

• Conduct exchanges of contracts and completions of property transactions under supervision.

• Deal with post-exchange work and registrations to include preparation of completion statements, obtaining any relevant lenders' redemption statements and obtaining necessary funds for completion from clients

• Deal with post-completion work - to include dealing with payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax, registration, discharge of mortgage and estate agents fees, service of any relevant notices, taking out any necessary indemnity policies and scheduling of Deeds

• Monitoring and dealing with any agreed retentions

• Be aware of the different sources of Land Registry information and know how to access it

• Be aware of the range of Land Registry services and when to use them

• Know which Land Registry office is the proper office to which an application, relevant to the particular matter you are handling, must be delivered and the implications of sending it elsewhere

• Know how to accurately complete applications for searches that are relevant to the matters you are handling and to make them at the appropriate time and to the appropriate office

• Be aware of the effect of priorities in relation to both official searches and substantive applications and ensure any applications are submitted within the relevant priority period

• Ensure that where plans are required in relation to searches of applications, they are of appropriate quality, conform to Land Registry specification (if any) and show all references (if any) referred to in the documentation

• Ensure that the correct forms are completely accurately and are lodged with the applications relating to the matters you are handling, at the appropriate time and to the appropriate office

• Ensure that applications, relating to matters you are handling, are lodged with a complete set of relevant documentation (if any) at the appropriate time and to the appropriate office

• Ensure that progress of any Land Registry applications is monitored and the Land Registry is chased where appropriate

• Be aware of Land Registry requirements (if any) in relation to the identity of applicants and other relevant persons (if any)

• Be aware of the current Land Registry fee order and ensure that the correct fees are lodged with applications

• Be aware of Land Registry procedures for rejection, cancellation and extension of applications

• Draft and lodge Stamp Duty Land Tax Applications, where appropriate and arrange payment of any tax due within the relevant deadline

• Drafting biogs and material for MWB website

• Assisting with marketing as directed

• Assisting with Legal500 / Chambers submissions

• To attend any relevant business development events as required by Marketing or the HOD

• Identifying and implementing efficiency improvements in the Department's service delivery systems and procedures

• Providing guidance to new paralegals and LSAs.

• Undertaking any specific training when required to do so and overall having a responsibility towards self­ development

• Ensuring the confidentiality and security of all the firm's and client's documentation and information