Legal Assistant (Property Team)
Office: Bexleyheath Salary: Subject to experience
Main role and responsibilities
- To assist a senior Solicitor in a busy Property Team with the day to day running of conveyancing files, both residential and commercial.
- To assist with general file management, for both electronic and paper files. Including opening files, drafting letters, emails attendance notes and other documents.
- To use the electronic case management system, Outlook, Word and Excel.
- To undertake conflict checks and electronic AML checks using Thirdfort.
- To use the HMLR portal to obtain and upload documents.
- To undertake searches.
- To manage the fee earner’s diary including making and recording appointments.
- To ensure that all work carried out is properly accounted for and time recorded, if relevant.
- To meet with clients face-to-face when required, to provide and receive documentation.
- To make and receive telephone calls with clients on behalf of the fee earner, dealing with clients in a helpful and efficient manner. To update clients where possible, or to take clear messages for the fee earner if they are unable to deal with the enquiry.
- Send quotations to new potential clients.
- To liaise with other solicitors, local authorities, HMLR, brokers and estate agents.
- Preparing draft contracts, HMLR forms, protocol forms and transfer deeds.
- Dealing with post-completion work including submitting SDLT returns online.
- To be able to use lender panel portals to retrieve and upload documents and check bank details.
- To review ledgers, close and archive files where appropriate.
- To take card payments and post payment requests promptly and accurately.
- Preparing client invoices and completion statements.
- To enter key dates in the central diary.
- To answer incoming calls to the firm as part of a rota as and when required.
- To undertake any other tasks as requested by the fee earner.
Essential Experience / Qualifications
- 2+ years’ experience working within a residential property team.
- Experience in using a legal case management system.
- Experience in using Outlook, Excel & Word.
- Experience in using the HMLR and gov.uk (SDLT) portal .
- Excellent client care skills.
Desirable Experience / Qualifications
- Experience using LEAP (case management system).
- Experience in drafting contracts, TR1s, SDLT submissions and Land Registry forms.
- Experience assisting with commercial property transactions.
- CQS 2022 training.