Paralegal - Family - 12 month Fixed Term Contract (0690)

Our busy London Family team are hiring a Paralegal to join them on a 12 month Fixed Term Contract. Click the link to learn more and apply!

The role

We are looking for a full time paralegal to work on a 12 month fixed term contract supporting the London Family team.  

The successful candidate will support the Family fee earners in our London office.

The role would be suitable for a bright and confident individual who wishes to work in the family field. 

The person

You will; 

• Have previous experience as a Paralegal in a Family team, though this is advantageous as opposed to essential
• Be educated to degree level or equivalent.
• Be IT literate and confident with technology. 
• Have strong administrative and attention to detail skills. 
• Have fast and accurate typing.
• Have excellent written English and numeracy skills.
• Have the ability to meet deadlines, work flexibly and well under pressure. 
• Have a methodical approach to work and be a well organised and efficient worker.

We are looking for someone with the following attributes;

• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Strong team player.
• Confidentiality and diplomacy.
• Patience and understanding with vulnerable clients. 

The activities

The level of responsibility undertaken will vary according to the successful candidate's capability, but the tasks include: 

• Managing, under supervision, a caseload including child abduction cases.
• Able to attend court with clients and/or counsel.
• Supporting the team in financial and private children proceedings. 
• Drafting and managing of divorce proceedings.
• Document preparation/management – photocopying; paginating; indexing; listing documents; assisting with disclosure; preparing statements, briefs to counsel, court bundles and documents. 
• Drafting; using precedents on our in-house database; costs schedules; orders; and some short letters – all with supervision. 
• Cost estimates and supporting lawyers with billing.
• Administration of legal aid, including applying for public funding, amending scope and costs limits of funding, handling claims for disbursements and submitting claims and making payments of disbursements.
• Liaison and support by telephone and in writing with clients and other parties. 
• General administrative work, including filing and postal tasks. 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

The benefits

As you'd expect, we offer a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits. Click here to find out more about our core benefit offering.

Pre employment screening

If we offer you a role, we will conduct comprehensive pre-employment screening. This screening will include, but is not limited to, a basic DBS, verification of your right to work, a three year employment history and a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role. Full details of our pre-screening employment process are available upon request.

Use of AI during the recruitment process

Technology is changing rapidly and we are all increasingly using AI software in our day to day lives, as well as using it to support our learning and professional development.

Here at Mills & Reeve, we embrace the use of technology and AI and we recognise that candidates may use AI tools to support their applications. As a regulated industry, we expect candidates to use such tools responsibly, honestly and in a manner that allows us to make a fair and accurate assessment of their individual skills, experience and suitability for the role.

Please ensure you have thoroughly read the document attached below to understand what we deem acceptable uses of AI. 

The firm

At Mills & Reeve, our 1,450 plus people and over 850 lawyers share one vision – achieve more together. It's a state of mind in every client relationship we start and every choice we make. And it's what clients consistently say distinguishes us from your average law firm.

You can expect a close and attentive working relationship with a team that's responsive when you need them. You'll receive advice tailored to your individual needs. Wherever in the world you or your business needs support, we'll draw on our network to give recommendations.

We're driven by our values – we're ambitious, we're open, we care and we collaborate. We embrace new ideas, communicate honestly and are easy to work with. We're committed to you, our planet, our communities and each other.

We've been listed in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list as one of the best big organisations, and we've recently been reaccredited Platinum Investors in People status – a standard achieved by only 8% of assessed organisations.

And finally

Everyone at Mills & Reeve brings a unique perspective and ideas to the team and we do everything we can to help each person to thrive. We're committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment, are happy to consider flexible working arrangements, and want to achieve the right balance for both our people and the firm. We encourage everyone to ask if they feel they need any workplace adjustments, and will do our best to support with these.

To find out more about our diversity and inclusion work, visit our website.