WTP Fee Earner

Job type: Full-time
Salary: Dependent on experience
Seniority: 1-3 years post-qualification experience
Department: Wills, Trusts & Probate – Post-Death Team
Office: Ware

Are you looking to advance your legal career whilst enjoying a healthy work/life balance? Do you want to join a firm that is as interested in your career progression as you are? Are you searching for a fulfilling role where what you get out is considered just as important as what you put in? And where the only ceiling is your ambition?

Then Attwaters could be the firm for you.

With five offices spanning Hertfordshire, Essex and London, Attwaters is a respected regional law firm with origins dating back well over a century. Our vision is to be the ‘go to’ private wealth legal practice in our region, through our commitment to excellent client care, integrity, teamwork, innovation, quality and respect.

In order to achieve our vision, we need people who are committed to excellence. We are experts at what we do and we’re looking for people with the ambition, dedication and work ethic required to become leaders in their field.

But we also know that our people have a right to expect excellence from us. That’s why we are dedicated to providing our staff with a nurturing environment, a structured career path that offers clear opportunities for progression, and all the support they need to thrive.

The role:

We are looking for a Solicitor or GILEX/FILEX with 1-3 years’ post-qualification experience to join our Wills, Trusts & Probate team. Ideally, you will have a STEP membership, be in the process of acquiring one, or be willing to work towards this qualification.

Your role will include some taking of instructions and preparation of basic to more complex Wills, LPAs and general Powers of Attorney.

Your workload will mostly involve Probate and the administration of estates, from basic estates falling below the IHT threshold to more valuable and taxable estates involving IHT400s and relevant schedules, claiming appropriate reliefs, etc.

You will have experience in estate administration where the deceased has died intestate, in addition to a good understanding of intestacy rules and procedures. We are also looking for a candidate with an understanding of trusts and their tax treatment, both upon creation of the trust and during its lifetime. You can advise on the appropriateness of trusts within Wills and whether the creation of a trust would be beneficial during a client’s lifetime.

You have a basic understanding of the set-up and administration of life interest trusts and discretionary trusts where they are found in a deceased’s Will, in addition to an understanding of the mechanism for collapsing discretionary trusts where not required.

You will be aware of and have some experience of issues affecting older and more vulnerable clients and some knowledge of Court of Protection and Deputyship work on behalf of mentally incapacitated clients, although this type of work will mostly be the responsibility of our Pre-Death team.

What we expect from you:

You’re dedicated to providing excellent client service in line with our Service Pledge.
You have a clean driver’s license and the ability to commute between our offices as and when required.
You’re a team player who will always go the extra mile.
You’re flexible and self-sufficient, with a proactive approach.
You can work with clients from all walks of life, particularly older and more vulnerable people.
You can work calmly and methodically under pressure, even in the busiest of environments.
You’re adaptable and roll with the punches!
You’re interested in promoting the firm’s good name both internally and externally, and would be keen to get involved in networking and business development opportunities.
You have some business nous and will take advantage of opportunities to cross-refer work both within the Wills, Trusts & Probate team and other departments within the firm.
You have a positive attitude and always look to lift spirits, not lower them.
You’re somebody who takes pride in their work and of whom we can be proud.

What you can expect from us:

A structured career path that provides all the information you need to develop and progress.
A supportive and nurturing working environment with monthly one-to-ones, department meetings and a six-monthly appraisal scheme.
Flexible and hybrid working.
Firm-wide and fee-earner bonus schemes.
Holiday entitlement of 25 days per year, rising by one day per year of service to a maximum of 30 days.
Automatic enrolment to our contributory corporate pension scheme (salary sacrifice).
Automatic enrolment to our Employee Assistance Programme, which helps staff members experiencing personal problems that might adversely impact their work performance, health and wellbeing.
Enrolment to our Healthcare Cash Plan after the probationary period. Cover includes dependant children and may be extended to partners or spouses at the employee’s expense.
Access to Mintago, a comprehensive employee financial wellbeing platform.
Each office has its own designated Social and Wellbeing champion, who is there to help promote good mental and physical health with a range of initiatives including social walks, book clubs, charitable activities and out-of-hours get-togethers and events.
Annual staff events including summer and Christmas events, quarterly office lunches and our annual online Staff Quiz!
And so much more! Click the button below for our full list of employee benefits.