Estate Planning Paralegal
Job Description
Job Description
Position Summary : The Estate Planning Paralegal (ESP) professionally supports the vision and mission of the law firm. The ESP creates, manages, and stores all word processing for the firm estate planning clients and crossover elder law clients, including firm correspondence, drafting of trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and deeds.
The ESP is also responsible for the creation, finalization and maintenance of all firm estate planning forms. The ESP is principally responsible for the funding of clients’ estate plans.
The ESP will also facilitate the firm’s client maintenance program.
The ESP works independently and in collaboration with the lawyers and client services to foster a team spirit in cooperation with law firm management.
All law firm employees must always maintain confidentiality with regard to clients, firm interest, and employees. The ESP may perform other duties as necessary to keep the production and administrative functions of the law firm operating smoothly and efficiently.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Responsible for outgoing correspondence to clients and advisors
- Responsible for creating, modifying and maintaining internal estate planning forms
- Draft trusts, wills, powers of attorney and other planning documents and collaborate with attorneys for review and finalization
- Gather and enter client data into law firm practice management system
- Enter all relevant general information and meeting notes into the firm database
- Meet with clients to review and sign estate planning documents
- Obtain required forms from financial institutions and other professional organizations, complete in accordance with client funding worksheet and submit to financial institution and other professional organizations to ensure client’s assets retitled as instructed
- Work with attorneys and client services to ensure client’s trusts are funded properly
- Meet with clients as needed to handle funding-related matters
- Provide quality customer service to clients, potential clients, and their families and
ensure all client calls / emails are handled timely
Communication with attorney as needed regarding all client needs and / or
questions on attorney instruction
Calendars all work and is responsible for meeting applicable deadlines and having
all client documents prepared for clients to sign
- Meet with clients for appointments that do not require attorney supervision
- Navigate through client management software and tools
- Actively participates in required firm calls and meetings and provides weekly time
reporting in ActionStep
- Complete projects or tasks as requested by attorney within the time frame allotted
- Attend training events and other firm events as needed
- Adheres to firm established core values
- The firm reserves the right to add or change duties at any time
Qualifications Required
Academic : Bachelor’s Degree or Associate Degree (or similar) in Paralegal Studies
or practical experience
Skills / Knowledge & Ability :
- Above average administrative / clerical / technical skills, and the ability to operate
- necessary office equipment and software;
o Computer, Telephone, e-Fax, Scanner, Copier, Postage Service
o Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, Word, Publisher, PowerPoint)
o ActionStep
o Calendly
o Other software used by the firm
- Type proficiently and accurately
- Knowledge, skills and ability to perform functions and develop administrative
procedures and systems to manage all tasks at hand
Skilled at formatting and communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for
the needs of the audience
- Highly developed time management, organizational, and prioritization skills
- Knowledge about Special Needs Planning, including both 1st and 3rd party SNTs
- Knowledgeable about funding
- Ability to work with outside organizations and advisors
- Professional-level communication, interpersonal and relationship building skills
- Able to listen (give full attention to what other people are saying), be empathetic
and affect client behavior in written or verbal forms
- Remain current with ever-changing technology
- Demonstrate aptitude for working in sensitive environments requiring a high degree of confidentiality.
Company Description
My client offers a positive work environment and career growth opportunities.
Company Description
My client offers a positive work environment and career growth opportunities.