Court of Protection Paralegal

PLEASE NOTE:  This role can be based in Birmingham, Leeds or Leicester

Weightmans is a Top 45 law firm with offices throughout the UK. Having been recognised as the leading legal employer at the annual Britain's Top Employers awards 2021 and achieved record rankings in Chambers UK, we are immensely proud of the work we carry out for our clients and the culture we provide to our people.

Our Court of Protection Team was founded in June 2019 and has grown rapidly to a team of five in less than two years.  We are now looking to invest further in the team with the addition of an experienced COP paralegal (Grade C or Grade D) to help manage existing Deputyships, service our SLAs with Local Authorities, grow the team further and develop the caseload of the team.   The COP team forms part of our wider Wills, Trusts and Estates team.

We are proud to provide a personal, transparent and efficient service by a team which includes fully qualified members of STEP (The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) as well as members of Solicitors for the Elderly.

We were shortlisted for Private Client Team of the year for the Manchester Legal Awards in 2019 and 2020 and won the award in 2019.  We were shortlisted for Private Client Team of the year for the Birmingham Law Society awards in both 2019 and 2020.

The team runs their caseload electronically and is unique in adopting a team approach to all their clients bridging the geographical gaps with ease.   We are a collection of progressive lawyers who strive to give the best service possible to our clients and develop our team to be the best advisers they can be.  The COP team is headed by an experienced Panel Deputy with approximately 20 years specialist COP experience.

PLEASE NOTE:  This role can be based in Birmingham, Leeds or Leicester

You will be responsible for working on Court of Protection matters independently and with minimal supervision from initial application through the course of the Deputyship.  You will work closely with the Grade A and B fee earners to grow the team and ensure excellent client service. 

Main duties and responsibilities

• Manage own caseload of Court of Protection matters with supervision including Deputyships, applications for lifetime gifting/IHT planning, applications for statutory wills and expert witness reports for deputyship costs in litigation matters
• Assist other case handlers in the team and wider department with their cases as may be required
• Travel to and attend upon clients, case workers and other third parties
• Prepare and file various correspondence, notes and documentation
• Assist with marketing the services of the team and wider department
• Achieve set financial and chargeable targetsKPIs
• Ensure relevant deadlines and quality measures are adhered to
• Comply with relevant Weightmans client policies and procedures
• Work in accordance with Weightmans’ values

This list is not intended to be exhaustive and you will be expected to perform other duties and have other responsibilities that fall within the wider remit of the role.

• Experienced Grade C or D caseworker
• Keen interest and wide experience in all aspects of Court of Protection law
• Member of SFE would be advantageous
• Proactive flexible approach with a ‘can-do’ attitude
• Excellent IT skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent time management and organisation skills
• Ability to work to strict deadlines and targets
• Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative

Please note:

• Any reference to experience or PQE in our adverts or job descriptions is to be used as a guideline only. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and with different levels of experience who can demonstrate that they fulfil the requirements of the role.

• The successful candidate appointed to this role will be subject to our standard background checking process, and any offer of employment made is conditional upon successful completion of those checks. Further details can be obtained from the Recruitment team.

• We're committed to diversity and inclusion and to creating an environment where everyone can reach their full potential.  For more information please click  on the following link:

https://www.weightmans.com/about-us/diversity-and-inclusion