Legal Assistant

Legal Assistant/Secretary – Commercial Property

Location: Bedford

Salary – £23,000 - £26,000 DOE

Hours – Full Time 9:00am – 5:15pm

Main Purposes

To provide secretarial and admin support to Fee Earners to enable them to operate at Maximum efficiency. The role will also include reception duties.

Person Specification

• Previous experience working as a Legal Assistant/Secretary
• Great communication skills and an ability to work well with others
• Ability to work under time constraints and prioritise work load
• Able to handle sensitive matters discreetly
• Good organisation skills with a methodical approach
• Self-motivated and proactive
• Deliver excellent service to clients and colleagues

• Maintain Fee Earner’s diary arranging meetings and appointments
• Deal with routine client correspondence and queries
• Opening and Closing files
• Attend to clients both in person and on the telephone in a manner in keeping with the firm’s standard of client care.
• Create and maintain client records on the firm’s database ensuring that all correspondence and file notes are recorded on the system.
• Produce client correspondence and enclosures for mailing including client bills.
• Produce client correspondence via dictated notes
• Submitting SDLT forms to HMRC
• Submitting applications to register properties with Land Registry
• Ensure the confidentiality of the client and firm’s information and documentation at all times.
• Maintain client hard copy files including copying, storage and retrieval of information.
• Dealing with completion funds/slips
• Ordering documents from Land Registry online system
• Search requests/monitoring returns and ensuring payments are made
• Assisting with drafting of Contract Packs, Transfer Forms and other legal departments
• Ensuring cleared balances on accounts before closure
• Request payments and record receipts of client monies
• Arrange searches, reports and any other information as requested by the fee earner.
• Organising post and taking to the post office.
• To be responsible for typing, photocopying, filing, making and receiving emails and faxes
• To work in a safe and secure manner, with regard to the Health and Safety at Work Act
• To undertake any other reasonable activity requested by the Firm