Family Legal EA
6 days ago
City of London
AJ Chambers have an exciting role within a top London Law firm for a Legal EA within the Family Team \n \n Role Purpose \n\n • To provide exceptional Executive Assistant and legal administrative support to the Family Law Department, ensuring the efficient day-to-day operation of the team and enabling fee earners to deliver outstanding client service.\n, • To support the management of sensitive and often urgent family law matters by delivering proactive, organised and confidential administrative assistance.\n, • To contribute to the continuous improvement of departmental processes, workflows and best practices, ensuring compliance with firm policies and legal procedures.\n, • To work collaboratively with Partners, solicitors, legal assistants, secretaries and business support teams to deliver a professional, responsive and client-focused service.\n, • To support the department's financial performance through efficient billing administration, proactive management of Work in Progress (WIP), aged debt and matter-related financial processes.\n\n \n Key Tasks and Responsibilities \n Departmental Executive Assistant Support \n\n • Provide proactive Executive Assistant support to the Partners and wider Family Law Department, ensuring legal and administrative requirements are delivered accurately, efficiently and within required timescales.\n, • Prepare, open, maintain and close client files in accordance with firm procedures.\n, • Produce, format and amend legal documents, court forms, correspondence, agreements, bundles and reports to the firm's standards.\n, • Ensure court deadlines, client commitments and key dates are effectively monitored and communicated.\n, • Support the preparation and submission of documents for court proceedings where required.\n, • Act as a mentor and point of guidance for Secretaries and Senior Secretaries, supporting consistency and best practice across the department.\n, • Provide support, coaching and guidance where improvements in performance or processes are identified.\n, • Deliver an exceptional client experience through professional, responsive and confidential communication.\n, • Act as a key point of contact for clients, counsel, courts and external professionals.\n, • Ensure enquiries are handled promptly, sensitively and directed appropriately.\n, • Identify potential issues early, escalating where necessary and supporting effective solutions.\n, • Maintain the highest standards of confidentiality when dealing with sensitive family law matters.\n, • Manage competing priorities and provide regular updates on workload and progress.\n, • Coordinate multiple requests, ensuring stakeholders are kept informed of progress and deadlines.\n, • Prioritise urgent court-related and client matters appropriately.\n\n \n Department Coordination \n\n • Organise monthly departmental meetings.\n, • Prepare agendas for approval by the Head of Department.\n, • Attend meetings, record minutes where required and circulate promptly.\n, • Monitor and follow up agreed actions.\n, • Arrange guest speakers, training sessions and departmental presentations where appropriate.\n, • Manage and maintain the department's iManage workspace and knowledge resources.\n, • Maintain precedents, guidance notes and training materials.\n, • Keep departmental contact lists current, including clients, counsel, experts and professional contacts.\n, • Ensure electronic folders remain organised and accessible.\n\n \n Executive Assistant Services \n\n • Provide comprehensive diary management for Partners and fee earners.\n, • Coordinate appointments, client meetings, mediations, court hearings and conferences.\n, • Manage Outlook calendars and resolve scheduling conflicts.\n, • Arrange travel and accommodation for UK and international business travel where required.\n, • Manage telephone calls, voicemail, inboxes and out-of-office communications, responding or redirecting enquiries appropriately.\n, • Coordinate internal and external meetings.\n, • Arrange meeting rooms, video conferencing facilities, refreshments and IT requirements.\n, • Assist with larger departmental meetings, seminars and client events.\n, • Coordinate webinars, training sessions and external legal events.\n, • Manage departmental subscriptions and memberships.\n, • Arrange conference calls and virtual meetings using Teams, Zoom or other approved platforms.\n, • Distribute legal documentation securely, electronically or in hard copy, ensuring compliance with confidentiality requirements.\n\n \n Document and File Management \n\n • Ensure electronic and paper files are maintained accurately and in accordance with firm procedures, regulatory requirements and document retention policies.\n, • Support and guide Secretaries and Senior Secretaries in maintaining consistent filing standards.\n, • Coordinate large printing, copying and bundling requests with Office Services, ensuring deadlines are achieved.\n\n \n Business Support and Operational Management \n\n • Promote consistent adherence to firm policies, procedures and departmental processes.\n, • Coordinate departmental projects and administrative initiatives, including:\n, • New joiner onboarding in conjunction with HR.\n, • Scheduling one-to-one meetings and departmental reviews.\n, • Coordinating Continuing Competence/CPD requirements.\n, • Monitoring attendance at internal training sessions.\n, • Supporting departmental compliance activities.\n, • Work closely with Finance and Credit Control to support the effective management of Work in Progress (WIP), billing and aged debt.\n, • Prepare draft bills for review by fee earners.\n, • Monitor outstanding WIP and billing deadlines.\n, • Support Partners in achieving departmental financial targets.\n, • Promote compliance with billing processes across the support team.\n, • Act as a key liaison for departmental IT issues.\n, • Coordinate with IT Support and the Software Training & Applications team.\n, • Communicate system updates and process changes to the department.\n, • Support colleagues in implementing new systems and technology.\n\n \n Legal Matter Support \n\n • Assist fee earners with the preparation of court bundles, hearing files, trial bundles, counsel's papers, client documentation and disclosure where capacity allows.\n, • Support the preparation of mediation and arbitration documentation where required.\n, • Maintain accurate records of chargeable and non-chargeable administrative work in accordance with firm policy.\n\n \n Resource Planning \n\n • Work closely with the PA Coordinator to ensure appropriate Executive Assistant and Secretarial support across the Family Law Department.\n, • Identify and communicate holiday and absence cover requirements.\n, • Support recruitment, onboarding and induction of new support staff where required.\n, • Contribute to succession planning and continuous improvement of departmental support services.\n\n \n This role will offer hybrid working, salary up to £50,000 \n \n For further information please contact Ella Britton \n