Experienced Family Law Litigation Paralegal
8 days ago
Atlanta
Job Description:\n\nSenior Paralegal – Family Law and Criminal DefenseDo you want your work to matter every day?\nAt North Georgia Family Lawyers and Legal Defense, we represent clients facing some of the most serious and personal legal challenges of their lives. Our practice includes divorce, custody, child support, complex family-law disputes, criminal defense, and property-related litigation.\nWe approach every matter with urgency, preparation, sound judgment, and genuine care. Clients depend on us to protect their rights, manage difficult circumstances, and help them move forward with greater stability and confidence.\nWe are seeking an experienced Paralegal who can manage substantial responsibility, work independently, and help move cases forward without constant supervision.\nThis is not an entry-level position. It is designed for a highly capable legal professional who understands litigation, anticipates deadlines, produces accurate work, communicates effectively, and takes full ownership of assigned matters.Who will thrive in this role\nThe strongest candidate will be a disciplined, resourceful self-starter who is comfortable working in a fast-paced and highly accountable legal environment.\nYou will be successful in this position if you:\n\n \n Have significant experience supporting attorneys in family law and criminal defense\n \n Understand litigation workflow, court procedures, discovery, hearings, trial preparation, and case deadlines\n \n Can independently manage assigned files from intake through resolution\n \n Anticipate next steps and identify issues before they become emergencies\n \n Produce accurate, organized, attorney-ready work\n \n Communicate professionally with clients, attorneys, court personnel, law enforcement agencies, experts, witnesses, and opposing counsel\n \n Remain calm, focused, and productive when handling urgent or emotionally charged matters\n \n Follow through consistently and require minimal oversight\n \n Value accountability, responsiveness, client service, and continuous improvement\nCore responsibilities\nThe Paralegal will provide substantive litigation and case-management support, including:\n\n \n Managing active family-law and criminal-defense matters\n \n Monitoring court dates, filing deadlines, discovery deadlines, hearings, mediations, and trial preparation requirements\n \n Drafting pleadings, motions, discovery requests and responses, correspondence, notices, affidavits, subpoenas, and other legal documents for attorney review\n \n Preparing case summaries, chronologies, witness lists, exhibit lists, hearing notebooks, trial notebooks, and attorney preparation materials\n \n Coordinating discovery, document production, records requests, subpoenas, depositions, expert materials, and witness scheduling\n \n Reviewing case files for missing documents, unresolved issues, deadline risks, and required follow-up\n \n Filing documents electronically and confirming acceptance, service, and docket updates\n \n Communicating with clients regarding case status, document requests, scheduling, and attorney-directed next steps\n \n Maintaining complete, accurate, and current case records in the firm’s case-management system\n \n Documenting calls, emails, tasks, deadlines, and material case developments\n \n Supporting attorneys before hearings, mediations, negotiations, depositions, and trials\n \n Protecting client confidentiality and maintaining appropriate professional boundaries\n \n Escalating urgent legal, ethical, procedural, or client-service concerns promptly\nRequired qualifications\nQualified applicants should have:\n\n \n Substantial paralegal or senior legal-assistant experience\n \n Direct experience in family law and criminal law\n \n Strong knowledge of litigation procedures and court-file management\n \n Demonstrated experience drafting pleadings, discovery, correspondence, and hearing or trial materials\n \n Excellent written and verbal communication skills\n \n Strong proofreading, document-formatting, and quality-control abilities\n \n Advanced organizational and deadline-management skills\n \n The ability to manage multiple active matters and changing priorities\n \n Strong professional judgment and discretion\n \n Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat, electronic filing systems, and legal case-management software\n \n The ability to learn and use MyCase effectively\nPreferred qualifications\nThe following qualifications are strongly preferred:\n\n \n Georgia family-law experience\n \n Georgia criminal-defense experience\n \n Experience with Georgia state and superior courts\n \n Experience with Odyssey eFileGA, PeachCourt, or comparable electronic filing systems\n \n Trial-preparation and hearing-preparation experience\n \n Paralegal certificate or degree in paralegal studies\n \n Spanish-English bilingual ability\n\nSpanish fluency is preferred but not required. All candidates must demonstrate polished, professional English communication and strong legal-writing skills.What excellence looks like\nA high-performing paralegal in this role:\n\n \n Reviews the file before being asked\n \n Knows the next deadline and next required action\n \n Keeps attorneys informed without waiting for problems to escalate\n \n Produces work that is accurate, complete, and ready for attorney review\n \n Documents material activity consistently\n \n Communicates with confidence, professionalism, and appropriate empathy\n \n Protects the client experience while maintaining firm boundaries\n \n Takes responsibility for results and follows assignments through completion\nWhy join North Georgia Family Lawyers and Legal Defense\nThis position offers an experienced paralegal the opportunity to perform meaningful work, contribute directly to case outcomes, and grow with a firm that values professionalism, initiative, strong advocacy, and exceptional client service.\nWe are looking for someone who wants more than a task-based position. We want a trusted legal professional who takes pride in managing cases, supporting attorneys, serving clients, and helping build a stronger firm.How to apply\nPlease submit your resume and a brief statement addressing:\n\n \n Your family-law experience\n \n Your criminal-law experience\n \n The types of pleadings, discovery, hearings, and trials you have supported\n \n The case-management and electronic-filing systems you have used\n \n An example of how you independently managed a difficult deadline, urgent matter, or complex case\nCompensation:\n$55,000 - $76,000 yearly\nResponsibilities:\nThe Paralegal will independently support the firm’s family-law and criminal-defense matters by managing discovery, drafting, case preparation, filing, and workflow execution from assignment through completion.Discovery management\n\n \n Manage the discovery process from initial drafting through final production and follow-up\n \n Draft interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admission, and responses to discovery\n \n Draft deficiency letters, discovery follow-up correspondence, and attorney-directed communications\n \n Review incoming discovery for completeness, responsiveness, and missing information\n \n Track discovery requests, response deadlines, extensions, objections, and outstanding materials\n \n Follow up consistently with clients to obtain documents, records, financial information, evidence, and other requested materials\n \n Organize, label, Bates-number, redact, and prepare discovery productions\n \n Coordinate with attorneys to identify additional facts, documents, witnesses, and evidence needed to support the client’s position\n \n Escalate incomplete responses, approaching deadlines, and discovery disputes before they become urgent\nDrafting and legal document preparation\n\n \n Draft motions, pleadings, notices, affidavits, subpoenas, proposed orders, correspondence, and other legal documents for attorney review\n \n Prepare initial case documents and subsequent filings using firm-approved templates and attorney direction\n \n Proofread documents for accuracy, consistency, formatting, case numbers, party names, dates, venue, service language, and exhibits\n \n Revise documents based on attorney edits and maintain clear version control\n \n Prepare subpoenas and coordinate issuance, service, compliance, and follow-up\n \n Conduct legal research and prepare organized summaries, supporting authorities, and case-specific findings for attorney review\nHearing and trial preparation\n\n \n Prepare attorneys for motions hearings, temporary hearings, mediations, depositions, and trials\n \n Compile and organize exhibits, witness materials, pleadings, discovery, timelines, and supporting evidence\n \n Prepare exhibit lists, witness lists, hearing notebooks, trial notebooks, and electronic hearing materials\n \n Confirm that exhibits are properly labeled, indexed, redacted, and available in the required format\n \n Coordinate with attorneys, clients, witnesses, experts, court reporters, and other participants regarding hearing and trial logistics\n \n Review files in advance of hearings and trials to identify missing documents, unresolved issues, and required follow-up\nCalendar and deadline control\n\n \n Track court dates, discovery deadlines, filing deadlines, mediation dates, depositions, hearings, and trial-related obligations\n \n Follow up with Legal Assistants to confirm that motion hearings have been requested, scheduled, and accurately calendared\n \n Create and monitor follow-up tasks in MyCase\n \n Conduct routine file audits to identify overdue tasks, approaching deadlines, and incomplete assignments\n \n Notify the supervising attorney promptly of deadline risks, scheduling conflicts, or procedural issues\n \n Maintain a forward-looking calendar and ensure all responsible team members understand the next required action\nFiling and court coordination\n\n \n Electronically file pleadings and other documents in Georgia state, superior, magistrate, juvenile, and federal courts, as applicable\n \n Verify filing acceptance, docket entry, service, rejection notices, and corrective-action requirements\n \n Coordinate service of process, subpoenas, notices, and other case-related documents\n \n Communicate professionally with court clerks, judicial staff, opposing counsel, law enforcement agencies, and process servers\n \n Maintain complete records of filing confirmations, service returns, court notices, and related correspondence\nClient communication and case coordination\n\n \n Communicate with clients regarding document requests, discovery obligations, case preparation, scheduling, and attorney-directed next steps\n \n Explain administrative and procedural requirements without providing unauthorized legal advice\n \n Document all material client communications, commitments, deadlines, and follow-up needs in MyCase\n \n Maintain professional boundaries while providing responsive and compassionate client service\n \n Regularly confer with the assigned attorney and Legal Assistant to ensure cases are administered efficiently and accurately\n \n Escalate urgent client concerns, safety issues, court notices, and case developments immediately\nFile management and billing\n\n \n Maintain complete, accurate, and current electronic case files in MyCase\n \n Ensure documents, emails, notes, filings, evidence, and correspondence are saved to the correct matter\n \n Apply consistent document-naming, organization, and version-control standards\n \n Enter contemporaneous, accurate, and sufficiently detailed billing entries\n \n Review time entries for completeness and compliance with firm billing expectations\n \n Protect confidential information and follow all firm policies concerning records, privacy, and document security\nWorkflow and process improvement\n\n \n Assist with developing, documenting, and improving checklists, templates, standard operating procedures, and case workflows\n \n Identify recurring workflow gaps, inefficiencies, and quality-control risks\n \n Recommend practical improvements that strengthen deadline control, communication, accuracy, and client service\n \n Help train Legal Assistants and other team members on approved procedures, case-management standards, and workflow expectations\n \n Take ownership of assigned matters and follow tasks through final completion rather than stopping at initial preparation\n\nQualifications:\n\n Qualifications and professional profile\n This role is likely a strong fit for you if you are an experienced, self-directed legal professional who can manage substantive case responsibilities while maintaining exceptional accuracy, responsiveness, and client service.\n The successful candidate will demonstrate:\n \n Extensive family-law and criminal-defense experience, including litigation support, discovery, motion practice, hearing preparation, trial preparation, and deadline management\n A strong working knowledge of Georgia court procedures, filing requirements, service processes, and litigation workflow\n The ability to independently manage assigned matters, anticipate next steps, and move cases forward with minimal supervision\n Exceptional skill in drafting, proofreading, formatting, and organizing pleadings, discovery, correspondence, exhibits, subpoenas, and case-preparation materials\n Advanced organizational ability, including accurate calendaring, task management, document control, and deadline tracking\n Professional, composed, and effective communication with clients, attorneys, opposing counsel, court personnel, witnesses, experts, law enforcement agencies, and vendors\n The judgment to handle emotionally charged clients and urgent legal matters with empathy, discretion, and appropriate professional boundaries\n Proficiency with legal case-management systems, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, electronic filing platforms, and digital document-management tools\n The ability to learn and use MyCase efficiently for matter management, task tracking, communications, document storage, calendaring, and billing\n Strong legal-research skills and the ability to organize findings for attorney review\n Accurate, contemporaneous billing practices and a clear understanding of billable legal work\n Reliability, adaptability, and sound judgment in a fast-paced, high-accountability environment\n A willingness to perform both substantive paralegal work and necessary administrative execution to ensure matters are completed correctly\n A proactive mindset that identifies risks, missing information, and workflow breakdowns before they affect the client or case\n A demonstrated commitment to confidentiality, ethics, professional conduct, and compliance with attorney supervision requirements\n A service-oriented approach grounded in urgency, accountability, and continuous improvement\n The ability to accept feedback, implement corrections quickly, and consistently improve work quality\n Required experience\n \n Several years of substantive paralegal or senior legal-assistant experience\n Direct experience supporting attorneys in fami