Job Title: Housing Disrepair – Paralegal
Location: Northenden
Salary: Starting Salary £22,000 per annum
Job Type: Full Time, Permanent (Hours are 8:30am-5:30pm Monday-Thursday and 8:30am to 5pm Friday)
Established in 2000, Express Solicitors is an award-winning law firm that deals personal injury and clinical negligence claims. Based in Manchester, we serve clients nationwide. We are proud of the work we do helping injured people, and this is our core business.
We are currently ranked 93 in the Top 200 UK Law firms and are a Legal 500 Recognised Leading Firm for both Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence. We have a 5-star ranking with Trust Pilot from over 4,500 reviews, which, coming from our clients, means a lot to us.
The Role:
The role will be to assist a senior fee earner with their caseload of pre and post-issue Housing Disrepair claims. Experience of housing disrepair would be beneficial but is not essential, as full training will be given. You will work closely with your supervisor and other team members, to learn the job in a structure format, building up from key foundation tasks to more complex ones over time.
There is excellent progression offered with this role, for a bright capable candidate we would expect them to move to handling their own caseload within 3 months and to progress to a training contract within 6 to 18 months. This is built into our progression pathways and is where we expect all of our Litigation Assistants to progress to.
We will support you in your first steps into your new legal career with strong supervision and guidance. We have an open door policy, along with weekly one to ones with your supervisor.
We also provide three appraisal a year, for you to discuss any training needs you have and your progression outlook.
We have high-quality non-CMC work and a positive working environment. Where we encourage a work life balance with hybrid working once probation is passed.
Main responsibilities:
- You will assist with matters from cradle to grave and will deal with all stages from letter of claim to trial.
- Client care is an important part of the role, ensuring that clients are happy with the progression of their case.
- Task management & Case progression including:
- Legal Research.
- Drafting letters of claim, drafting of court documentation, instructing counsel, collating bundles.
- Taking witness statements.
- Instructing and liaising with expert engineers.
- Keeping the case management file fully up to date.
- You will assist with for preparing cases for trial, including preparing trial bundles and instructing counsel.
- Engaging with Third Parties and discussing settlement opportunities with them and the client.
- Advocacy – attending applications & conferences.
Salary & Working Hours:
The starting salary is £22,000 and this will increase once you take on your own files and progress.
Benefits:
We always endeavour to recruit and retain the best staff around. To do so we offer competitive remuneration packages, ongoing training and development opportunities and a wide variety of interesting and challenging work. Additionally, we also offer the following:
- 3/2 alternative working from home pattern staff after probation
- 23 days holiday a year, rising to 26 days (3 days reserved for Christmas closure of the
- office)
- 3 holiday buy backs per year after 1 year of service
- Extra day’s holiday for your birthday after 2 years’ service.
- Private medical insurance available after 2 years’ service
- Attending Lawyer meetings and training sessions (every other month)
- 3 appraisals per annum to discuss career and progress towards a training contract
- Death in Service – 2 x salary
- Active social committee with generous departmental and firm-wide social budget.
- Active training culture and various groups and events such as Diversity & Inclusion.
- Netball / Football team, 10km Manchester team and more.
- Enhanced Maternity Leave payment if you have over 1 year tenure
- Other benefits including Employee Assistance Programme, free fruit & annual flu jab
Recruitment Cycle Process:
Interviews will be conducted by MS Teams. It will involve a presentation on the housing disrepair litigation process, as well as some other competency questions. You will be provided full information and support at every step.
Please click the APPLY button to send your CV and Cover Letter for this role.
Candidates with the relevant experience or job titles of; Fee Earner, Newly Qualified Solicitor, Law Graduate, Junior Solicitor, Lawyer, Solicitor, Housing Disrepair Lawyer, Housing Disrepair Caseworker, Legal Assistant, Litigation Assistant, Legal Executive, Paralegal, Legal Executive will also be considered for this role.
