Family Secretary

Ashford

£21,000-£26,000

Full-Time Permanent

Benefits:

• 5% pension
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Staff days out
• Training courses offered

Our client is looking for an organised secretary to provide full support to the partner and family solicitors. You will be working as a member of the secretarial team; answering incoming calls, greeting visitors to Reception on occasion, collection/delivery of daily incoming/outgoing post, and any other general office administrative duties as required.

Key Responsibilities as Family Secretary:

• Arranging appointments, dealing with client queries in person and by phone, together with preparation of correspondence and documents by audio typing via the digital dictation system.
• Filing, photocopying and opening/closing client files in a timely manner.
• Regular consideration of client files and liaising with partner and fee earners on any action required.
• Maintaining and coordinating diaries and diary notes and reporting on these as necessary.
• Secretarial support to other departments and the family solicitors in other offices as and when required.
• Compliance with the firm’s accounts and administrative disciplines and procedure.
• To agree clear objectives linked to the Firm’s business plan and participate in the performance management system, assessing performance and giving feedback as relevant.
• Have a personal development plan and evaluate the effect of training on achievement.
• Clearly identify the standards and systems required to continually improve our client service.
• Comply with all the Firm’s relevant policies and procedures.
• Ensure confidentiality on all appropriate matters and recognise that any breach of this confidentiality will be treated very seriously.

Key Requirements:

Relevant secretarial experience gained from within a busy legal practice (Family).

CILEX Legal Secretarial Diploma or equivalent (would be an advantage).

Both literate and numerate.

Competent in the use of MS Word and Outlook (Professional) gained in a working environment, preferably the legal industry.

Accurate in producing good quality correspondence.

Proficient audio typist.

Familiar with transcription via Digital Dictation (desirable).

Familiarity with using a Practice Management System (Partner/Tikit).

Clear verbal and communication skills.

Team working (flexible and adaptable to the needs of the team).

Uses initiative in dealing with incoming queries.

Ability to work on own initiative.

Confident and assertive whilst sympathetic and understanding towards clients who may be distressed, whilst remaining professional at all times.

Ability to balance priorities in order to meet sometimes demanding deadlines.

Keen to ensure the needs of clients are met wherever possible.

Attention to accuracy and detail.

Clean and presentable in appearance.