Legal Secretary - Property Disputes in Kent

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals and over 600 staff based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.

The team you will join:

Our Property Disputes Team acts for a wide range of clients including private individuals, partnerships, trusts, registered social landlords and corporate clients in both the public and private sectors.

The work you will be doing:

• Formatting, paginating, numbering, bundling, and finalising legal documents, including Court claims, witness statements, settlement agreements, correspondence and emails.
• Proactively managing diaries, ensuring fee earners are alerted to deadlines, hearings, and urgent appointments.
• Accurately maintaining and updating client, court, counsel, and third-party contact details within the firm’s client and case management systems.
• Handling file admin, including opening and closing files and arranging payment transfers.
• Handling internal and external telephone enquiries professionally and efficiently, ensuring a high level of client service at all times.
• Coordinating meetings, conferences, and calls, including booking meeting rooms and preparing documentation in advance.
• Arranging travel and accommodation where required.
• Providing administrative support in relation to business development activities and events, as required.
• Proactively supporting other members of the secretarial team and providing cover when necessary to other offices to ensure that work is completed to a consistently high standard and within required deadlines.

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

What we are looking for:

• Previous experience as a Legal Secretary, preferably within litigation (property litigation experience desirable but not essential).
• Strong document production skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Confidence in managing multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• A proactive, flexible, and team-focused approach.
• High levels of professionalism and discretion when dealing with sensitive matters.
• Competence with Microsoft Office and legal document management system.

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. During your 6 month probation period, there will be a requirement to be in the office full time whilst you are developing in the role. Once you have successfully passed probation, this role attracts a split of 1-2 days working from home per week.

As a Birketts colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of benefits:

• Long Service holiday award - 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service.
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed).
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme.
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share).
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance.
• Paid CSR Day.
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave.
• Subsidised gym membership.
• Electric car scheme.
• Dress for your Day Policy.

Inclusivity and Culture:

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.