Solicitor - Court of Protection (Health & Welfare)

EMG Solicitors is an award-winning Legal 500 law firm with offices across the North but acting nationally, specialising in Court of Protection, Deputyships, Mental Health Law, Family Law and Mediation, Residential Conveyancing, Dispute Resolution, Employment Law, Education Law and Wills, Trusts & Probate services. Our mission is to provide the legal support our clients require in order to achieve anything from their basic needs to their wildest dreams and everything in between. We pride ourselves on being a supportive, down-to-earth firm where people can grow their careers while doing work that genuinely matters.

What are we looking for? We are looking to appoint a Solicitor or CILEX (up to around 3 years' PQE) to join our Court of Protection Health & Welfare team. While experience in Health & Welfare work is welcome, we are equally open to individuals from related areas such as family law, mental health, or Court of Protection (Property & Affairs) who are interested in developing their expertise in this field. If you have experience supporting vulnerable clients, managing sensitive situations, or working in a people-focused area of law, we encourage you to apply. Full support and supervision will be provided as you develop your knowledge and confidence within this specialist area.

Where will you be based? This role will be based from our Darlington office, but we would expect you to travel and work from other offices from time to time.

How many hours will you be working? This is a full-time role which is 35 hours per week, however at EMG Solicitors we work flexibly; it's not a 9 to 5 role, but we do expect the work to be done, when you do it can be largely up to yourself, your Team Leader and the requirements of your clients.

A brief overview of the role: In this role, you will join our Court of Protection Health & Welfare team, supporting individuals who lack capacity to make decisions about their care, treatment and living arrangements. You'll help clients and families navigate capacity issues, best‐interest decisions, and Court of Protection applications where complex or disputed matters arise. You'll act as a clear and reassuring point of contact for clients and professionals, working closely with health, social care and rehabilitation teams to ensure needs are fully understood. The caseload is meaningful and varied, spanning both Legal Aid and private client matters as the team continues to grow. You'll be part of a collaborative department with strong peer support and opportunities to develop specialist expertise in an important and rewarding area of law.

What will we expect from you: Your work will come from a mixture of delegation and work you will generate for yourself. We encourage all our team members to win work, which can be achieved in a variety of ways, including:

• Becoming known as a go‐to specialist in a field, including writing articles and speaking at events, both external and internal.
• Attending networking events and flying the EMG Solicitors flag.
• Developing relationships on a one‐to‐one basis.

Each of these methods is equally valid and we will support you in not only making a plan which works for you and the firm but also providing you with any additional training you may need to help you with this aspect of your role. You should be passionate about providing:

• Support to your colleagues.
• To undertake your duties professionally and with the utmost skill and care.
• To always put clients first and respect their confidentiality at all times.

We take the view we stand and fall as a team – you will need to work both on your own and as part of a team. Getting paid for the work you do. In this role, you will be responsible for ensuring that your work contributes directly to the profitability and success of the department. This will involve:

• You will be confident in corresponding with clients, courts, third parties and the Legal Aid Agency.
• Knowledge of the legal aid applications and use of the legal aid portal.
• You will be confident in building up referral sources for health and welfare and mental health work.
• You will attend upon clients in hospitals to take initial instructions and attend CPA meetings.
• You will be tasked with undertaking fee‐earning work and provide a profitable contribution to the work of the department, aiming towards its successful development.
• You will conduct matters on behalf of clients with all due diligence, in particular ensuring excellence in respect of technical advice, client service, and user‐friendly language. Ensuring that the Client's needs are met as soon as possible and deal with any issues that arise for them.

Participation in business development and marketing activities whether on a firmwide, departmental and/or office basis is encouraged, in particular in relation to the development of the Court of Protection Health and Welfare Department. You will be responsible for financial control, including taking monies on account of fees and disbursements when possible and appropriate, record time accurately and in line with chargeable and non‐chargeable time targets. You will agree fees with clients in advance of billing, whether by agreeing fixed fees or hourly rates with fee estimate (where applicable). You will bill matters promptly and appropriately, seeking to maximise recovery time spent, making sure you are billing in line with Legal Aid rules.

To be able to perform this job you will need: Ideally up to three years' PQE, with experience gained in Court of Protection, mental health, family law, safeguarding or other work involving vulnerable clients. Direct Health & Welfare experience is advantageous but not essential. Law Society Mental Health Accreditation is a plus, but not essential - we will support you in obtaining it. You will need to be an excellent communicator in how you work with both clients and colleagues. Effective time management and organisational skills will need to be part of your skill set and you will need to be able to work under your own initiative to be proactive when working to tight deadlines. Ensuring the firm's procedures are always adhered to and followed, respecting client confidentiality at all times. We also love to promote from within the firm, so we are looking for someone who has a desire for continuous personal and professional development.

A little bit about the colleague we're looking for: We're looking for a colleague who aligns with our core values of:

• Cooperation - we proactively support our clients and each other.
• Courage - we are ambitious and think big.
• Integrity - we are open and transparent.
• Kindness - we value people, communities, having fun and being happy.

We want someone who will work proactively to deliver exceptional client service through the knowledge and skills they bring to the role. We want someone who will go the extra mile for both their clients and their colleagues, so we can all achieve anything from our basic needs to our wildest dreams and everything in between.

What you can expect from us: Firm wide annual bonus scheme, in addition to a competitive salary. 4% Pension employer contributions offered through Standard Life. 25 days holiday entitlement per year (FTE) with an additional three days off at Christmas. 5 extra days paid leave on your 5-year anniversary – (and every 5 years thereafter). Life Assurance providing your loved ones with a 3x salary death in service benefit. Employee Assistance Program – a Freephone number you can call 24/7 for personal, legal and financial issues; to arrange counselling and a GP helpline. EMG Rewards – Vivup well‐being & Tastecard apps offering discounts across a large number of retailers & restaurants. £50 Gift card on your birthday as well as a late start or early finish. £50 Gift card at Christmas plus Christmas closure (subject to variation). Cycle to work scheme. Salary Sacrifice Electric Car scheme. Fruit and refreshments in each office. If you want to take the family or friends out, we have two passes for Beamish open air museum which you can book out and take up to 10 people. Opportunity to join EMG working groups, such as our Green Team, Purpose Team, Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (JEDI) Team & our Social Impact Team. Regular surveys to understand issues our team care about. Includes regular guest speakers on a wide range of topics. EMG Solicitors are an equal opportunities employer. To apply for this role you must have the right to work within the UK.