Solicitor - Court of Protection (Health & Welfare) in Liverpool

A little bit about us: EMG Solicitors is an award winning Legal 500 law firm with offices across the UK, specialising in Court of Protection, Deputyships, Mental Health Law, Family Law and Mediation, Residential Conveyancing, 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.

What are we looking for? We are currently looking to recruit a Solicitor or Cilex in our Court of Protection, Health and Welfare team, who ideally will have up to 3 years’ PQE, and can competently manage Court of Protection matters.

Where will you be based? This role will be based from our Liverpool 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 Solicitor 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: This role works within the Court of Protection, Health and Welfare team. We actively support one another and place a great deal of emphasis on teamwork. The Solicitor will manage a caseload primarily consisting of Legal Aid-funded Health and Welfare matters, ensuring cases are progressed efficiently and in accordance with professional and regulatory standards. They will also contribute to the development of the team’s growing private client work, helping to expand the department’s reach and support the wider objectives of the firm.

What will we expect from you:

• Generating work: 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.
• Undertaking work: You should be passionate about providing support to your colleagues, undertaking your duties professionally and with the utmost skill and care, and always putting clients first while respecting their confidentiality at all times.
• 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:
• Confidently corresponding with clients, courts, third parties and the Legal Aid Agency.
• Knowledge of the legal aid applications and use of the legal aid portal.
• Building up referral sources for health and welfare and mental health work.
• Attending upon clients in hospitals to take initial instructions and attend CPA meetings.
• Conducting matters on behalf of clients with all due diligence, 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 dealing with any issues that arise for them.
• Participation in business development and marketing activities is encouraged, particularly in relation to the development of the Court of Protection Health and Welfare Department.
• Responsible for financial control, including taking monies on account of fees and disbursements when possible and appropriate, recording time accurately and in line with chargeable and non-chargeable time targets.
• Agreeing fees with clients in advance of billing, whether by agreeing fixed fees or hourly rates with fee estimate (where applicable).
• Billing matters promptly and appropriately, seeking to maximise recovery time spent, ensuring compliance with Legal Aid rules.

To be able to perform this job you will need:

• To be a fully qualified solicitor or Cilex, ideally with up to three years’ post qualification experience, with appropriate experience gained within a COP H&W department.
• Law Society Mental Health Accreditation is desirable, or a willingness to work towards obtaining it.
• To be an excellent communicator in how you work with both clients and colleagues.
• Effective time management and organisational skills.
• The ability to work under your own initiative to be proactive when working to tight deadlines.
• To ensure the firm's procedures are always adhered to and followed, respecting client confidentiality at all times.
• A desire for continuous personal and professional development.

EMG Solicitors are an equal opportunities employer. To apply for this role you must have the right to work within the UK.