Senior Private Client Lawyer in Chelmsford

We are seeking an experienced and technically strong Private Client Solicitor (5+ years PQE) to join our established and growing private client team. Due to an increase in workload and a maternity leave, you will take on an existing caseload and further develop the PC offering. This role is unique because you will focus on advising High Net Worth individuals, including business owners and farming clients, on complex estate and succession planning matters.

You will work closely with a sophisticated client base, providing tailored, strategic advice on the preservation and transfer of wealth, often involving multi-generational planning and business or agricultural assets. You will need to have good interpersonal skills, be commercially minded and be able to retain and build professional contact relationships. If you are a motivated and technically skilled private client solicitor looking to work with a high value client base on complex and rewarding matters, we would be pleased to hear from you.

• Advising HNW individuals (typically with estates exceeding £3 million) on estate planning, succession, and wealth structuring
• Drafting complex Wills, including those involving business property, agricultural assets, and sometimes cross-border considerations
• Confident with trust structures, including discretionary, life interest, and bespoke arrangements
• Providing inheritance tax (IHT) and capital gains tax (CGT) planning advice
• Working with corporate and accountants to help assist business owners on succession planning, therefore having basic knowledge of commercial structures
• Being able to recognise effective estate planning techniques such as alternatives to Trust structures and being aware of Family Investment Companies
• Acting for farming clients, including advice on Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR)
• Drafting and advising on Lasting Powers of Attorney including business LPAs
• Managing caseload independently while collaborating with colleagues throughout the firm on complex matters
• Building and maintaining strong client relationships, with a focus on long-term advisory work for the family
• Retaining and continuing to build strong trustworthy reliable relationships with other professionals such as Accountants, Financial Advisors, Surveyors and Wealth Managers
• Providing a slick, quality service for clients and likeminded professionals
• Active with networking and marketing for yourself and the firm

• Qualified Solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive with a minimum of 5 years’ PQE in private client work
• Strong experience advising HNW individuals on estate and tax planning
• Demonstrable expertise in drafting complex Wills and trust documentation
• Solid understanding of IHT, CGT, APR, and BPR
• Experience working with business owners and agricultural clients is highly desirable
• Excellent technical drafting skills and attention to detail is a must
• Strong interpersonal and client relationship management skills
• Ability and drive to continue to build the HNW division
• Ability to handle sensitive matters with discretion and professionalism
• Must possess the ability to communicate effectively with individuals at all levels
• Must be able to communicate key information in a manner which is easily understood
• Self-motivated, organised with the ability to prioritise and manage own workload
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently under pressure
• Proactive and commercially minded
• Team player

• Competitive salary and bonus scheme
• High-quality HNW client base
• Supportive and collaborative team environment
• Ongoing professional development and support for further qualifications
• A supportive, relaxed and flexible work environment in an experienced and growing team
• 28 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays
• Medicash cash back scheme
• Life Insurance
• EAP and various other physical and mental wellbeing support services including virtual GP access 24/7
• Family friendly policies such as enhanced maternity and paternity pay plus family events leave
• Company sick pay
• Cycle scheme

Holmes & Hills Solicitors is a large regional firm of solicitors with seven offices across Essex and Suffolk and over 200 legal professionals across a number of specialist departments. Holmes & Hills works in partnership with clients across East Anglia, including businesses, individuals, families and local authorities, to build long standing relationships, protect clients' interests and support clients' growth and development.

Working in partnership with businesses and individuals, Holmes & Hills' large team of legal experts work in partnership with individuals and organisations to provide them with truly proactive legal services through personal relationships. Acting as a trusted advisor to clients, we take the time to understand clients' needs and objectives before delivering practical advice through a personal and accessible approach.

Independently recognised as a leading law firm, Holmes & Hills Solicitors is independently recognised by The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners - two independent directories of the UK’s top law firms - as being a leading supplier of legal services in the region. These accreditations give our clients the confidence that the legal advice and representation they receive from Holmes & Hills is some of the best available. Our clients range from established and growing businesses whose brands are recognised and sold around the world and local authorities across the region, through to families and first-time home buyers.