Private Client Solicitor in Woodford Green

We are looking for an experienced Private Client Solicitor to join our client's busy private client team. The successful candidate will provide high‐quality legal advice and case management across a broad range of private client matters, deliver excellent client service, ensure compliance with regulatory and firm procedures, and contribute to efficient team workflows and matter progression.

Key responsibilities

• Advise and act for individuals, families and executors on personal legal matters including wills, probate and estate administration, trusts, lasting powers of attorney (LPAs), estate planning and inheritance tax matters, providing commercially aware and practical advice tailored to clients' needs.
• Draft, review and manage private client documentation including wills, trust deeds, LPAs, grant of probate applications, estate accounts, administration documents and letters of wishes, ensuring accuracy and adherence to firm precedents and regulatory requirements.
• Progress probate and estate administration matters from client instruction to completion, liaising with executors, beneficiaries, financial institutions, HMRC, trustees and other third parties to obtain information, resolve queries and meet statutory deadlines.
• Provide advice on capacity, court of protection matters and deputyship applications, liaising with medical professionals and the Court of Protection as required and ensuring best interests considerations are properly documented.
• Carry out client identity checks and support anti‐money laundering (AML) compliance, maintain robust audit trails and ensure case files are audit‐ready in line with firm procedures.
• Prepare clear client engagement letters, fee estimates and billing documentation; manage client accounts, disbursement requests and assist with invoicing and fee recovery in accordance with firm policies.
• Open and maintain comprehensive electronic case files, recording clear case notes, action plans and milestones to support efficient case reviews and handovers.
• Liaise professionally with clients, family members, trustees, beneficiaries, financial advisers and external advisers; respond to routine enquiries and elevate complex or novel issues to senior colleagues promptly.
• Identify opportunities for fixed fee work and service development, contribute to precedent updates and assist with implementation of case management systems and workflow tools to improve team efficiency.
• Provide supervision, coaching and mentoring to more junior fee earners and support staff, assisting with training, quality control checks and development activities.

Key skills and experience required

• Qualified solicitor, minimum 5 years PQE with significant post‐qualification experience in private client work within a law firm or in‐house legal team, handling wills, probate, trusts, LPAs, estate administration and related tax matters.
• Strong technical knowledge of private client practice, including probate procedures, trust law, LPAs, Court of Protection processes and inheritance tax planning.
• Proven experience of drafting and reviewing private client documentation to a high standard and managing multiple matters to deadline with excellent attention to detail.
• Familiarity with AML and client identification requirements and demonstrable experience maintaining audit‐ready files and compliance records.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills with the ability to prioritise competing workloads and deliver quality service under pressure.
• Confident and professional communicator with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build rapport with clients and work collaboratively with colleagues and external advisers.
• Commercially aware, proactive and solutions‐focused with a commitment to continuous improvement and a willingness to adopt new systems and contribute to team development.