Official Solicitor and Public Trustee - Lawyer, Property and Affairs Team (Ref: 10858)

The Offices of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee (OSPT) The office is an Arms\’ Length Body of the Ministry of Justice and combines the duties and responsibilities of two separate independent statutory office holders – the Official Solicitor to the Senior Courts and the Public Trustee. There are around 135 staff who support the work of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee, including lawyers, lay case managers and administrators. The Official Solicitor promotes access to justice for the most vulnerable members of our society who might otherwise be unable to use the services offered by the justice system due to their lack of mental capacity or because of their young age. We are committed to providing the best level of service we can for our clients. We have a Grade 7 lawyer vacancy on our Property and Affairs (Court of Protection) team. The Post – Property & Affairs team The Official Solicitor acts as both litigation friend and solicitor in proceedings relating to the property and affairs of those who lack capacity (\”P\”). PAA lawyers are responsible for all aspects of the case management and conduct of litigation in matters referred to the Official Solicitor from the Court of Protection, by way of an invitation to act as litigation friend for P in PAA applications to authorise: + execution of a statutory will/codicil, + the making of a gift on behalf of P (or ratification of an unauthorised gift that has already been made), + execution of a settlement of assets belonging to P; + gratuitous care payments; + contested deputyship or attorneyship applications. + transactions at an undervalue; and + transactions or investments where one of the parties faces a conflict of interest. The Official Solicitor may also be invited to act as advocate to the court in this specialist area. The Official Solicitor and Public Trustee\’s Trust and Estates team manage cases where either the Official Solicitor or Public Trustee has been appointed as executor to a will or trustee of a trust. PAA lawyers are also responsible for providing legal support to the Trusts and Estates team in respect of trust administration., We are looking for a highly motivated qualified lawyer eligible to practice within England and Wales at the point of making the application for this role, to join the busy Official Solicitor\’s Property and Affairs Team. The successful applicant will work to the Senior Lawyer of the PAA team and will be expected to fulfil all elements of a lawyer role, together with contributing to the organisation\’s corporate objectives. You will need strong communication skills, good self-awareness and a commitment to role model positive behaviours and use feedback to learn and develop as a professional. You will be expected to make confident and informed decisions within your own casework, while also escalating risks and seeking guidance from senior colleagues where appropriate. You must be able to demonstrate specific professional skills, knowledge, and qualifications. You must also be qualified at the point of making the application for this post. The successful applicant will develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with colleagues at all grades, the judiciary and other key stakeholders and provide case management advice and legal direction to the Trust and Estates case management team. Skills and Qualities Eligible applicants must be; Qualified to practice as a barrister or solicitor, in England and Wales or an advocate or solicitor in Scotland; or A CILEX Fellow where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE has been completed; or (iii) where exams have been passed and a score of 50% or above achieved, at CILEx Level 6

• , in all the following foundation subjects:

1. Contract Law 2. Criminal Law 3. Equity and Trusts Law 4. European Union Law 5. Land Law 6. Public Law 7. Law of Tort, Qualified to practice as a barrister or solicitor, in England and Wales or an advocate or solicitor in Scotland; or A CILEX Fellow where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE has been completed; or (iii) where exams have been passed and a score of 50% or above achieved, at CILEx Level 6

• , in all the following foundation subjects:

1. Contract Law 2. Criminal Law 3. Equity and Trusts Law 4. European Union Law 5. Land Law 6. Public Law 7. Law of Tort Qualification for appointment is 2 years post qualification experience as a solicitor, barrister, or CILEX Fellow at the point of making the application for this post.Behaviours We\’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: + Making Effective Decisions + Delivering at Pace + Communicating and Influencing + Working Together + Seeing the Big Picture, This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in a new window) checks.Nationality requirements This job is broadly open to the following groups: + UK nationals + nationals of the Republic of Ireland + nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK + nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) + nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) + individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020 + Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission\’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

• Qualification for appointment is 2 years post qualification experience as a solicitor, barrister, or CILEX Fellow at the point of making the application for this post. Candidates will be expected to have experience in private client work including the drafting of wills, deeds, settlements, administration of trusts and estates and knowledge of tax planning, plus familiarity with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Court of Protection Rules and practice. Essential skills: + the ability to communicate advice effectively in writing and orally. + the ability to quickly identify and respond to legal developments and risk. + the ability to work flexibly and collaboratively, with legal and non-legal colleagues. + the ability to work at pace. Advocacy experience is desirable but not essential.
• Alongside your salary of £58,511, Ministry of Justice contributes £16,950 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. + Access to learning and development
  + A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
  + A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
  + A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
  + Annual Leave
  + Public Holidays
  + Season Ticket Advance
  For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page. Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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