OVP Solicitor – Junior Lawyer
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a junior lawyer to join our private client team, working as part of our specialist Older and Vulnerable Persons (OVP) team. The OVP team consists of lawyers with the expertise and understanding to support and advise older and vulnerable individuals, their families and carers on a range of legal issues.
About the role
The role will involve ongoing oversight and management of a number of professional Deputy and Attorney appointments for the firm. This will involve working with individuals with a range of vulnerabilities, including brain injuries, dementia, learning disabilities and mental health issues.
Responsibilities
- Meetings with vulnerable clients
- Liaising with carers, care homes, estate agents and other professionals
- Day‑to‑day management of financial affairs for vulnerable clients, including:
- Reviewing benefit entitlement
- Assessing financial resources
- Assessing care contributions
- Paying bills
- Researching products and services the individual may require
- Attending clients both in care and in the community
- Reviewing care plans
- Reconciling bank accounts
- Preparing annual deputy reports
- Communications with carers, families, banks, financial advisers, social workers and other professionals
- Preparing Court of Protection applications including:
- Deputyship
- Statutory Wills
- Trustee removal
- Gifting and ad hoc applications
- Preparing Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney
- Undertaking legal research and presenting results in an accurate and timely manner
The successful candidate will be required to engage with team and office business development initiatives, including attending networking events (internal and external) and preparing articles, website content and social media posts.
Previous experience of Court of Protection management will be an advantage, but is not essential as training will be provided.
The successful candidate should be comfortable with client interactions and interviews. The candidate will be given the skills and training in time to be able to host client meetings, providing advice on a breadth of OVP services such as care funding and attorney advice.
Desired knowledge
- Welfare benefits
- The Care Act 2014
- The Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Care and Support Statutory Guidance
About you
- Have a passion for supporting and protecting vulnerable adults
- Be able to work as part of a team, offering support to peers where required
- Have good communication skills, adapting communication skills to suit the audience
- Have excellent organisational skills with good attention to detail
- Be able to deal with sensitive issues and scenarios with empathy and professionalism
- Have a Private Client background (or similar)
- Be capable of managing a varied workload – prioritising, delegating and diarising tasks
- Be willing to contribute to networking and marketing initiatives
- Have a willingness to learn new skills and processes
- Show initiative through active case management.
- Be happy to travel to client visits out of the office as required.
- Be willing to undertake the STEP advanced certificate in advising vulnerable clients.
Benefits of working with us
- Private Medical Insurance
- Sight tests / Glasses discounts
- Scottish Widows Pension Scheme
- 28 days annual leave (plus public holidays)
- Bonus scheme
- Electric vehicle scheme
- International secondments for 0‑5 PQE
- Happy People / Perks at Work benefits portal
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Life Assurance
- 1/3 gym membership contribution
- Flu vaccinations
As HCR is an equal opportunities employer, we don’t just accept differences, we celebrate them. We want to attract a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and skills to create a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and works together to achieve the best outcome for our clients. We are privileged to be an armed forces‑friendly organisation.
