Job Description
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Family Fee Earner/Head of Department to join a well-established and highly regarded legal team.
This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious family lawyer who is looking to combine a strong fee-earning caseload with departmental leadership, mentoring and management responsibilities, whilst playing an active role in the wider strategic direction of the firm.
The successful candidate will form part of the Senior Leadership Team and will be responsible for leading and developing a small, multi-site Family team, whilst continuing to manage their own caseload and maintain a strong focus on client service and billing performance.
The Role You will manage a full caseload of privately funded family matters, alongside taking responsibility for the performance, development and day-to-day management of the department.
Your fee-earning responsibilities will include:
- Managing a varied caseload of privately funded family matters, including divorce, cohabitation, financial matters and private children work.
- Progressing matters efficiently and accurately, keeping clients regularly informed of progress and costs.
- Building and maintaining excellent client relationships and delivering consistently high standards of client care.
- Working towards and achieving agreed billing, time recording, aged debt and other performance targets.
- Managing credit control on your own matters and ensuring files are maintained to the required standards.
- Maintaining professional competence and keeping up to date with developments in family law.
- Developing relationships with external organisations and generating referrals through networking, marketing and business development activity.
Alongside your fee-earning responsibilities, you will:
- Lead, manage and develop the Family department, ensuring high standards of performance and service.
- Set and deliver departmental objectives and contribute to the wider business strategy.
- Monitor departmental KPIs, including billing, fees received, WIP, profitability, matter openings and business development.
- Provide effective supervision, coaching and mentoring to colleagues across multiple sites.
- Conduct regular performance and development meetings, supporting colleagues with their professional development and wellbeing.
- Assist with recruitment, onboarding and training of new team members.
- Lead regular departmental meetings, sharing knowledge, best practice and strategic objectives.
- Identify and appropriately manage departmental risks, compliance issues and areas for improvement.
- Monitor client feedback, complaints and claims, putting appropriate actions in place where required.
- Contribute to wider Leadership/Management meetings and provide insight into departmental opportunities, risks and people matters.
The Team You will work alongside a small, established team consisting of:
- 3 Fee Earners
- 1 Trainee Solicitor
- 1 Paralegal
- 1 Legal Assistant
The role will involve managing and supporting colleagues across multiple sites, making strong communication, delegation, coaching and emotional intelligence particularly important.
About You We are looking for an experienced Family Fee Earner who can demonstrate both strong technical family law expertise and proven leadership ability.
You will ideally have:
- Strong experience handling a privately funded family caseload.
- A proven track record of achieving billing and performance targets.
- Previous experience supervising, mentoring or managing colleagues.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong organisational and time-management abilities.
- The confidence to lead a team across multiple locations.
- The ability to delegate effectively, coach colleagues and manage performance.
- A commercial and strategic mindset, with an understanding of KPIs, profitability and business development.
- Strong judgement and decision-making skills.
- A proactive approach to risk management, compliance and continuous improvement.
- The ability to build excellent relationships with clients, colleagues and external contacts.
Location is flexible across any of their North/West Yorkshire offices, salary up to £65,000 DOE and 2 days working from home.
For more information, please reach out to me here:
Head of Family - Location Flexible Within Longstanding Yorkshire Practice in Otley employer: QED Legal
Join an esteemed international law firm in Leeds, where you will thrive in a dynamic work culture that values collaboration and professional growth. With a robust client base and a steady flow of high-profile M&A deals, you'll have the opportunity to develop your skills while mentoring junior lawyers and expanding your practice. The firm offers unique benefits such as genuine international exposure through secondments, making it an exceptional place for ambitious corporate lawyers seeking meaningful and rewarding careers.
