Family Solicitor/Legal Executive

An established and growing specialist family law practice is seeking a Family Solicitor or Legal Executive to establish and lead a new office in an agreed location within England.

This is an opportunity for a family lawyer to combine fee-earning work with local leadership, business development and the development of a new team and practice.

The role is suited to someone who has developed a solid grounding in private family law and is now looking for the opportunity to take on greater responsibility, develop their professional profile and play a meaningful role in building a new office.

There is no fixed PQE requirement for this position. Applications are welcomed from candidates at different stages of their careers. The key consideration will be whether the candidate has the technical ability, judgment, client-care skills, commercial awareness and ambition required to develop successfully in the role.

Candidates with relatively limited post-qualification experience will therefore be considered where they can demonstrate the appropriate level of competence, independence, initiative and potential.

The successful candidate must hold a current practising certificate or equivalent professional authorisation and be appropriately authorised to undertake the reserved legal activities required by the role.

About You

We are interested in hearing from appropriately qualified and authorised family lawyers at different stages of their careers, including:

• Solicitors of England and Wales holding a current practising certificate.
• CILEX Lawyers / Chartered Legal Executives with the relevant practising rights and authorisations.
• Other appropriately qualified lawyers authorised by an approved regulator to undertake the reserved activities required by the position.

Rather than applying a rigid PQE threshold, we will assess candidates on their experience, capability and potential.

Depending on experience, candidates should be able to demonstrate:

• Practical experience of private family law.
• Experience of private children and/or financial remedy work.
• The ability to manage their own caseload, with an appropriate level of supervision and support.
• Sound technical knowledge and developing practical judgment.
• The ability to identify key legal and practical issues and provide clear, proportionate advice.
• Strong client-care and communication skills.
• Good drafting and negotiation skills.
• Confidence dealing with sensitive or challenging situations.
• Effective file, time and financial management.
• An understanding of the commercial requirements of private family practice.
• Confidence using case-management systems and standard office technology.
• The potential to take on leadership responsibility as the office develops.
• An interest in networking, marketing and business development.
• The ability to establish trusted relationships with clients and professional referrers.
• The ambition and initiative to help build a sustainable local practice.

Previous experience of managing or supervising colleagues would be advantageous but is not essential.

Equally, applicants do not need to have previously established or managed an office. The firm is looking for someone with the potential and appetite to grow into the leadership aspects of the role, supported by the firm's existing infrastructure and colleagues.

Developing the New Office

The office-establishment element of the role will be developed progressively.

The successful candidate will not be expected to have all the answers or to arrive with an established team already in place. The firm will provide central administrative, compliance, operational and marketing support, while the successful candidate will gradually take ownership of the office's local profile, client relationships and business development.

The level of responsibility and management involvement will develop alongside the individual's experience, performance and the growth of the office.

This makes the opportunity potentially well suited to a lawyer who is ready for a step up in responsibility, rather than only to an established senior lawyer.