Family Law Head of Department
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Family Law Associate/ Head of Department
Do you have 4+ PQE in Family Law and experience in mentoring a successful team or feel ready to do so? Working with a highly reputable, regional firm we have an opportunity through growth that will provide a secure career path, exceptional rewards and recognition and an attractive benefits package.
The Head of Department responsible for:
Managing own caseload of private family law matters including:
- Divorce, dissolution of civil partnerships and separation
- Arrangements for children
- Pre-nuptial and cohabitation agreements
- Financial and property settlements
- Other family and matrimonial matters
- Running a team of Family Solicitors, supporting to success through effective management
- Developing and maintaining relationships for securing new clients for the department, reporting into the Partners
Benefits include Hybrid working Scheme, Private Health, Critical illness cover, Pension, Referral incentive scheme, Employee discount on legal services.
For a confidential chat, please apply with a current CV.
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Lead your CV with a Personal Statement that explicitly states your PQE level in Family Law, as the advert lists '4+ PQE' as the primary threshold requirement.
📊 Quantify your caseload: e.g. 'Managed 45 active private family law files simultaneously, including 12 contested financial remedy cases', to demonstrate capacity at Head of Department level.
🎯 Highlight any team leadership experience prominently — the role requires running a team of Family Solicitors, so include the number of fee earners you have managed or supervised.
🤝 Include a dedicated 'Business Development' section or bullet points showing how you have contributed to client acquisition or referral networks, as the role reports to Partners on new client development.
🌐 Mention hybrid working adaptability and any experience managing remote or hybrid teams, as the firm offers a hybrid working scheme and this signals cultural fit.
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Managed a caseload of 40+ active private family law files including 15 contested financial remedy cases, achieving settlement in 80% of matters without final hearing.
- •Supervised and mentored a team of 4 family solicitors and 2 paralegals, reducing average case duration by 18% through structured file reviews and fortnightly supervision sessions.
- •Developed referral relationships with 3 local IFA firms and 2 accountancy practices, generating 25 new private family law instructions valued at approximately £120,000 in fees within 12 months.
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Letter preview — tailored to Reed
Dear Hiring Manager,
Having built a career focused exclusively on private family law — including complex financial remedy proceedings, pre-nuptial agreements and contested children arrangements — the Head of Department opportunity at your Harlow firm is a natural next step. With over six years' PQE and a track record of supervising junior fee earners through high-stakes matters, I am well placed to lead your Family Law team and contribute to its continued growth.
My background in managing a substantial caseload of divorce, dissolution and cohabitation matters, alongside mentoring solicitors to develop their technical skills, has prepared me for the dual demands of this role. I have also played an active part in client development at my current firm, contributing to a 20% increase in private family law instructions over two years through referral relationships and community engagement.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How do you manage a high-volume private family law caseload while maintaining compliance with court deadlines?
- ›Walk us through your approach to drafting a pre-nuptial agreement — what key clauses do you prioritise?
- ›How do you stay current with changes in family law legislation, such as the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020?
- ›What case management systems have you used to track family law matters, and how do you ensure file quality across your team?
- ›Describe your experience handling complex financial remedy proceedings, including TOLATA claims or pension sharing orders.
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you mentored a junior solicitor through a difficult case — what was your approach and what was the outcome?
- ›Describe a situation where you had to manage a conflict within your team. How did you resolve it?
- ›Give an example of how you have contributed to winning new clients or growing a department's revenue.
- ›Tell me about a time you had to balance your own caseload with departmental management responsibilities simultaneously.
- ›Describe a situation where a client was particularly distressed during proceedings. How did you handle their expectations and the legal strategy?
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you mentored a junior solicitor through a difficult case — what was your approach and what was the outcome?
Give an example of how you have contributed to winning new clients or growing a department's revenue.