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⚡ Source: ReedRef: 45504422

Private Client Solicitor NQ+ Hybrid working & Excellent Benefits & Bonus.

Reed·Chelmsford, Essex·Posted 52 months ago
🏠 Hybrid💰 £38-46k/year
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Job description

Original text imported from Reed

Private Client Solicitor NQ+ Hybrid working & Excellent Benefits & Bonus. Working for this highly respected, regional firm you will enjoy a stimulating and exciting career, fulling supported with a wealth of experience. With an open career progression structure there is no limitation to the opportunities available to you.

Ideally you will have experience advising in all aspects of Private Client work and an excellent working knowledge and understanding of those practice areas and you will be familiar with running and managing your own cases with appropriate supervision.

Along with a competitive salary this position offers a superb portfolio of benefits including:

  • A quarterly paid bonus structure
  • 25 days holiday plus loyalty holiday
  • Comprehensive health insurance
  • Three-year health checks (Senior Associates)
  • Contributory pension between 3 - 4% of salary
  • Death in service between 3x - 4x salary
  • Free parking facilities
  • iPhone for lawyers for all personal and business calls
  • Discounted legal services for you, your family and friends

For more detail, please apply with a current CV, we look forward to working with you.

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Key skills

AI-extracted from the job advert

Must-have skills
Private Client law practiceWills and ProbateLasting Power of AttorneyTrust and estate planningIndependent case managementSRA-qualified Solicitor (NQ+)
Nice-to-have
Inheritance Tax planningCourt of Protection applicationsCase management software (e.g. Osprey, Leap, Proclaim)
Soft skills
AutonomyClient communicationAttention to detailInitiativeOrganisation
SpeedCV AI

Application advice

5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.

1

⭐ Open your personal statement with your Private Client specialism explicitly — the advert lists advising across all aspects of Private Client work as the core requirement, so name Wills, Probate, LPA and Trusts in your first two lines.

2

📊 Quantify your caseload: e.g. "Managed a caseload of 60+ active Private Client matters including complex estate administrations valued at over £2M" to demonstrate you can run cases independently.

3

🎯 Highlight any experience with Inheritance Tax planning or Court of Protection work, as these are high-value Private Client areas that distinguish candidates at NQ–2 PQE level in regional firms.

4

🌐 Reference hybrid working adaptability and any use of case management software (e.g. Osprey, Leap, or Proclaim) to show you can operate effectively across office and remote environments.

5

🤝 Emphasise client-facing experience and relationship management — regional firms like this one rely heavily on repeat referrals and long-term client relationships, so evidence of client retention or satisfaction is a strong differentiator.

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Suggested CV bullets

3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.

How to tailor your CV

Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:

  • Managed a caseload of 55 concurrent Private Client matters — including complex multi-jurisdiction estates valued above £1.5M — achieving full file closure within agreed timescales in 92% of cases.
  • Drafted 40+ Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney per quarter, incorporating Inheritance Tax mitigation strategies that reduced taxable estates by an average of £85,000 per client.
  • Advised 12 families on Discretionary and Life Interest Trust structures during estate administration, ensuring compliance with SRA conduct rules and HMRC reporting obligations throughout.

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Dear Hiring Manager,

Private Client law sits at the intersection of technical precision and genuine human empathy — which is why this NQ+ Solicitor role at your Chelmsford firm immediately stood out to me. With hands-on experience across Wills drafting, Probate administration, and Lasting Power of Attorney matters, I am confident I can manage my own caseload from day one while continuing to develop under the firm's experienced team.

My background in Private Client practice has equipped me with a thorough understanding of estate planning, trust structures, and Inheritance Tax considerations. I have managed a caseload of over 50 active matters simultaneously, maintaining strong client relationships through clear, empathetic communication — particularly in sensitive probate situations. I am comfortable working both independently and collaboratively, and I thrive in environments that reward initiative and progression.

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Interview questions

10 questions generated from this advert.

Technical

  • Walk us through how you would administer a complex estate involving both UK and overseas assets.
  • How do you approach drafting a Will for a client with a blended family and potential inheritance tax liability?
  • What steps do you take when a client lacks mental capacity and a Lasting Power of Attorney has not been registered?
  • How do you advise a client on the differences between a Discretionary Trust and a Life Interest Trust in an estate planning context?
  • What is your process for managing a contested probate matter, and at what point would you recommend litigation?

Behavioural

  • Describe a time when you managed a particularly complex Private Client matter with minimal supervision — what was your approach?
  • Tell me about a situation where you had to deliver difficult news to a bereaved client. How did you handle it?
  • Give an example of when you identified a risk in a client's estate plan that they had not considered. What did you do?
  • Describe a time when you had to manage competing deadlines across multiple client files. How did you prioritise?
  • Tell me about a piece of feedback you received from a supervisor or client that changed how you approach your work.
SpeedCV AINEW

STAR answer examples

Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.

1Question

Describe a time when you managed a particularly complex Private Client matter with minimal supervision — what was your approach?

Situation: Shortly after qualifying, I was assigned a complex estate administration involving a deceased client with assets in the UK and Spain, three adult beneficiaries in dispute, and an Inheritance Tax liability of approximately £180,000. Task: I needed to progress the matter to grant of probate within six months while managing beneficiary expectations and coordinating with Spanish notaries. Action: I created a detailed matter plan, instructed a Spanish law firm for the overseas assets, and held monthly update calls with all three beneficiaries separately to manage tensions. I also liaised directly with HMRC to agree the IHT calculation. Result: The estate was fully administered within seven months, the IHT was settled without penalty, and all three beneficiaries confirmed satisfaction with the process in writing.
2Question

Tell me about a situation where you had to deliver difficult news to a bereaved client. How did you handle it?

Situation: A widow came to me expecting to inherit her late husband's entire estate, but a review of the Will revealed a significant legacy to a former business partner, reducing her inheritance by £95,000. Task: I had to explain this clearly and sensitively while also advising her on any potential grounds to challenge the Will. Action: I arranged a face-to-face meeting rather than communicating by letter, gave her time to process the information, and then walked her through the Inheritance Act 1975 provisions that might apply to her circumstances. I also referred her to a colleague specialising in contentious probate for a no-obligation consultation. Result: She chose not to contest the Will but expressed genuine gratitude for the clarity and care with which the situation was handled, and subsequently instructed the firm for her own estate planning.

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