Private Client Solicitor - Outstanding Regional Firm - Up to £80,000 - Taunton
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
A well-regarded and established Somerset-based law firm are seeking a Private Client Solicitor to join their Taunton office. This opportunity is open to candidates at any level of experience, from NQ to Partner, and offers the chance to become part of a close-knit, supportive team within a firm that values long-term client relationships and high standards of service.
Their Private Client department plays an important role within the wider firm, working closely with other practice areas to provide practical, tailored advice to individuals, families, and business owners across the region.
The Role:
The successful candidate will manage a varied and engaging Private Client caseload, appropriate to experience, including:
- Drafting Wills and advising on estate planning
- Probate and estate administration
- Trusts and related tax matters
- Advising a predominantly local and regional client base, including high-net-worth individuals
- Developing strong, trusted client relationships through a personal and pragmatic approach
Ideal Pre-Requisites:
- Qualified Private Client Solicitor (any PQE level considered)
- Solid grounding in core Private Client work or a strong desire to specialise in this area
- A client-focused, personable approach
- Ability to work collaboratively within a small, friendly team
- Commitment to delivering high-quality, practical legal advice
- Friendly, down-to-earth working culture with approachable partners – extremely high staff retention, and leaders renowned for loyalty and true investment in their people
- High level of autonomy with appropriate support
- Competitive salary and benefits package, dependent on experience (confident of paying the right money for the right practitioner)
- Realistic workloads and genuine emphasis on work-life balance
- Long-term progression opportunities within a stable regional firm
To find out more, feel free to call Jack Cooper at QED Legal on .
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Lead your Personal Statement with your Private Client specialism — the advert explicitly seeks a qualified Private Client Solicitor, so name your PQE level and core areas (Wills, Probate, Trusts) in the first two lines.
📊 Quantify your caseload: e.g. "Managed a caseload of 80+ active Private Client matters including 30 probate estates valued at over £2M in aggregate" to demonstrate capacity and scope.
🎯 Highlight any experience advising high-net-worth individuals or business owners, as the advert specifically names these client types — include estate values or trust fund sizes where possible.
🤝 If you are a more senior candidate (3+ PQE), include a bullet on supervising or mentoring junior fee earners, as the advert explicitly mentions this as a scope for senior hires.
🌐 Emphasise your connection to or knowledge of the Somerset/South West regional market — the firm values long-term local client relationships, so any regional ties or existing referral networks are a strong differentiator.
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 75 active Private Client matters simultaneously, including 25 probate estates with a combined gross value exceeding £3.2M, meeting all HMRC IHT400 deadlines without exception.
- •Drafted Discretionary and Life Interest Trusts for 18 high-net-worth clients, identifying Inheritance Tax mitigation strategies that reduced aggregate taxable estates by an estimated £480,000.
- •Supervised 2 trainee solicitors through their Private Client seats, delivering structured feedback and reducing file review turnaround time by 30% across the team.
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Letter preview — tailored to qed legal
Dear Hiring Manager,
QED Legal's search for a Private Client Solicitor at your Taunton-based firm caught my attention immediately. With a grounding in Will drafting, Probate administration, and Trust and Inheritance Tax matters, I am confident I can contribute meaningfully to your Private Client department from day one, serving the regional and high-net-worth client base your firm is known for.
My background in Private Client law has equipped me with the technical depth and client-facing skills this role demands. I have managed varied caseloads spanning estate planning, complex probate matters, and discretionary trust drafting, always with a focus on delivering practical, tailored advice. I understand the importance of building trusted, long-term relationships with clients — particularly families and business owners navigating significant life events.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›Walk us through your process for advising a client on a complex estate with both UK and overseas assets.
- ›How do you approach Inheritance Tax planning for a high-net-worth individual with a mixed estate of property and investments?
- ›Describe your experience drafting Discretionary Trusts and the key drafting considerations you apply.
- ›How do you ensure compliance with SRA conduct rules when managing a contentious probate matter?
- ›What steps do you take when administering an estate where the deceased died intestate and the family structure is complex?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you built a long-term relationship with a client who initially came in for a single piece of work.
- ›Describe a situation where you had to manage a particularly sensitive client matter — how did you handle the emotional aspects alongside the legal work?
- ›Give an example of when you identified a tax planning opportunity for a client that they had not previously considered.
- ›Tell me about a time you mentored or supported a junior colleague — what approach did you take and what was the outcome?
- ›Describe a time you had to manage competing deadlines across a large caseload — how did you prioritise and what was the result?
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you built a long-term relationship with a client who initially came in for a single piece of work.
Give an example of when you identified a tax planning opportunity for a client that they had not previously considered.