Head of Department - Family - Lincolnshire / Nottinghamshire, UK

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Family lawyer to take a lead role and be Head of our Family law team. The candidate will be a qualified Solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive (with appropriate Practitioner Rights) who is interested in helping to shape the future direction of the team with a focus on growth and enhancing the firms reputation in this area. The successful candidate will be a confident, proactive and organised individual with experience across a broad range of Family matters. In addition to managing their own caseload, they will manage the Family Department across all offices. The department currently has 7 Fee Earners across our 8 offices.

Location: Flexible across our 8 offices
Salary: Dependent on Experience

Management:

• Recruitment/interviewing.
• Ensuring all precedents are compliant and up to date.
• Review, implement and streamline processes and policies where necessary.
• Liaising with our HR Manager regarding any employee issues in the department.
• Facilitate the training of fee earners and where necessary work alongside the HR department to arrange external training, webinars etc.
• Manage the distribution of work for starters and leavers.
• Providing email and telephone support to fee earners at other offices.
• Ensuring all clients receive the best possible service and that members of the department provide correct and appropriate advice.
• Promote an inclusive culture within the Department.

Compliance:

• Quarterly departmental meetings - with set agenda.
• Supervision of up to 3 individuals - reviews for new starters and technical reviews.
• Review all of the Family Teams supervision reviews.
• Attend 6 monthly Head of Department meetings.
• Review any high risk matters.

Client Work:

• To generate new work and provide an ongoing service to existing clients;
• Develop and enhance the Family Department, maximising cross referrals across all offices and areas of the business;
• To produce fee income in line with targets and agreed objectives;
• To keep informed of all changes in the Law and Practice in own area of work

• Maintain and enhance up to date legal skills.
• Financial control with particular regard to cash flow control through collection of monies on account and billing procedures.
• Maintaining accurate daily records of time spent on client and internal work.
• Perform fee earning work accurately, reliably and in accordance with the firms' quality and risk procedures. Marketing:
• Attending marketing events and encouraging marketing activities across the department.
• Liaising with Marketing Department re promotion and marketing of the department.
• Liaising with heads of other departments re cross referrals.
• Taking a lead role in compiling the Family Team Legal 500 submission each year.

Person Specification:

Qualifications

Solicitor or Legal Executive (with appropriate Practitioner Rights).

Previous experience of SOS Connect or a case management system.

Knowledge

Previous experience of managing a busy caseload.
Commercial mind-set.

Previous experience of managing a team.

Skills

Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to quickly establish and maintain good working relationships at all levels.
Excellent communication skills both verbally and in writing.

Able to work under pressure to tight deadlines.

Attributes

Professional.
Positive and flexible approach.
Team player.
Sense of humour.
Present a credible and business like approach.

Founded in 1856, Chattertons is one of the UK's oldest and most respected law firms, proudly serving communities across Lincolnshire and the East Midlands. As a Top 200 law firm, we offer a comprehensive range of legal and financial services to individuals and businesses, with particular expertise in commercial property, corporate law, dispute resolution, and agriculture. Our commitment to excellence is matched by our dedication to local engagement-many of our team members actively contribute to the community as trustees, governors, and business advocates.

Benefits:Some of the great benefits that we offer include:

Chattertons recognises that it is essential to provide equal opportunities to all persons without discrimination. The firm has an Equality and Diversity Policy and this sets out the firm's position on equal opportunity in all aspects of employment. This is available upon request.

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