Family Care Paralegal

Family Care Paralegal

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Why join Nelsons:

Nelsons is one of the largest and fastest growing law firms in the East Midlands with experts in Leicester, Derby and Nottingham.

In 2023, Nelsons became part of Lawfront, a national group of leading regional law firms dedicated to delivering comprehensive legal support to individuals and businesses nationwide.

Committed to strategic growth, Lawfront is aiming to build a group in the top 10 of UK regional law firms. As part of this group, you will be able to benefit from working locally for a well-respected leading law firm whilst accessing the scale, investment resources, expertise and professional development opportunities of a national organisation.

We look to empower our clients, give them a voice, fight for them, help them seek justice and steer them through complex legal issues they face. The desire to push ourselves forwards to better serve our clients has been a constant throughout our evolution.

With a defined vision and plan for growth, we have created a culture of working together to achieve and are looking to recruit people with ambition, drive and a can-do attitude to be part of our journey.

The successful candidate can expect a competitive package and benefits that you would expect from a leading regional law firm which is part of a group of national scale.

The Role:

We are seeking a Paralegal to support fee earners in our Derby office who specialise in Public Law Children matters and are accredited Children Law Specialists. The successful candidate will assist in managing a varied and often complex caseload, including High Court Applications, Care Proceedings, Rule 16.4 Appointments, and other publicly funded Children Law matters.

Key responsibilities will include:

* Preparing and submitting Legal Aid applications (means, merits, and non‑means/non‑merits).

* Drafting applications, orders, and other legal documents.

* Liaising with opposing solicitors, experts, and other third parties.

* Working closely with solicitors to support and advise clients throughout court proceedings.

* Potentially managing a small caseload of PLO matters and providing preliminary advice to individuals involved in proceedings, including Special Guardianship Order (SGO) advice.

* Undertaking interim billing and submitting payment-on-account requests to the Legal Aid Agency.

* Carrying out administrative tasks such as downloading documents from the court’s online portal, uploading documents to the firm’s case management system, and distributing documents to fee earners and clients.

This is a dynamic and challenging area of law, and the role requires the ability to handle fast-paced, sensitive work while maintaining accuracy and empathy.

The Candidate:

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong work ethic, the ability to remain calm under pressure and confidence in working to deadlines. Full training, supervision, and support will be provided; however, the following experience and skills would be advantageous:

* Familiarity with the Legal Aid Agency’s CCMS portal and the Public Law online portal.

* An understanding of public law children proceedings and the nature of work undertaken in this area.

* Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to take client instructions, consider evidence, and draft documents under supervision.

* Experience drafting Part 25 applications and liaising with experts (preferred but not essential).

* Awareness of the Family Procedure Rules (helpful but not required).

* A genuine interest in the Children Act 1989 and child protection law.

We welcome applications from candidates who are already working as paralegals in this field, as well as from motivated individuals keen to develop expertise in children law. The role requires empathy, adaptability, and the ability to approach problems rationally and decisively. Please note that the position is not expected to involve advocacy at this stage.

As part of this role, you’ll be given all the tools to succeed and can expect dedicated training, professional support and a host of benefits.

The extras:

To mention a few of the benefits on offer

* 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays and holiday purchase

* Healthcare cash plan

* Travel benefits

* Pension

* Well-being programme

* Discounts on selected legal service

* Hybrid Working

With a defined vision and growth plan on track, we have created a culture of working together to achieve and are looking to recruit people who have a can-do attitude to be part of our journey and vision