Associate - Court of Protection

Overview:

The COP Team have established a significant reputation for advising and assisting individuals, their families, carers, trustees, beneficiaries and other professionals on a broad range of issues arising from catastrophic personal injury, including serious brain injury with high value compensation awards. The team supports litigation lawyers throughout the conduct of the claim.

We work closely with the Court of Protection, the individual and their family to establish long-term relationships and to ensure all decisions are made in their best interests. Our aim is to relieve the pressure of financial decision making from family members, enabling them to continue to make the key choices and to support their relative on a day-to-day basis. Although our work largely focuses on financial management, we also become involved with welfare matters such as care funding, welfare benefits, deprivation of liberty special education and generally issues relating to capacity. The quality of work is both complex and rewarding undertaken within a dedicated growing team.

In the Legal 500, the COP Team are noted as "a very friendly yet professional team and are keen to ensure everything they do is centred fully around the client and in their best interests", which epitomises the ethos of the team; supporting each other and their clients to achieve the best outcomes.

We are looking for a qualified solicitor of NQ-3 PQE with experience in Court of Protection work to increase and strengthen our successful team in Basingstoke.

Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will be responsible for day-to-day general management of the clients' affairs.

Working on both Deputyships and Personal Injury Trusts, the successful candidate will be required to be aware of the full details of the clients' affairs and ensure compliance with the OPG Deputyship Standards in all general management tasks. They will have an allocated case load of clients with the support of a senior member of the team and a paralegal and will be expected to undertake all or any of the following tasks: Drafting routine and non-routine applications to the Court of Protection with accompanying documentation including Witness Statements;

• Supporting with the preparation of Expert Witness Statements;
• Assisting with the preparation of OPG Reports;
• Assisting senior members of the team with discrete tasks as required;
• Running their own case load with training and supervision
• Taking a role in the implementation of policies and processes relating to the team;
• Mentoring and training junior staff and delegating tasks as appropriate;
• Liaising with Case Managers, clients, and their family; and
• Liaising and consulting with senior members of the as appropriate on team policies and general management of client matters.

Essential & Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in Court of Protection
• Degree qualification or equivalent
• Expected to be broadly able to run own caseload with supervision
• Part or whole STEP examinations
• Good working knowledge of OPG deputy standards
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• IT literate, confident user of MS office and potentially legal systems
• Ability to work to deadlines, manage a busy workload and to report on progress; appropriate balance between confidence in own judgement and knowing when to refer decisions to senior associates within the team
• Collaborative team member with ability to quickly build relationships with a wide range of people
• An interest and enthusiasm for BD including social media channel

At our firm, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a priority and at the heart of everything we do. We actively want to attract a diverse workforce and welcome applications from everyone, from all backgrounds. We are committed to promoting an inclusive culture where everyone can be their full selves and experience being seen and heard. You can find out more about our firm's commitment, initiatives and Pennclusion committees here.

We ensure that there are equal opportunities and treatment for all job applicants and employees, at all stages of the recruitment process and employment, regardless of age, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, disability, race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and social background. We aim to provide adjustments for people who have a disability, long-term health condition (including mental health) or neurodiversity. If you would like to request an adjustment, please contact