Contentious Probate Solicitor

Main information

• Closing date:

30/11/2025
- PQE:

2-5
- Term type:

Permanent
- Working hours:

- Department:

Dispute Resolution
- Location:

Brighton, Horsham or Guildford

The firm

DMH Stallard provides a comprehensive range of commercial, dispute resolution and litigation, employment, cyber security and cyber-crime, corporate, intellectual property, real estate and technology, media and telecoms advice to both businesses and individuals. Our clients, our people and our professional networks are the keys to our success.. With offices in London and across the region, including Brighton, Gatwick, Guildford, Horsham, and Hassocks - we're proud to have grown to around 380 people.

Culture really matters to us. In our most recent staff survey, 99.6% of our people said DMH is a great place to work, with 90% feeling they have a strong work-life balance, and 93.9% expressing confidence in the leadership team.

We're committed to building a genuinely inclusive and supportive workplace. Our Women in Law group meets quarterly, and we're actively working toward gender balance at all levels. We already exceed the industry average, with 40% of our partners being women compared to the sector average at 29%.

We actively invest in learning and development at all career stages. Our mentoring programme is available to all partners, and we are preparing to launch an internal mentoring programme to support progression right up to partnership. We also recognise that work-life balance is essential to long-term success and wellbeing, and we promote hybrid working arrangements to help our people perform at their best inside and outside of work.

We're also especially proud to achieve gold accreditation from Investors in People, which reflects our strong commitment to people development and leadership.

The department

Job Purpose:

• We are looking for a Contentious Probate Associate Solicitor (2-5 years PQE) to join the Regional Dispute Resolution Group, based in Brighton, Horsham or Guildford.
• The individual is expected to develop good working relationships with clients and other team members.
• The successful candidate will undertake a variety of contentious trusts and probate work, to include inheritance act claims, Executor/Trustee disputes, breach of trust claims, validity of Will challenges, claims relating to breach of Executor duties and other private wealth disputes.
• To be responsible under supervision for own caseload of work and own fee targets but also assisting where called upon to work with other members of the Group.
• To achieve the targets as defined by the Head of Department, including targets for billing, matter related time recording and fees.

Responsibilities and Duties

• To promote the vision and culture of the Firm.
• Continuously develop their own technical expertise.
• When appropriate lead a project or initiative.
• To coach the more junior Team members and lead by example to ensure a consistent and uniform approach to client care and the management of client expectations.
• Supervise members of the team who are assisting on projects or matters.
• To share knowledge and experience with other members of the group, informally and through formal training if required.
• Be responsible, subject to supervision, for dealing with client matters on a day to day basis, ensuring that client matters are progressed in an effective way, time limits are met, files are kept in good order and the firm's systems and procedures are implemented and followed.
• Have responsibility for ensuring support to all members of the team and as appropriate the wider Department in dealing with fee-earning, business development and administration.
• To be responsible for ensuring achievement of own key financial targets, including fees, contribution and payment of debts and disbursements.
• To monitor own performance in relation to the number of live files, file closures, file openings, billing, time recording and to take appropriate action to ensure targets are met.
• Maintain accurate information on Case Manager and The Intranet.
• Scope all matters appropriately, including use of budget templates, delivering work on time and on budget.
• A desire to be involved in business development activities operated by the Group is desired, and to have an interest in and understanding of the market in which dispute resolution lawyers operate, the various charging models which can be applied, and the competitive challenges which dispute resolution lawyers face.
• Attend seminars and other events as required for business development purposes, presenting when appropriate.
• Maintain awareness of the legal market specifically relating to dispute resolution.
• To have a detailed understanding of the strategic and commercial issues that affect the Team and Group's performance.
• Contribute to Business Development initiatives by gathering marketing information on clients and prospects, supporting seminars, writing articles, helping gather information for pitches and reading appropriate trade papers.

Other information

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required

• Prior experience dealing with contentious trusts and probate matters.
• A good understanding of the Civil Procedure Rules.
• A commercial, pragmatic and not overly academic approach. This is equally as important as technical ability.
• Previous experience of working closely with clients and acting as their legal advisor.
• Experience of managing and developing client relationships.
• A willingness to contribute to business development is preferred.
• Understanding the importance of client care with an ability to deal with a wide range of clients with differing objectives including being able to understand the commercial objectives of the client.
• Able to effectively manage their time to achieve client and internal deadlines.
• Able to work within a team and delegate tasks as appropriate and support Partners as appropriate.
• Confident Excel skills sufficient to enable the reviewing of relevant matters.
• Competent IT skills including Outlook, Word, Digital Dictation and Aderant/iManage.
• Ability to draft documentation, with attention to detail.
• Understanding of the strategy and vision of the firm.

Benefits

• 25 days holiday (of which 3.5 are taken during the Christmas period), plus Birthday holiday, plus Bank Holidays.
• Holiday Buying Scheme
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Pay
• Life Assurance
• Private Healthcare
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Sodexo Discounts
• Pension Scheme
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounts on Legal work