Trust and Estates Paralegal

Summary:      Staff designated at Dickinson Wright PLLC (“the Firm”) as a Trust and Estates Paralegal are under the general supervision of the attorneys to whom assigned, as well as the Chief Human Resources Officer.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Essential duties and responsibilities of staff designated as Trust and Estates Administration Paralegal at the Firm include but are not limited to:

1. Follow the ethical requirements in order to assist in the handling of an estate, preparation of tax returns, or other legal functions;
2. Knowledge of probate, trust administration, conservatorship, guardianship and estate planning laws and concepts;
3. Exposure to the preparation of 1041s, 709s, 706s, and Trust and Estate Accountings;
4. Self-motivated with excellent communication skills and excellent proofreading skills;
5. Operate standard office equipment such as photocopiers, fax software, personal computer, typewriter.

Qualifications, Skills and Abilities Required:

1. A Bachelor’s degree, Paralegal certificate or CPA are highly recommended. At least 3 years of on-the-job experience is required;
2. Possess knowledge of legal principles and practices at a level normally acquired through formal paralegal training or its equivalent;
3. Experience using the following software programs: Gillette, GEMS, Estate Val, Excel, ProSystems. Additional software experience would include generating probate forms in Hotdocs;
4. Possess the ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them under time constraints. Ability to concentrate and pay close attention to detail when evaluating legal matters;
5. Possess the ability to proofread typed material for contextual, grammatical, typographical or spelling errors;
6. Possess interpersonal skills necessary in order to communicate and follow the instruction effectively from a diverse group of clients, attorneys and staff and provide information with ordinary courtesy and tact;
7. Regular and timely attendance at work when scheduled;
8. Work occasionally requires a high level of mental effort and strain while organizing and maintaining multiple cases;
9. Work occasionally requires more than 40 hours per week to perform the essential duties of the position, may require irregular hours;
10. Additional requirements include a working knowledge of Windows 10, Word 2016, Excel 2016, Outlook 2016, use of styles, NetDocs or similar document management system and Adobe.

Working Conditions:

Normal law office environment with little exposure to noise, dust, temperature.   

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job.  It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of essential functions, responsibilities or requirements. Please note that a variety of factors determine compensation, including geographic location, experience, relevant degrees and certifications, and other applicable factors authorized by law.

Dickinson Wright offers a generous benefits package for eligible fulltime employees within our U.S. offices, including health, dental, and vision; 401(k) and profit sharing plans; paid vacation; and parental leave. Additional elective programs include: a health flexible spending account, a health savings account, identity theft protection, a dependent day care reimbursement account, commuter benefits, life and AD&D insurance, short- and long-term disability protection, an employee assistance program, and emergency travel assistance.

We are an equal opportunity employer.  All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Salary : $36 - $43