Paralegal - Trust Administration and Probate

Paralegal - Trust Administration and Probate

Location: Spokane Valley, WA
Employment Type: Full-Time
Schedule: Monday– Thursday 8:00 am – 5:30 pm; Friday 8:00 am – 12 noon
Experience Level: Experienced Legal Professional

About the Position

We are seeking an ambitious, detail-oriented paralegal who wants more than a routine support role to join our Trust Administration and Probate team. The right person will be a self-starter who thrives on organization, takes ownership of their work, and helps make the practice run more efficiently. In return, this position offers meaningful responsibility, professional growth, a positive team environment, and the opportunity to be rewarded for his or her contribution to the team. A paralegal certificate and prior probate, trust administration, and/or estate tax preparation experience is preferred; however, we are willing to train an exceptional candidate who is motivated and eager to learn.

Ideal Qualifications

• Paralegal certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or comparable legal-support experience is preferred.
• Prior legal experience.
• Experience in trust and estate administration, estate planning, probate, or estate tax preparation is preferred.
• Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple active matters and deadlines.
• Exceptional attention to detail, including proofreading, document review, and accurate data entry.
• A self-starter who takes initiative, follows through, and looks for practical solutions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a professional and compassionate client-serving approach.
• Ability to prioritize effectively, work independently, and ask thoughtful questions when clarification is needed.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and legal case/document management systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist attorney with trust-administration matters from initial client intake through final distribution and closing.
• Assist with probate administrations, including opening estates, preparing court filings, tracking deadlines, coordinating notices, and supporting estate closing.
• Prepare, review, and organize legal documents, correspondence, pleadings, client forms, checklists, and client asset information.
• Maintain accurate matter files, both electronic and physical, ensuring documents are consistently named, saved, and easily retrievable.
• Communicate professionally with clients, beneficiaries, financial institutions, government agencies, attorneys, and other professionals.
• Coordinate collection of information and documents, including asset information, valuations, statements, death certificates, deeds, tax documents, and beneficiary information.
• Track client requests and outstanding items, follow up promptly, and keep attorney informed of matter status and approaching deadlines.
• Identify missing information, inconsistencies, deadlines, and potential administrative issues before they become problems.
• Provide exceptional service to clients while handling sensitive and confidential matters.

Personal Qualities We Value

The successful candidate will be:

• Ownership Mentality: Someone who takes responsibility for his or her work and reliably sees tasks through to completion.
• Accuracy: Someone who understands that details matter, particularly in legal documents, deadlines, and client communications.
• Initiative: Someone who does not wait to be told every next step and proactively anticipates needs to move matters forward.
• Organization: Someone who can create order from a large volume of documents, tasks, and competing priorities.
• Professionalism: Someone who communicates with care, maintains confidentiality, and treats clients and colleagues with respect.
• Growth Mindset: Someone who welcomes feedback, learns quickly, and wants to build a long-term career in trusts and estates.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary: $50,000-75,000 depending on experience

Benefits include:

• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, and life insurance for the employee
• Two weeks paid vacation
• Ten paid sick days
• Fifteen paid holidays
• Half-day Fridays

How to Apply

Please submit a résumé and a brief cover letter explaining your interest in trust administration and probate work. Candidates with relevant experience are encouraged to describe the types of probate, estate-planning, or trust-administration matters they have supported. Candidates without direct experience should highlight examples demonstrating initiative, organization, attention to detail, client service, and the ability to learn complex processes quickly.

No phone calls or walk-ins please.