What are the responsibilities and job description for the Trust & Estate Administration Paralegal position at Hook Law?
About Us:
Hook Law is an esteemed team of dedicated professionals committed to providing best-in-class legal, financial, tax, accounting, and fiduciary client services. Our clients are always our top priority, and we consistently strive to deliver exceptional service. From the moment clients engage with us, we aim to deliver a "WOW" experience.
We pride ourselves on being the best in our field, consistently outperforming our competition with five-star service. Our team drives efficiency through collaboration, embraces forward-thinking approaches, and is always eager to learn. We also strive for balance, working smarter to enjoy life more fully.
Client Matter Management
- Meets with attorneys, clients, and other professionals to discuss assigned cases or projects.
- Drafts legal documents including routine pleadings and motions, affidavits, files motions and pleadings according to judicial procedures.
- Researches and analyzes statutes, regulations, legal articles, judicial decisions, and other legal sources; provides written analysis to attorneys.
- Prepares, organizes, stores, and retrieves case files, which may include exhibits, depositions, pleadings, and other items.
- Assists attorneys with debts and demands and show cause hearing preparation.
- Develops and maintains records regarding billable hours spent on specific cases.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Probate and Estate and Trust Administration
T & E Administration Paralegals assist in the transfer and distribution of probate estates and trusts, the preparation and use of disclaimers, and the funding of sub-trusts. Their expertise allows them to also open probate proceedings, which includes valuating estate assets and drafting court forms, petitions, and orders. Job responsibilities in estate and trust administration include:
- Meeting with clients, trustees, family members and financial and tax advisors
- Communicating with beneficiaries
- Preparing correspondence, probate documents, inventories, annual accountings, deeds, asset spreadsheets, settlement agreements, change of ownership forms and proposals for distributions.
- Obtaining and/or calculating date of death value of decedent’s assets
- Preparing sub-trust allocation schedules and distribution plans
- Managing estate and trust administration and maintaining files and compliance calendars
- Notifying beneficiaries
- Preparing and filing all necessary documentation for distributions and taxes
- Ensuring compliance with services related to estate and trust entity and maintenance
- Creating tasks for deadlines, due dates, and reminders
- Maintaining estate and/or trust checkbooks and paying bills
- Calculating fees and beneficiary distributions
- Calculating executor and trustee fees
- Gathering necessary tax forms, income, and expense information to provide to tax preparer for decedent’s final individual tax return, estate and trust fiduciary tax return.
- Drafting and editing petitions and supporting documents required for estate and trust administration, probate, and conservatorship
- Investigating and performing legal research regarding wills, trusts, entitlement issues, creditor claims, and conservatorship challenges
- Preparing summaries and analyses of estate planning documents
*This job description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.
Education and/or Experience
- Bachelor’s degree, paralegal certification, financial services/tax certifications or 2 years of experience in these fields preferred
- Experience in Trust and Estate administration and/or tax planning and preparation preferred