What are the responsibilities and job description for the Certified Paralegal – Estate Administration, Wills & Trusts position at The Law Office of Barry E. Janay, P.C.?
LOBEJ is hiring a certified paralegal to run estate administration files and support our wills and trusts practice from intake through closing. You will own the day-to-day on probate, administration, and trust matters in New Jersey and New York, working directly with the supervising attorney and a team of paralegals and legal assistants. This is a hands-on, file-ownership role, not a document-production seat.
What you will do
- Prepare and file probate and administration applications with the New Jersey Surrogate's Courts and New York Surrogate's Courts (petitions, citations, waivers and consents, renunciations, affidavits of heirship, kinship affidavits)
- Obtain Letters Testamentary and Letters of Administration, EINs, and date-of-death valuations; open and manage estate accounts with the fiduciary
- Prepare New Jersey inheritance tax returns (IT-R), L-8 and L-9 waiver forms, and support federal Form 706 and fiduciary income tax filings with outside accountants
- Marshal assets, handle creditor notices and claims, and prepare informal and formal accountings, refunding bonds and releases, and receipts and releases
- Draft wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, supplemental needs trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives from attorney instructions and firm templates; coordinate execution and witness/notary logistics
- Fund trusts and retitle assets (deeds, beneficiary designations, transfer letters to financial institutions)
- Manage calendars, deadlines, and court dates across NJ and NY matters; e-file through the NJ eCourts and NYSCEF systems where available
- Communicate directly with clients, fiduciaries, beneficiaries, courts, and financial institutions; keep clients informed without being asked
- Keep every matter current in Clio and Lawmatics and enter time contemporaneously (within 24 hours)
What you bring
Required:
- Paralegal certification: NALA Certified Paralegal (CP), NFPA PACE/CRP, or a certificate from an ABA-approved paralegal program
- 3 years of estate administration experience in New Jersey (New York Surrogate's Court experience a strong plus)
- Working knowledge of NJ inheritance tax waivers and returns, probate and administration procedure, and estate accountings
- Experience drafting wills, trusts, and ancillary estate planning documents from templates
- Able to manage 30–50 active files independently and meet court and tax deadlines without supervision
- Strong writing and client communication skills; comfortable on the phone with grieving families and with banks that say no
- Proficient in Microsoft 365 (Word, Outlook, Excel)
Preferred:
- Experience in Clio and Lawmatics (or comparable practice management and CRM tools)
- NY Surrogate's Court e-filing (NYSCEF) and NJ eCourts experience
- Trust administration and supplemental needs trust experience
- Notary public commission in New Jersey (or willingness to obtain one)
Compensation and benefits
- Base salary of $45,000 – $85,000, based on experience
- Billable-hour bonus program for paralegals
- Health insurance / 401(k) / PTO – confirm current benefits package
- Hybrid schedule after onboarding; in-office days in Livingston, NJ
- Firm-paid continuing education and certification renewal
About LOBEJ
The Law Office of Barry E. Janay, P.C. is a multi-practice firm licensed in New Jersey and New York, with offices in Livingston, NJ and Lower Manhattan. Our core practice is estates and trusts, probate and estate administration, and business law, with a growing niche in digital asset and AI legacy planning. We run on Clio, Lawmatics, Dialpad, and Microsoft 365, and we invest in people who want to grow with the firm.
How to apply
Apply through Indeed with your resume and a short note on the estate administration work you have handled most recently. Please include your certification type and year.
LOBEJ is an equal opportunity employer.
Pay: $45,000.00 - $95,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Relocation assistance
Work Location: In person
Salary : $45,000 - $95,000