Probate & Guardianship Paralegal
Job Summary Grace Estate Law seeks an experienced and highly motivated Paralegal with a focus on probate and guardianship. We are hiring for a detail-oriented paralegal who does their best when working within well-established processes and procedures. Our firm is fast-paced and growing and we seek a career-minded Paralegal to join our team. Our core values of integrity, accountability, transparency, empathy and Grace, are the foundation of what it means to be successful on our team. We believe you’ll find a rewarding and fulfilling place here if you share our values. The successful Paralegal candidate possess the following qualities: Proactive and Self-Motivated: Driven to take initiative and stay focused with limited oversight. Consistent and Organized: Brings order and reliability to every task. Caring and Empathetic: Demonstrates a genuine understanding of appropriate interpersonal interactions with clients and colleagues. Integrity: Says what they mean, and does what they say, while upholding the highest ethical standards. Transparent Communication: Communicates openly and early, to foster trust and psychological safety within our team. Accountability: Owns their responsibilities and the occasional human error, by following through on commitments and offering solutions. Responsibilities:
- Organize client files, both paper and electronic
- Schedule and calendar meetings with clients, opposing counsel, and court staff and docket court appearances and case deadlines
- Prepare standard legal forms for the court and clients
- Draft estate planning documents by utilizing law firm’s standard forms for attorney review and edit
- Prepare deeds using law firm’s standard forms
- Draft probate and guardianship pleadings, applications, motions and other court documents and finalize such documents for filing with the court, with attorney oversight
- Perform basic public records researches concerning case history, property title history, and marriage and divorce records in support of probate and estate administration cases
- Assist attorneys with preparing cases for hearings
- Communicate case updates and workflow processes with clients and gather information needed from clients to complete their cases
- Assist with notarizing and witnessing at estate planning signings and other client meetings
- Coordinate court appearances by the attorney and other responses to the court by conferring with court staff and opposing parties
- Track and manage case workflow alongside the Firms’ attorneys and other production staff to track all cases/client matters are timely proceeding through each phase and anticipating and coordinating next steps in the process both for the client and the attorneys
Qualifications:
- Minimum 8-10 years of experience working as a paralegal (this is NOT a legal assistant role)
- College degree, OR paralegal degree from accredited school with paralegal certificate, AND paralegal experience above
- Confident knowledge of the Texas Estate Code, specifically Will formalities, probate process, and Texas intestacy/inheritance laws (your knowledge will be tested)
- Excellent legal drafting and writing skills (8 years of experience preparing near-complete drafts of petitions/applications, motions and proposed orders, real estate deeds, and all estate planning documents for attorney to finalize)
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills: 8 years of experience calling on clients and probate court clerks and staff and asking questions to get to the root of the problem as well as drafting detailed written communications with specific instructions to clients concerning their matter
- 8-10 years of customer service and client care in a law firm environment
- 8 years managing multiple calendars, tracking schedules for clients and attorneys, and docketing court deadlines
- Demonstrated experience meeting billable requirements
Compensation: $27.00 to $32.00 per hour, depending on years of experience in our relevant practice areas; after a 90-day training period, employees at our firm are eligible for paid health insurance benefits, paid short-term disability benefits, paid holidays, and PTO and can participate in the firm’s 401K plan with law firm matching. Job Type: Full-time Pay: $27.00 - $32.00 per hour Expected hours: 40 per week Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Disability insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
Schedule:
- 8 hour shift
- Day shift
- Monday to Friday
Experience:
- Wills, trusts, & estate law: 3 years (Required)
Ability to Commute:
- Frisco, TX 75034 (Required)
- Work Location: In person
