Estate Planning, Probate, & Elder Law Attorney

Job Description

Job Description

Full-Time Associate Attorney in Estate Planning, Probate, & Elder Law

Job Brief:

We are a growing, family-oriented estate planning law firm. We are looking for a family-oriented, magnetic, friendly, genuine, motivated, task-oriented, teachable, and well-rounded attorney to join our team. This position will be based primarily out of our Monroe, NC office but may split time between that office and our main office in Weddington. The primary location of this position may be relocated to our planned Charlotte office location within the next year (negotiable).

This position entails significant client contact, running client meetings, selling clients on the attorney and the firm, designing personalized planning solutions for situations ranging from simple to very complex, drafting and reviewing basic and advanced estate planning documents, advising regarding Medicaid qualification planning, asset protection strategies, business formations, and trust and probate estate administration. While this is not primarily a litigation position, experience in civil litigation (especially fiduciary litigation) is a plus.

Candidates will be expected to bring and further develop a network of referring professionals in related fields, including financial advisors, real estate agents, accountants, and attorneys specializing in other fields. Candidates will be expected to seek out and deliver public speaking engagements in the local community, engage in community outreach, and contribute to the firm's blog on a regular basis.

Candidates with a portable book of business within our practice areas and a proven history of building relationships in the community will be at an advantage. Experience planning and delivering public-facing seminars is also a strong plus.

Newly licensed or entry-level attorneys will be considered if you have additional relevant education or certifications, such as LLM in Taxation or Estate Planning, CPA, MTWM, CFP, CTFA, ATFA, social work experience in the field of long-term care/Medicaid qualification, or substantial coursework in the taxation of individuals, businesses, and estates.

This position is structured as a base salary with a strong incentive program in the form of monthly bonuses based on billings in excess of your monthly minimum billing expectation. Therefore, your compensation will depend largely on your ability to engage new clients using our proven method and fixed fee schedule. Base salary will depend on amount and relevancy of experience and existing technical expertise. Salary range indicated in this listing includes the probable range of base pay plus bonuses. The firm also offers a 401k plan with up to 4% employer match.

When applying, please submit an attachment containing your cover letter, resume (please include your undergraduate and law school GPA and LSAT score and relevant experience), and a brief writing sample (either a prepared legal writing sample or a brief story telling us about a time when you overcame adversity). Finally, please complete the assessment here: -Wills-and-Trusts

Thoroughness and ability to follow a process are critical to our practice. Therefore, applications lacking any of these elements will be disregarded.

Experience:

Previous experience as an estate planning, probate, and/or elder law attorney is strongly preferred, but we are willing to train an outstanding candidate transitioning to this practice area. Experience and/or formal training in tax matters (individual and business income tax, estate and gift tax, generation skipping transfers tax) or in adjacent fields (e.g. real estate or business) is a significant plus. Certification as a specialist in Estate Planning or Elder Law is also a significant plus.

Candidates with significant experience should be willing to learn and adopt our systems and internal methodologies. This position will not be a good fit if you are unwilling to adjust, though your input on ways to improve our systems will always be welcome.

Candidates lacking this specific experience but meeting our other requirements will be considered on the condition that they agree to dedicate themselves to substantial self-study during off-work hours to achieve the requisite technical knowledge within the first three months after hiring. Specific experience is secondary to finding someone with the skills and personality we're looking for and the willingness to work hard to learn what you need to know quickly and to help build our practice. Previous experience in financial services, trust management, marketing, social media management, graphic design, or community outreach would be a bonus and should be noted in your cover letter if applicable.

Responsibilities Include:

• Meet with prospective clients for initial planning meetings and gather all necessary information to make planning recommendations;
• Meet with with existing clients and review possible changes or upgrades to estate plans;
• Engage clients to move forward with preparation of estate planning documents;
• Analyze unique client circumstances and recommend specifically tailored planning solutions;
• Draft and review estate planning documents to ensure that plans meet clients' needs and wishes, along with any recommendations made to clients;
• Conduct document signing appointments with clients, including notarization of all documents, explaining plans and how they were designed and answer any questions or address any concerns that they may have;
• Respond to any client phone calls or e-mails;
• Keep detailed notes of all meetings and phone calls and make sure that notes are maintained inside the client file;
• Develop and maintain a robust referral network;
• Engage in firm marketing and promotional activities, including public speaking engagements;
• Manage Probate and Trust Administration Cases
• All other projects as assigned.

Requirements:

• Uncompromising Integrity
• NC State Bar License (Dual NC/SC license a plus)
• Advanced Degrees (LL.M. in Tax or Estate Planning; Masters in Finance, Accounting, or Trust Management) or Certifications (State Bar Specializations, EPLS, or CELA) are a plus
• Reliability
• Kind and pleasant demeanor
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks
• Excellent Attention to Detail (very important)
• Computer literacy including Microsoft Word and basic Excel
• Willingness/ability to learn and use client management software
• Willingness/ability to quickly learn and understand existing day-to-day operations
• Notary Public Preferred ( Clean Background Check to Qualify to Become a Notary Required)
• Strong command of English language and grammar for drafting and proofreading legal documents
• Strong Oral Communication Skills Including Public Speaking