Legal Assistant, Trusts & Estates

Job Description

Job Description

POSITION DESCRIPTION Legal Assistant

Department:  Trusts & Estates

Location:  Buffalo, NY 

Classification:  Nonexempt

Job Type:  Full-time, M-F, 8 AM- 5 PM

Company Overview:

Woods Oviatt Gilman, LLP is a leading and reputable full-service law firm dedicated to

providing exceptional legal services to our clients. With a team of highly skilled and experienced attorneys, we strive to deliver comprehensive and effective solutions to meet the diverse needs of our clients. Headquarters are located in Rochester, NY with additional offices in Albany and Buffalo, NY.

We foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment where every team member is valued and respected. We encourage open communication, teamwork, and professional growth. Our firm promotes a healthy work-life balance and supports the well-being of our employees.

Summary:

We are currently seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented Legal Assistant to join our dedicated Trusts & Estate Department. The successful candidate will play a key role in providing administrative support to attorneys, contributing to the efficient operation of our legal practice.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Estate Planning

• Prepare and maintain various documents, including Wills, Power of Attorney, Living Wills, Health Care Proxies, and various Trust Agreements.

• Attorney Support

• Anticipate attorney needs by reviewing calendars and preparing necessary documents for client meetings.
• Manage E-Filing for Attorneys and Paralegals, especially with Surrogate's Court.

• Coordination and Oversight

• Coordinate appointments, meetings, teleconferences, video conferences, and business travel.

• Trust and Guardian ad litem (GAL) File Duties 

• Work with trustee and GAL to maintain trust files, annual accountings, tax documents, and returns.
• Assist trustee with beneficiary requests and distributions.
• Ensure effective communication with co-trustees, beneficiaries, financial advisors, and government regulators.

• Document Management

• Prepare and proofread legal documents, ensuring accuracy and adherence to firm standards.
• Perform the opening and closing of files as requested.

• Document management is of high importance, requiring confidence that all documents are promptly scanned and saved in the designated system, both in paper files and the original document's secured environment.

• Client Interaction

• Provide professional, efficient, and friendly client service on the telephone and in person.
• Coordinate with clients, external counsel, and other vendors to obtain and exchange information and documentation related to legal matters.

• Urgency Assessment and System Utilization

• Assess the urgency of situations, determine appropriate actions, and keep management informed.
• Utilize the case management system for electronic data management of legal files.

• Collaboration and Administrative Support

• Collaborate with administrative staff and legal professionals to ensure a smooth workflow.
• Provide admin support, including maintaining calendars, setting up meetings, coordinating courier deliveries, and sorting and distributing mail.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in original document management within a secure environment.
• Familiarity with document security protocols and best practices.
• Proficiency in utilizing established systems for the storage and retrieval of legal documents.
• Trust administration experience, including maintaining trust files, processing annual accountings, tax documents, and effective communication with trustees, beneficiaries, financial advisors, and government regulators.
• Hold a notary license or be open to obtaining one.
• Experience with NetDocuments or similar document management system.

Qualifications:

• 1-3 years prior law firm administrative assistant experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of Kofax, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Office Suite: Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong typing, computer, organizational, and administrative skills with meticulous attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to prioritize workload and independently manage multiple tasks
• Must be a team player and use firm resources effectively and efficiently.
• Must maintain professional contact with attorneys and staff and observe confidentiality of client and firm matters.

Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. This is a snapshot of the core functions and responsibilities. All inquiries will be handled with the utmost confidentiality. The compensation range for this position is $20-$30 per hour, representing our good faith and reasonable estimate of the potential compensation at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be determined based on various factors, including the candidate's qualifications, experience, skill set, and office location.

Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value an open mind, dedication to work, and a collaborative spirit. We hire based on these qualities, a job’s requirements, our business needs, and an applicant’s qualifications. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind—in the hiring process or in the workplace. We comply with the ADA and consider reasonable  accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants/employees to perform essential functions. We participate in E-Verify. We will provide the federal government with employees’ Form I-9 information to confirm authorization to work in the U.S. We will only use E-Verify once an employee has accepted a job offer and completed Form I-9.