Full-time or Part-time Legal Secretary (PERMANENT)

Susan Howarth & Co. Solicitors is proud to be an independent, market town practice which was established in 1997 with the belief that everyone has a right to access justice.

With a commitment to deliver the highest quality of service to all clients, we offer high-quality legal advice in Wills, Trusts & Probate incl. Powers of Attorney & Court of Protection, Family Law and Commercial & Residential Property.

Regardless of size and geography, we’ve proved that recognition for expert legal advice, client care and excellence in service delivery can be achieved with the right goals and ambition.

Our expertise is independently recognised, including:

• Ranked as a Band 3 legal practice in the Chambers & Partners UK legal guide
• Directors Victoria Poole and are both also ranked as Band 3 and Band 4 Lawyers respectively by Chambers & Partners UK (North West)
• Ranked as a Band 3 Leading Family Law Firm (North West) in The Legal 500 directory, with all Family Law lawyers ranked as Recommended Lawyers
• Susan Howarth ranked as a Leading Individual for 4 consecutive years by the Legal 500 before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023; Victoria Poole ranked as a Leading Partner in the Legal 500 2026
• Accredited by the Law Society for , Family Law, Children Law
• Lexcel-accredited for more than 13 years, for
• Winning Best Family and Childcare Law firm 2022 and 2023 in the AI Legal Awards and in 2025 in the AI Leader Awards
• Finalists of the Lexis Nexis Family Law Firm of the Year (North) for 2 consecutive years

We run three FREE weekly Wills, Trusts, LPA & Probate clinics and offer free 30-minute appointments to all new Family Law clients.

We can offer clients in-house family mediation services and we have a specialist Resolution-trained Family Mediator who is also a Resolution-accredited Specialist in Domestic Violence and Children Law (private) and an FMC-accredited Family Mediator (all issues).​

Community-focussed and forward-thinking, we pride ourself on our people and promote organic growth.

The role

The prime role of the legal secretary is to provide direct support to the Solicitors/Lawyer, enabling them to operate at optimum efficiency. This will include but will not be limited to the main responsibilities given below.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support to solicitors and the wider legal team, incl. making appointments, arranging meetings and maintaining an up-to-date diary, and administering filing which will include daily filing and the opening, closing, storage and retrieval of client files in accordance with the detailed procedures contained in the Office Manual.
• Acting independently from the fee earner in the conduct of client matters
• Preparing correspondence and documents through audio-dictation and word processing.
• Communicate professionally with clients and colleagues.
• Organise information and tasks to help work progress efficiently.
• Use relevant IT and office software to support day-to-day administration.

Qualifications

As a Legal Secretary you should preferably have prior experience as a legal assistant or legal secretary, ideally within a Private Client (Wills, Trust & Probate) department, however this is not essential.

We are looking for confident, presentable candidate with a strong work ethic and a commitment to deliver a high-quality legal service to our valued clients.

We value personality, compassion, flexibility, enthusiasm, initiative and loyalty.

Additional skills required for the role include:

• Strong typing and audio-typing skills.
• Administrative experience and clear communication skills.
• Comfortable using Microsoft Office and Microsoft Word.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Outlook and Excel.
• Good time management and organisational skills.

Pay: £23,000.00-£26,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension

Experience:

• Legal Secretary: 1 year (preferred)
• Audio Dictation: 1 year (preferred)

Work Location: In person