Legal Support Administrator

We’re a national law firm with a local reach. Our philosophy is ‘Expert Hand, Human Touch’ – something you’ll find in the way we work with our clients and how we support our teams. But we’re more than just a law firm – we’re a team of people working together to help individuals and businesses navigate life’s ups and downs. Working here you’ll feel a part of our friendly and inclusive environment.

We’ll value you for who you are and what you bring. We support each other and push boundaries to achieve incredible things and make a real difference to our clients and communities.

We’re always looking to support our colleagues in working in a way that best works for them. Please speak to one of our Talent Acquisition Team to find out more information about our flexible working arrangements.

The role of Legal Support Administrator, in our Manchester office, ensures things run smoothly and aids case progression by providing excellent paper-based and digital administration support, both remotely and on-site, across all hubs. The Legal Administrators work as a national team to provide administrative support to fee earners to support with all non-billable tasks and enabling our case handlers to really focus on our clients. The specific tasks of Administrators may vary across departments, but they share key duties and their skills and core competencies are transferable.

What you'll be doing:

• Supporting teams with general paper-based and digital administration tasks, this may include but is not limited to; printing, paper-based and digital document handling, preparing files for scanning, creating, uploading and amending documentation using relevant systems, archiving, e-filing, file and matter maintenance, the preparation of bundles, and opening and closing files on relevant systems and programmes
• Ensuring all relevant tasks on the relevant case management system, database or programme are updated where required and that all team files are in good order and in accordance with agreed practice
• Support fee earner email management – ensuring correct naming conventions are used to support with digital audits and fee earner’s to quickly identify documents
• Manage administration relating to financial matters, this may include but is not limited to; invoices/purchase ledgers, accounts queries, 3e and financial records are kept up to date, and processing cheques and/or payments and ensure swift payment of invoices – encouraging Fee Earners that payments can be sent instead of BACS to reduce cost in printing cheques and delivering efficient service to clients for funds to be received.
• Handling and collecting data from fee earners to ensure scanning/digital files are in good working order for the Costs Draftsman to ensure accurate costs/bills prepared.
• Support fee earners in the preparation of court bundles, by collating relevant documents, hyperlinking, encrypting and combining documents and running the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) process where required.
• Ensure all incoming post is reviewed by a suitable fee earner in a timely manner.
• Prepare outgoing post following procedures in a timely manner; although were possible encourage the use of electronic communication methods (email) rather than post and ensure the style of documents / correspondence produced is maintained in accordance with Irwin Mitchell’s house style.
• Ensure safekeeping of client original documents and that these items are returned to clients at the end of their matter.
• Regularly undertake file closure activities, ensuring electronic and paper matters are closed and retained in accordance with our Retention Schedule. Ensure all matter balances are dealt with quickly and accurately.
• Support the development of the teams by supporting on the capture of knowledge, organising training and sharing information as required.
• Arranging travel & expenses requests for meetings and confirming details if required by department
• Dealing with urgent support requests within a timely manner
• Carry out any other duties which may be reasonably requested by the Team Leader or Case Handler

• Ability to work on own initiative
• Good Time management and organisational skills
• Good Administration & organisational ability
• Confident working in a digital environment
• Enthusiasm, a can-do attitude and willingness to contribute to the team
• Great accuracy and attention to detail with the ability to multi-task
• Ability to work within strict service level agreements
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Flexible working options - Make work fit around your life, not the other way around.
• 25 days holidays as standard plus bank holidays - You can ‘buy’ up to 35hrs of extra holiday too
• Generous and flexible pension schemes.
• Volunteering days – Two days of volunteering every year for a cause of your choice (fully paid)
• Westfield Health membership, offering refunds on medical services alongside our Aviva Digital GP services.

We also offer a wide range of well-being initiatives to encourage positive mental health both in and out of the workplace and to make sure you’re fully supported to work in a way that best suits you. This includes our Flexible by Choice programme which gives our colleagues more choice over how they wish to work subject to role and client requirements.

We have recently been ranked in the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing for Large Organisations for 2023!

Our responsible business programmes are fundamental to who we are and our purpose. We’re committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace where our colleagues can flourish, and we have established a number of inclusion network groups across our business to support this aim.

Our commitment to Social Responsibility, community investment activity and tackling climate change is a fundamental part of who we are. It’s made up of four strands: Our People, Our Community, Our Environment and Our Pro Bono.

As part of the Irwin Mitchell Group’s on-boarding process all successful applicants are required to complete the group’s employment screening process. This process helps to ensure that all new employees meet our standards in relation to honesty and integrity therefore protecting the interests of the Group, existing employees, clients, partners and other stakeholders.

Depending on the role you apply for we may carry out checks that will establish your eligibility to work in the UK, and criminal record check and financial checks with a credit reference agency will also be undertaken.

The employment screening process will fully comply with Data Protection and other applicable laws.

Irwin Mitchell LLP is an equal opportunity employer.