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Probate/Estate Planning Paralegal Duties: Follow ethical requirements as set forth by the Rules of Professional Conduct for the State. Review and respond to initial contact or correspondence from clients and attorneys, both out of state and in-state, with detailed information regarding the scope of work, fees, and expenses related to estate administration. Review and analyze estate documents including, wills, deeds, death certificates, trust agreements, affidavits, and estate tax returns. Assist personal representative with coordination and identification of personal and real property estate assets and heirs and devisees to same. Assist in search of documentation or coordination of appraisals to determine date of death valuations of estate assets and real property. Prepare petitions, documents, and correspondence required to open ancillary administrations and in-state administrations, obtain appointment of personal representative(s), and follow through to closing of estate by Probate Court and Taxing Authorities. Prepare correspondence and applicable documents to beneficiaries to report on status of administration and provide copies of relevant court documents. Prepare property transfer documents, including deeds, deeds of distribution, and attorney affidavits for filing with the Register of Deeds. Review date of death valuations and preparation and coordination of Non-Resident Tax Notices to Probate Judge, estate tax returns, and related correspondence to Taxing Authorities. Attend to preparation of requests for disbursement of expenses related to estate administration and timely mailing of same. Reconcile monthly estate valuations and prepare memo to accounting with applicable allocations and check request. Performs notary duties. Provide support, as needed, to estate planning attorney(s) with regard to coordination of appointments, assembly and distribution of documents to clients, and logging and storing of documents in permanent will file.
Qualifications: A Bachelor's degree, paralegal certification or degree, or appropriate combination of education/experience. 2+ years of probate/estate planning or comparable experience. Knowledge of legal principles and practices at a level normally acquired through formal training. Knowledge of legal process required in probating estate assets and responsibilities of personal representatives with regard to estate tax procedures for decedents. Ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them under time constraints. Ability to pay close attention to detail. Analytical skills required to interpret documents and unique issues related to each estate. Ability to proofread typed material for grammatical, typographical, contextual, and spelling errors. Excellent writing skills with the ability to prepare correspondence with instructional information to both clients and attorneys. Excellent telephone and interpersonal skills necessary to communicate and effectively provide information to clients, attorneys, and other staff. Knowledge of and ability to use standard office equipment such as computers, photocopies and fax machines. Flexibility to adapt to and learn new computer programs and office procedures. Ability to work well with attorney(s) and other office personnel in a professional and courteous manner. Must be detail-oriented and highly organized and should have 2+ years of experience in the areas of probate and estate/trust administration with specific experience in preparing probate pleadings, fiduciary accountings, and trust administration documentation. Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Outlook, E-filing, and Westlaw is required. Significant client contact requiring a positive attitude, excellent communication skills, and a professional demeanor.
