Family Practice Manager

Garden Court Chambers is a number one ranked barristers' chambers specialising in family, civil liberties, human rights, immigration, crime, housing and public law. We consistently win awards. Garden Court has a proud history of winning ground-breaking cases of constitutional importance. Our legal challenges have overturned great injustices in many landmark decisions.

We are the largest chambers in London with a team of staff who provide the clerking, financial, marketing and administrative support for nearly 200 barristers. We are a diverse set based in a Grade 1 listed building in Lincoln's Inn Fields, close to Holborn tube station and a range of shops, bars and restaurants.

We now have a vacancy within the Family clerking team, for a Family Practice Manager.

Job Description

Reporting to: Deputy Director of Clerking

General Duties

1. Promoting the team and individual team members with professional clients and other organisations.
2. Understanding and recognising the capabilities of the team and its individual members in depth.
3. Case administration including arranging and booking in cases, conferences and meetings. Liaising and communicating with professional clients and courts, maintaining the highest standards of client care.
4. Upkeep of diary, ensuring barristers are aware of their commitments and undertaking future booking troubleshooting.
5. Maintaining effective and efficient procedures and ensuring and taking responsibility for compliance with these.
6. Negotiating fees and finalising funding for cases including those cases funded privately, by legal aid, CFAs and costs budgeting.
7. Working collaboratively across teams helping to shape and achieve the objectives of the team business plan.
8. Attending team meetings
9. Undertaking regular Practice Development Meetings with all members of the team (annually)
10. Maintaining and developing skills and abilities at a level commensurate with the seniority and responsibilities of the post through a mix of formal and informal learning and training.
11. Line managing two junior family team post holders ensuring their performance is satisfactory and provide any necessary “on the job” training
12. Have regular, quarterly goal settings with the junior members of the team.

Business Development

Working with the team and individual members to develop business and further team objectives through attending events, key client meetings and networking. Developing good relationships with solicitors and other contacts, and assisting in developing opportunities and marketing initiatives. Part of Garden Court’s strategic plan is the segmentation business development strategy. You will be expected to lead on the strategy for the family team and work with Practice Managers in other GCC Practice areas for the purpose of creating new client relationships and developing the existing ones.

Business development duties will include:

1. Handling existing client portfolio and maintaining excellent communication and loyalty.
2. Attending events to network with contacts and develop business.
3. Any other adhoc tasks.

Person Specification/Competencies

1. Clerking or equivalent experience gained within a Family team, including diary management, liaising with solicitors and court staff.
2. Very good written and spoken English
3. Minimum of 5 GCSEs at A-C level including English and Maths
4. Experience in negotiating case fees.
5. Calm, patient and flexible approach to work in a very busy environment.
6. Pro-active and solution oriented approach to working and problem solving.
7. Accuracy, neatness and a methodical approach to work.
8. Ability to work unsupervised, prioritise tasks and meet deadlines.
9. Interested in developing knowledge of family law and increasing current awareness within the legal system.
10. Experience of standard Windows computer software and diary and case management software.
11. Experience of building and developing professional relationships with solicitors.

SALARY, BENEFITS AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The salary is £45,000 - 50,000 depending on experience.

Hours: 09:00 to 17.30 (or 9.30-18.00) Monday to Friday.
Holidays: 25 days per annum pro rata (plus bank holidays).
Interest-free loan for travel card (following successful completion of probation)
Pension.
The successful applicant will be required to sign an undertaking of confidentiality.

HOW TO APPLY

Fill out the application form here.

Fill out the equal opportunities form here.

CLOSING AND INTERVIEW DATES

The closing date for applications will be 16:00 on Monday 6 December. The interviews will take place shortly after the application window closes.

Garden Court is committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination and to encouraging diversity. Applications from ethnic minority and women candidates are particularly welcome. We seek to operate a fair recruitment process.