Senior Estate Planning Paralegal

Responsibilities

• Document Drafting
• - Draft and prepare complex estate planning documents, including wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives under attorney supervision
• - Prepare amendments, restatements, and ancillary documents with accuracy and consistency
• - Review and quality-check draft documents before attorney review to ensure completeness and compliance with North Carolina law
• Trust Funding
• - Facilitate the transfer of assets into trusts, including real property, financial accounts, and other holdings
• - Coordinate with financial institutions, title companies, and other third parties to complete funding
• - Update beneficiary designations and verify that funding is completed accurately and in a timely manner
• - Track and document trust funding status across all active client matters
• Client & Case Management
• - Communicate with clients professionally and compassionately, scheduling meetings and providing updates on matter progress
• - Prepare and organize client documents in advance of estate planning meetings
• - Monitor case deadlines, task due dates, and important time frames to keep matters on track
• - Maintain accurate and up-to-date client files, digital records, and physical filing in the firm’s case management system
• - Enter billable and non-billable time accurately and promptly
• Team Collaboration
• - Collaborate with attorneys and fellow paralegals to ensure efficient workflow and outstanding client service
• - Participate in weekly team case status meetings and monthly case update reviews

Qualifications

• You have 3+ years of experience as a paralegal, specifically in estate planning, with hands-on experience drafting wills, trusts, and related documents
• You have substantial experience with trust funding — you know how to get it done and how to troubleshoot when institutions push back
• You hold a paralegal certificate or degree from an accredited program
• You have a strong working knowledge of North Carolina estate planning law and related regulations
• You are detail-oriented to a fault — errors in this work matter, and you know it
• You are organized and proactive, managing multiple open matters without dropping the ball
• You communicate clearly and compassionately with clients who are often navigating emotional or complex life situations
• You thrive in a collaborative, fast-moving environment and take pride in your work