Private Client Senior Associate

• £55,000–£65,000 salary with scope to progress beyond Senior Associate as the team continues to develop
• Become a key technical specialist within a Legal 500 team, with a strong focus on complex trusts and HNW work
• 2 days working from home, flexible hours and a 35-hour working week

If you’ve reached Senior Associate level but still want your career to be centred around technically interesting Private Client work, this role offers an attractive alternative to moving straight into management. The Harrogate team is entering its next phase of development, with new leadership in place and Private Client remaining a key area of investment for the firm. There is already a significant volume of quality work coming from business owners, landed families, HNW individuals and multi-generational clients, so you won’t be expected to arrive with a following or build a practice from scratch. Trusts are a particular priority. You’ll use your existing expertise across their creation, administration and ongoing management while handling wider complex succession planning and estate work. Over time, there is scope to become one of the department’s recognised technical specialists and progress further according to your ambitions. Importantly, progression doesn’t have to mean taking responsibility for managing a department. The firm is looking for someone who enjoys being a senior lawyer, wants to remain close to clients and complex matters, and values having experienced colleagues around them to discuss the more challenging work.

Who we’re looking for

• Qualified Solicitor, Chartered Legal Executive or equivalent with significant Private Client experience (Essential)
• Strong experience advising on, establishing and administering trusts (Essential)
• Experience acting for HNW clients and dealing with complex estates (Essential)
• Ability to independently manage sophisticated Private Client matters (Essential)
• Strong technical knowledge across Private Client and trusts (Essential)
• Excellent client relationship and communication skills (Essential)
• Commercially aware, pragmatic and highly organised (Essential)
• Collaborative approach and desire to contribute as a senior member of a team (Essential)
• Experience advising business owners, landed estates or agricultural clients (Desirable)
• Tax planning experience (Desirable)
• Existing referral relationships (Desirable)
• Court of Protection experience (Desirable)

What you’ll be doing

• Managing a varied caseload of complex Private Client matters
• Advising on lifetime and Will trusts, including creation, structuring and administration
• Handling complex wills and succession planning
• Advising HNW clients on wealth preservation and tax-efficient succession
• Managing complex and high-value estate administration
• Advising trustees and families on ongoing trust matters
• Handling Lasting Powers of Attorney and wider Private Client work
• Providing technical input to colleagues on complex trusts and estate matters
• Working closely with the Head of Department on significant client matters
• Developing strong relationships with existing clients and referrers
• Contributing to business development where appropriate without carrying a heavy work-generation expectation
• Helping further strengthen the department’s trusts offering

Salary & Benefits

• £55,000–£65,000
• 2 days working from home and 3 days in the office
• 35-hour working week
• Flexible working hours
• Harrogate as your primary base, with access to the Leeds office when needed
• Enhanced maternity leave
• Enhanced sick pay
• Dedicated mental health days
• Family-friendly working culture
• Significant existing workflow from day one
• Progression based on your individual aspirations
• Scope to progress beyond Senior Associate without needing to move into departmental management
• Route into increasingly complex and high-value work
• Potential involvement with the firm’s Trust Corporation for those with relevant experience
• Strong technical support network
• Quality-focused environment with realistic fee-earning expectations

Contact Bill Szajna-Hopgood
📩 bill.szajna-hopgood@realmrecruit.com
📞 03300 245 606

Bill specialises in private client recruitment across Yorkshire and can give you a clear picture of how this opportunity compares with other senior Private Client roles currently on the market.
While this advert sets out the criteria applicable to each salary band, the salary guidance given is purely indicative. The precise salary offered within that band will ultimately be determined by the hirer, taking into account the individual candidate’s experience, qualifications and overall suitability for the role.