Senior Trusts & Estates Tax Paralegal

Overview

This role supports attorneys with estate and trust administration and related tax matters. Responsibilities include assisting with probate and estate administration, preparing and maintaining trust and fiduciary accounting records, and preparing estate and fiduciary income tax returns.

The position is open in any office location; St. Louis, Missouri or Phoenix, Arizona is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist with a full range of estate administration matters, including support for attorneys administering estates.
• Help fund and administer post-death irrevocable trusts.
• Prepare documents and assist with probate administration, including drafting probate pleadings.
• Prepare and file estate-related tax returns, including estate tax returns and fiduciary income tax returns.
• Maintain financial records of trusts; perform trust accounting and audit accounts.
• Maintain general ledger accounts; reconcile broker statements; prepare payables and bank deposits.
• Obtain and reconcile 1099 and K-1 statements.
• Maintain close contact with clients and financial advisors as part of case management.
• Meet an annual billable hour requirement of 1600 hours.
• Develop technical proficiency in tools and processes used by the team, including:
  • database use and management
  • internet/electronic research
  • project folder and electronic file maintenance
• Independently organize and manage files or delegate similar tasks to appropriate business professionals and supervise their work.
• Develop and apply legal AI where appropriate; ability to learn and implement new AI is preferred.
• Sustain attention to detail and quality of work.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Ability to deliver superior service to internal and external customers and communicate effectively.
• Ability to interact professionally and courteously with clients and employees at all times; professional appearance required.
• Strong organizational, time-management, and prioritization skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team and adapt to changing business demands.
• Ability to produce work efficiently and accurately, with a quality final work product.

Position-Specific Requirements

• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in Trusts & Estates, including complex estate and trust administration and estate and fiduciary tax matters.
• Two-year degree required. Bachelor’s degree or Paralegal Certificate from an ABA approved program preferred; significant, substantive related experience may be considered in lieu of formal education.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Proven success working in a fast-paced, continually changing environment.
• Ability to prioritize with excellent time management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• Familiarity with tax and trust accounting software.
• Experience with document database programs and/or software.
• Significant client case management experience.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to perform effectively with little or no supervision and within established time limits and ongoing deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity and experience with adopting legal AI and ability to learn and implement new AI.

Compensation & Benefits

• Compensation commensurate with skill and experience. The exact compensation will vary based on skills, experience, location, and other factors permitted by law.
• Expected compensation ranges:
  • State of California: $86,000 - $139,000
  • State of Colorado: $75,000 - $119,000
  • State of Connecticut: $70,000 - $178,000
  • State of Illinois: $64,000 - $125,000
  • State of Maine: $60,000 - $139,000
  • State of Maryland: $73,000 - $107,000
  • State of Massachusetts: $85,000 - $130,000
  • State of Minnesota: $75,000 - $111,000
  • Jersey City, NJ: $78,000 - $114,000
  • State of New York: $66,000 - $125,000
  • State of Virginia: $57,000 - $168,000
  • State of Vermont: $87,000 - $168,000
  • State of Washington: $88,000 - $134,000
  • Washington, DC: $94,000 - $138,000

Reasonable accommodations will be provided as necessary for individuals with disabilities to apply for and/or perform essential job functions.

Location

Open in any office location; St. Louis, Missouri or Phoenix, Arizona preferred.

Application Requirements

Please include a cover letter and resume when applying.

Equal Opportunity

EOE/Minority/Female/Disabled/Vet. Principal Applicants Only.