Senior Trusts & Estates Tax Paralegal

Overview

This role supports estate administration and fiduciary tax matters by assisting attorneys with trust and probate administration, post-death trust funding, document preparation, probate filings, tax return preparation, and client case management.

The position is open in multiple offices across the United States, with preferred locations in St. Louis, Missouri or Phoenix, Arizona.

Responsibilities

• Prepare estate and fiduciary 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 (G/L) accounts, reconcile broker statements, and prepare payables and bank deposits.
• Obtain and reconcile 1099 and K-1 statements.
• Support irrevocable trust funding and administration (post-death).
• Assist with probate administration, including drafting probate pleadings.
• Maintain close contact with clients and financial advisors.
• Support file organization and management, including independent organization and management of files or delegation of similar tasks to appropriate business professionals and supervision of those tasks.
• Meet an annual billable hour requirement of 1600 hours.
• Develop technical proficiency in database use and management; internet/electronic research; and project folder/electronic file maintenance.
• Apply attention to detail and quality standards in all work.
• Learn and implement legal AI tools (adopting legal AI and willingness/ability to learn and implement new AI preferred).
• 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 accurate, efficient work and deliver quality final deliverables.

Position-Specific Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in Trusts & Estates, including complex estate and trust administration, as well as 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 ability to succeed in a fast-paced, continually changing environment.
• Ability to prioritize and manage time effectively.
• 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 work effectively with little or no supervision within established time limits and ongoing deadlines.

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation is 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

Location

Open in multiple offices across the United States; St. Louis, Missouri or Phoenix, Arizona is preferred.

Application Information

Please include a cover letter and resume when applying.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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