Estates & Trusts Paralegal

Donahue Fitzgerald LLP provides its clients with a full range of civil legal services across a broad spectrum of areas and expertise. Our clients range from individuals, sole proprietorships, and closely held businesses to multinational Fortune 500 corporations, including some of the country’s most prominent technology companies and retailers.

We seek two experienced paralegals for our Estates and Trusts practice group in our Oakland office. This job includes trust administrations, court-supervised administrations, and drafting estate plans. The ideal candidates will also perform Probate proceedings from commencement through final distribution. The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced and high-volume environment, be highly organized and detail-oriented, and be able to work independently.

 Job Duties

Under the direct supervision of attorneys, this position will:

• Assist in the drafting of estate planning and trust administration documents;
• Prepare asset lists, analyze bank and business records, identify trust and non-trust assets, and identify title and character of assets;
• Handle California probate court petitions and proceedings such as Heggstad petitions and proceedings;
• Meet and communicate with clients and client advisors;
• Assist clients with trust funding and preparing documents to facilitate same, recordation of deeds with accompanying transfer documents;
• Maintain client files and prepare materials for client meetings;
• Prepare and assemble federal estate tax returns; and
• Calendar critical deadlines and meetings
• Additional job duties as assigned

 JOB KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Bachelor's Degree and/or paralegal certificate required
• 5+ years of experience in probate and trust administration, desired
• Tax preparation software experience is preferred
• Must know the Probate Court process, including court filings, including, for example, petitions for instructions, Probate Code Sections 850 petitions, petitions to approve accountings, and objections and replies to petitions.
• Familiarity with Probate Code notice requirements and ability to manage calendar notice deadlines
• Manage trust and probate administration case matters and deadlines
• Determine beneficiaries and persons entitled to notice
• Knowledge of court-supervised procedures to transfer property without probate (including spousal property petitions, Heggstad petitions, and affidavits regarding real property of small value)
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment
• Ability to handle multiple assignments efficiently and accurately
• Advanced proficiency with Office 365, Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Must be able to work in the office 5 days a week for the first 90 days of employment; and then a hybrid work schedule of 3 days in the office.
• Licensed notary, a plus

Qualified candidates should submit their resume with a cover letter and salary requirement to [email protected]

The annual salary range for this position is $85,000 - $127,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on various factors, including, without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, and certifications or other professional licenses held.

Donahue Fitzgerald is an Equal Opportunity Employer