Associate Solicitor - Family

We are seeking an experienced Family Solicitor to join our client's established family law team. The successful candidate will manage a varied caseload of private family law matters, delivering high standards of client care, pragmatic legal advice and robust case management. This role offers the opportunity to work within a supportive firm that values professional development and a collaborative approach to client work. Having recruited into this firm a couple of times prior, I know it to be a true place to settle, establish a long term career and follow a strong career pathway to a more senior position.

This role will supervise a junior and also, in the future, a Trainee.

Salary from £50,000+

The firm provides a friendly working environment with hybrid working options considered and a focus on continued learning and mentoring.

This role will provide exposure to a broad range of family law matters including divorce and financial remedy, private children disputes, public law and care proceedings, domestic abuse injunctions and pre/post-nuptial agreements.

Key responsibilities:

• Manage a busy family law caseload from initial instruction through to resolution, ensuring matters progress in a timely manner and clients are kept informed at every stage.

• Provide clear, pragmatic legal advice on divorce, separation, financial remedy proceedings, child arrangements, schedule 1 applications, consent orders, and related family law matters.

• Prepare and issue court applications and other litigation documents, draft position statements, witness statements and ancillary documents, and manage pleadings and bundles in accordance with court requirements.

• Represent clients at hearings, including directions, interim, final and without notice hearings, and where appropriate instruct and liaise with counsel and other experts.

• Handle public law matters and care proceedings, working collaboratively with local authorities, Cafcass and other stakeholders, and providing sensitive support to vulnerable clients.

• Provide advice and draft agreements on non-contentious family matters including pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, separation agreements and cohabitation arrangements.

• Ensure compliance with client verification, anti-money laundering (AML) procedures and firm file opening/closing checks, maintaining audit-ready files and accurate financial records.

• Manage billing, fee estimates and client care letters, supporting timely billing and fee recovery in line with firm policies.

• Supervise and mentor junior solicitors, paralegals and trainee staff where required, contributing to training, knowledge sharing and quality assurance within the team.

• Identify opportunities to improve processes and precedents, support the adoption of technology and digital working practices to improve efficiency and the client experience.

Key skills and experience required:

• Qualified solicitor (SRA) with relevant PQE in family law; experience in both private and public family law is desirable.

• Proven experience managing divorce and financial remedy cases, child arrangements and, preferably, some exposure to care proceedings or public law cases.

• Confident advocate with experience attending contested hearings and preparing effective written court materials.

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with clients, family members, court officers and multi-disciplinary professionals.

• Sound knowledge of family procedure rules, practice directions and current case law relevant to family practice.

• Demonstrable commitment to maintaining compliance with AML and client identification requirements, producing audit-ready files and clear file records.

• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing workloads, manage deadlines and maintain attention to detail across multiple matters.

• Proactive, commercially aware and client-focused with an aptitude for problem solving and a willingness to contribute to business development and team initiatives.

• Proficiency with case management systems and common office IT applications; willingness to learn firm systems and promote efficient digital workflows.