Job Description:

Senior Paralegal - Lease Extensions (Private Matters)
Location: Remote for the right candidate

Role Purpose

This is a senior paralegal role for an experienced case handler with strong procedural and practical experience in leasehold property matters, informal lease extensions and post-completion registration.

The post-holder will manage a caseload of private lease extension files under the supervision of a solicitor, with responsibility for file progression, client communication, procedural conduct, drafting from precedent, third-party liaison and matter management.

The post-holder will not provide unsupervised legal advice or conduct reserved legal activities outside delegated authority. All legal advice, legal strategy, legal sign-off and supervision of legal risk remain with the supervising solicitor.


Role Objective

To manage a supervised caseload of private lease extension matters efficiently, accurately and proactively, ensuring:

• matters progress efficiently from instruction to completion,
• clients receive high-quality service and clear communication,
• deadlines and third-party dependencies are managed effectively,
• risks are identified and escalated appropriately,
• files remain compliant, commercially managed and procedurally sound,
• matters complete efficiently and register correctly.

Key Responsibilities

Caseload Management

• Manage a personal caseload of private (informal) lease extension matters under solicitor supervision.
• Progress matters from file opening through to completion and registration.
• Maintain accurate case records, task progression, notes and correspondence.
• Ensure all key dates, milestones and chases are diarised and actioned.
• Maintain orderly and compliant files in accordance with internal procedures and regulatory requirements.
• Prioritise and manage workflow to ensure efficient file progression and client service.

Private Lease Extension Conduct

• Progress private lease extension matters from instruction through to completion.
• Obtain title documents, lease documentation and relevant property papers.
• Review and extract key lease and title information.
• Prepare file summaries and identify key issues for solicitor review.
• Draft and issue initial correspondence to landlords / agents.
• Request, chase and log informal lease extension terms.
• Track and record negotiations and responses.
• Prepare matter summaries and heads of terms for solicitor review.
• Identify and escalate adverse or commercially unattractive lease terms.
• Support progression to agreed terms and documentation.

Drafting & Documentation

• Draft routine correspondence, reports and procedural documents from approved precedents.
• Prepare letters to landlords, agents and third parties.
• Prepare file notes, summaries and matter updates.
• Draft lease extension documentation from approved precedent for review.
• Prepare completion packs, engrossments and execution packs.
• Prepare post-completion documentation and Land Registry applications.

Completion & Post-Completion

• Prepare completion statements and completion packs.
• Coordinate execution and completion logistics.
• Support completion under solicitor supervision.
• Prepare AP1 applications and post-completion registration documents.
• Lodge and monitor Land Registry applications.
• Deal with routine post-completion matters and routine requisitions under supervision.
• Escalate legal or substantive requisitions to supervising solicitor.

Risk, Escalation & Supervision

• Identify legal, procedural, title, timing and commercial risks.
• Escalate all legal advice points, legal drafting points and legal risk promptly.
• Escalate adverse informal terms, title defects, lender issues and unusual landlord structures.
• Work strictly within delegated authority and supervision protocols.
• Ensure all legal advice and legal sign-off are referred to the supervising solicitor.
• Maintain awareness of role boundaries and escalation obligations.

Team Support & Mentoring

• Support junior paralegals / trainees with procedural workflow and file administration.
• Assist with file process training and workflow guidance.
• Share best practice in file management, drafting and post-completion.
• Support team process consistency and quality standards.

Person Specification

Essential

• Minimum 3+ years' experience in residential property, leasehold property or lease extension work
• Strong experience managing property files and procedural transactions
• Experience handling private / informal lease extension matters
• Strong understanding of leasehold titles and lease documentation
• Experience drafting from precedent and managing completion processes
• Strong Land Registry / post-completion experience
• Excellent file management and diary discipline
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Commercially aware and client-focused
• Able to work independently within supervision boundaries
• Strong escalation judgment

Desirable

• Experience in leasehold enfranchisement / statutory lease extensions
• Experience with Proclaim case management
• Experience supervising junior paralegals
• LPC / SQE / CILEX study or equivalent
• Experience liaising with valuers / landlords / managing agents in leasehold transactions

Please contact Samuel Higgins at Simpson Judge for further information ((phone number removed) / )