Residential Conveyancing Assistant / Paralegal
Location: Burgess Hill, West Sussex
About Us
Bennett Oakley Solicitors is a long-established, employee-owned law firm providing high-quality legal services to individuals and businesses across Sussex. We are committed to excellent client care, strong teamwork, and maintaining a supportive and inclusive working environment.
We are looking to recruit an experienced Residential Conveyancing Assistant / Paralegal to join our busy Residential Property team.
This is a varied role supporting fee earners on a wide range of residential property matters from instruction through to post-completion. The successful candidate will have experience working within residential conveyancing and must be familiar with shared ownership transactions, including liaising with housing associations and managing scheme-specific requirements.
You will work closely with clients, lenders, estate agents, housing associations, and other solicitors to ensure transactions progress efficiently whilst delivering excellent client service throughout.
Key Responsibilities
- Assisting fee earners with the management of residential property transactions from instruction to completion
- Preparing client care documentation and opening new files
- Drafting correspondence and legal documents
- Liaising with clients, estate agents, mortgage lenders, housing associations, and other solicitors
- Obtaining and reviewing searches, title documents, and contract papers
- Assisting with exchange and completion processes
- Preparing completion statements and requesting mortgage advance funds
- Conducting pre-completion checks and ensuring all lender requirements are satisfied
- Handling post-completion work, including SDLT submissions and Land Registry applications
- Managing and progressing shared ownership transactions, including compliance with housing association requirements
- Maintaining accurate file records in accordance with firm procedures, compliance requirements, and risk management protocols
- Delivering a consistently high standard of client care
Skills and Experience
Essential
- Previous experience working in a residential conveyancing role as an assistant, legal assistant, conveyancing assistant, or paralegal
- Experience handling shared ownership transactions and liaising with housing associations
- Good understanding of the residential conveyancing process from instruction through to post-completion
- Strong organisational skills with excellent attention to detail
- Ability to manage multiple files and prioritise workloads effectively
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Competent IT skills and experience using a legal case management system
- Understanding of lender requirements, SDLT procedures, and Land Registry processes
Desirable
- Experience managing your own caseload of straightforward residential property matters under supervision
- Familiarity with leasehold transactions, Help to Buy, and new build purchases
- Experience using Actionstep or similar case management software
What We Offer
- A supportive and collaborative team environment
- Competitive salary dependent on experience
- Increasing annual leave entitlement with length of service
- Participation in the firm’s employee ownership structure
- Ongoing training and development opportunities
- Career progression opportunities within a growing Residential Property team
Equality & Diversity
Bennett Oakley Solicitors is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. Recruitment decisions are made fairly and based on merit, ability, and business need.
Benefits
We offer an extensive range of benefits, including those linked to employee ownership.
A full list can be found on our Careers page:
View our benefits and careers information
How to Apply
Please send your CV together with a brief covering letter outlining your suitability for the role to:
Samuel Cash
sc@bennettoakley.co.uk
Bennett Oakley Solicitors is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experience levels.
