Legal Staff Paralegal in Washington, DC

Law Firm

Washington, DC

Legal Staff Paralegal in Washington, DC

Legal Staff

Min 5 yrs required

No

Job Title: Estate Planning Paralegal

Job Responsibilities:
The Estate Planning Paralegal at the law firm is tasked with providing essential support to the Estate Planning team. The role demands a high level of organization, initiative, and client service. Key responsibilities include:

- Gift Tax Returns: The paralegal is responsible for preparing and filing annual IRS Form 709 Gift Tax Returns with minimal supervision. This involves coordinating with clients and accountants to gather necessary financial documentation, tracking filing deadlines, and ensuring timely submission.

- ILIT Administration: Duties include monitoring premium payment schedules, maintaining accurate tracking logs, drafting and distributing Crummey notices in accordance with trust provisions and IRS guidelines, and maintaining ILIT files to ensure compliance with administrative best practices.

- Trust Funding: The paralegal prepares and records deeds, assignments, and other related documents for trust funding. They coordinate with title companies, banks, and other institutions to transfer assets into trust and maintain organized trust funding binders and checklists.

- Promissory Notes: Responsibilities include proactively tracking maturity dates, interest payments, and compliance deadlines. The paralegal coordinates with clients and the legal team to initiate and document note renewals or payoffs and maintains organized records of all promissory notes and supporting documentation.

- Client Management: Serving as a key point of contact for clients throughout the estate planning process, the paralegal provides regular updates, follows up on outstanding items, anticipates client needs, and supports attorneys in delivering an exceptional client experience.

Education and Experience Information:
- The position requires a minimum of 5 years of experience in estate planning or tax-related legal work.
- Candidates must have a strong understanding of gift tax law, ILIT compliance, and trust funding procedures.
- Essential skills include being highly organized with excellent attention to detail and time management abilities, strong written and verbal communication skills, and proficiency with legal software, document management systems, and Microsoft Office Suite.
- The ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and maintain confidentiality is crucial.

Preferred Qualifications:
- A Bachelor’s degree or paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved program is preferred.
- Experience with trust accounting or tax software is considered a plus.
- Holding a Notary Public certification, or a willingness to obtain one, is also preferred.

Salary Information:
The text does not provide specific salary information for the Estate Planning Paralegal position.