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Estate Administration Legal Advisor

Copenbarger & Copenbarger • Contract with Option to Extend • California, Santa Ana, United States • 1d ago

Compensation: Roughly $130,000 to $150,000 annually based on experience plus bonus opportunity

Location: In office position based out of our Santa Ana, CA office. Some travel required.

Job Type: Full-time W-2 position with benefits

Copenbarger's Great Benefit Offerings:

Health with employer-covered options
Dental with employer-covered options
Vision Insurance
401(k)
PTO/Paid vacation time, paid holidays, and paid sick time
Bonus volunteer days off for specific events
Parental leave
Continuing education reimbursement
Flexible working arrangements/work-from-home days
Referral program

Trust & Estate Administration Associate Attorney Job Summary:

Copenbarger & Copenbarger LLP, a full-service estate planning and elder law firm, is seeking a Trust and Estate Administration Associate Attorney to join our practice in our Orange County location. This is an excellent opportunity to join a top-rated firm that offers great benefits and a competitive salary, values work-life balance while working among industry-recognized attorneys, and a wonderful family-like work environment!

The ideal candidate will have experience in trust & estate administration law and an understanding of trust and estate accounts, conservatorships, as well as the entire administration process.

The firm is seeking someone who's personable and comfortable in a client-facing role, as you'll be regularly liaising with clients and internal staff.

Trust & Estate Administration Attorney Responsibilities:

Day-to-day includes meeting with individuals who lost a loved one and sensitively guiding them through the correct legal processes (such as probate, guardianship, conservatorship, etc.). This position is not involved in the trust/estate planning process but specifically the administrative end.
Administer wills and trusts; prepare probate administration documents, conservatorship administration documents, estate administration documents, and accounts
Gather, inventory, identify, and value assets
Distribution, allocation, and funding of sub-trusts
Drafting court documents (such as 850 petitions & 17200 petitions)
Preparation and review of accounts, estate tax returns, and federal and state fiduciary income tax returns
Conduct legal research as necessary
Working with paralegals, legal assistants, other attorneys, and judges as necessary
Complete legal analyses of issues in claims, requiring knowledge and understanding of applicable case law and statutes
Engage in direct communications via telephone and e-mail with attorneys, staff, and clients
Participate in litigation-related events including but not limited to depositions, conferences, and hearings
Oversee guardianship and probate matters from filing to discharge, including the use of restricted depository accounts and the creation of accountings
Properly track and record time billed on claim-related tasks, reaching monthly goals following the initial training period

Trust & Estate Administration Attorney Requirements:

5+ years of trust and estate administration law experience
Completed JD/Juris Doctorate
California Bar Admission/Member in good standing
Must be comfortable consulting with clients directly throughout their estate administration needs
LLM in Tax or Estate Planning is a plus
Must be able to write in a clear, logical, and grammatically correct manner, integrating legal analyses into work
Excellent organization, computer skills, and math skills
Ability to analyze facts and discovery to apply to statutes and case law on point
Ability to verbally present case facts, legal analyses, and recommendations
Ability to work independently or with a team

Why Join Copenbarger & Copenbarger:

"Firm with a Heart" and "The Company Who Cares" we hold a Glassdoor rating of 4.5 stars, and we're proud of being a place employees want to work for!

Established in 1979, you'll be joining a firm that's both well-respected in the community and that treats our employees as we do our clients: like gold. We serve clients statewide across California, specializing in estate planning, taxation, litigation, business formation, and more. Copenbarger and Copenbarger has received recognition including Martindale-Hubbell's Peer Review award, Martindale-Hubbell's Client Champion Gold award, Lawyers of Distinction award, Who's Who award, multiple Top Attorneys of North America awards, and more. However not only do we work hard to be the best at our practice, we have fun doing it! If you're looking for a family-like culture with real work-life balance, "Bro"-dal showers, company outings, and its own party-planning committee you can join, you've found the place (and please, don't be shy to ask more)!

Firm Attorney's Awards and Recognition List: