Overview
The Legal Assistant supports a busy Georgia law practice centered on residential real estate closings, title work, and related transactional matters. The position is responsible for keeping files organized, complete, and moving; communicating professionally with clients and transaction participants; preparing routine documents from approved forms; tracking deadlines and follow-up items; and helping attorneys deliver accurate, timely service. The ideal candidate is dependable, detail-oriented, comfortable with technology, and able to remain calm and productive in an office where priorities can shift quickly.
Primary Responsibilities
Real Estate Closings and Title Files
Open and maintain matters in the firm database using established naming, checklist, and document-retention standards.
Coordinate with buyers, sellers, lenders, real estate agents, title abstractors, surveyors, insurance agents, governmental offices, and other parties to collect the information and documents required for closing.
Maintain accurate closing checklists, calendars, task lists, and follow-up reminders; identify missing information early and escalate legal or title issues to the responsible attorney.
Assist with title and closing preparation by organizing title evidence, payoffs, tax information, entity documents, estate documents, lien information, surveys, insurance materials, and other file requirements.
General Legal and Transactional Support
Support matters involving probate and estate-related real property, tax-sale redemptions and barments, quiet-title actions, foreclosures, secured transactions, bankruptcy matters, leases, business entities, and related civil litigation.
Draft routine pleadings, notices, letters, affidavits, deeds, corporate consents, exhibits, and filing cover sheets from approved forms and attorney instructions; proofread for names, dates, legal descriptions, amounts, signature blocks, and internal consistency.
File and serve documents through applicable electronic systems; coordinate with court clerks, sheriffs, tax officials, legal organs, registered agents, and process servers; and track service, publication, response, and hearing deadlines.
Organize exhibits, hearing or closing binders, correspondence, research materials, and document productions, and maintain a clear chronological record of material events in each file.
Monitor open assignments and report status, obstacles, and upcoming deadlines to the responsible attorney without waiting for an issue to become urgent.
Client Service and Office Coordination
Communicate with clients and third parties by telephone, email, and secure portal in a courteous, responsive, and professional manner.
Conduct initial intake and gather facts and documents using approved questionnaires, while recognizing when a question requires attorney review.
Use Microsoft Word, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint effectively and follow the firm's security, confidentiality, and document-management procedures.
Help improve checklists, templates, standard operating procedures, and recurring workflows, and assist with training or cross-coverage when needed.
Perform other administrative and legal-support duties reasonably assigned by the firm's attorneys.
Required Qualifications
High school diploma or equivalent; associate degree, paralegal certificate, or comparable legal-office training is preferred.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including professional email and telephone communication.
Excellent attention to detail and the ability to proofread names, legal descriptions, dates, dollar amounts, and execution requirements accurately.
Ability to manage multiple active files, deadlines, and follow-up items without losing track of details.
Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Outlook and the ability to learn practice-management, closing, recording, and court-filing systems.
Preferred Qualifications
Two or more years of experience in a law office, title company, lender, real estate closing practice, or other deadline-driven professional environment.
Experience with Georgia residential closings, title commitments, curative work, deeds, security deeds, probate documents, or post-closing and recording procedures.
Current Georgia notary commission, or willingness and eligibility to obtain one.
Role Boundaries and Professional Standards
The Legal Assistant works under attorney supervision and does not independently give legal advice, establish attorney-client relationships, make substantive legal decisions, promise outcomes, sign an attorney's name, or deviate from approved funds-handling or wire-verification procedures. The employee must comply with all firm policies, professional obligations, confidentiality requirements, and applicable laws and rules.
Pay: $15.00 - $30.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Free parking
- Opportunities for advancement
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
Work Location: In person
