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Probate Solicitor

Manchester/ Bristol/ Sheffield/ Stratford-upon-Avon
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Job ID 1057895 Job category Legal Hours per week 37.5 Closing date 13-10-2025 Salary £32,000-£65,000 dependant on experience

Probate Solicitor
£32,000-£65,000 dependant on experience (Work level 6A and Work level 5)
Full time, 37.5 hours or part time hours available
We’re now working in a hybrid way, with colleagues dividing their time between home and any of our offices in Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol, or Stratford upon Avon.

We’re looking for solicitors/fee earners to join our specialist probate team within Co-op Legal Services at a variety of levels.

At Co-op Legal Services we do things differently - we’re future-focussed, we’re committed to providing an exceptional client experience, and we’re passionate about developing our colleagues.

In this role, you’ll manage a varied caseload of probate cases from start to finish, with a client-focussed approach to targets. You won’t need to bring a following of clients with you as we will source new work for you. You’ll also be supported by our innovative legal technology - we’ve introduced AI enabled processes into our legal technology platform, and plan to have our estate administration processes fully AI enabled through 2025, so there’s never been a more exciting time to join! We’ve also doubled our probate team within the past year, and as we continue to grow and innovate, they’ll be plenty of opportunities to build a rewarding career with us.

What you’ll do

•    own caseload of probate cases varying in complexity end to end, using a case management system and artificial intelligence tools 
•    use our case management system to make sure information is recorded accurately 
•    engage with clients mainly by telephone and email
•    work collaboratively with expert support from the team to continually develop your legal skills, administrative support will also be provided 
•    use your legal knowledge to mentor more junior members of the team

This role would suit people who have

•    qualified as a solicitor or legal executive in private practice (CILEX or STEP qualification), or have the equivalent experience in probate law
•    the ability to use your initiative and effectively prioritise and organise your work in a fast-paced and high-volume environment 
•    a client-focused approach with the ability to build positive relationships in a remote setting

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:
•    an annual bonus scheme (dependent on personal and business performance)
•    a pension with up to 10% employer contributions
•    28 days holiday plus bank holidays (rising to 32 in line with service)
•    private healthcare (WL5 only)
•    wellbeing benefits to support your physical financial and mental health
•    coaching, training, and support such as study leave, to help you develop your skills and progress your career
•    discounts on Co-op products and services

Building an inclusive work environment

We’re actively building diverse teams and we welcome applications from everyone. We want to build inclusive work environments, where our colleagues have equal opportunities to reach their full potential. We celebrate our differences, and recognise the importance of our teams reflecting the communities they serve.

If you have a disability, we can make reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process according to your needs. We're also part of the Disability Confident scheme, meaning we'll always offer an interview to disabled candidates who apply through the scheme if they meet the minimum criteria for a job.

We'll ask whether you’d like to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme when you apply.

If we invite you to take part in the recruitment process for any of our jobs, we’ll ask you if you need any reasonable adjustments to enable you to participate.

You can find out more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process.

You can find out more about the Disability Confident scheme and all our commitments to diversity and inclusion at colleagues.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion-and-wellbeing.

If you’re successful in your application, we’ll perform some background checks as part of our pre-employment screening process. These will include an SRA check, credit checks, and a DBS (disclosure and barring service) check. Please note Co-op does not offer visa sponsorship for this role. 

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Benefits

  • Coaching, training and support such as study leave, to help you develop your skills and progress your career
  • Pension with up to 10% employer contributions
  • Incentive scheme up to 10% after probation
  • 28 days holiday plus bank holidays (rising to 32 in line with service)
  • Wellbeing benefits to support your physical financial and mental health
  • Discounts on Co-op products and services

Success profile

What makes a successful member of our team? Check out the top traits we're looking for and see if you have the right mix.

  • Team-work
  • Detail orientated
  • Organisation
  • Communication
  • Relationship-building
  • Adaptability

Your career at Co-op Legal Services

You’ll find career opportunities here whether or not you have legal qualifications. We offer a variety of routes into legal practice, a clear career progression framework, and early career options that provide a cost effective alternative to university.

We regularly recruit for qualified and non-qualified jobs, so whether you’re an experienced lawyer or someone who’s keen to explore the possibilities of a career in the law, you can make a difference here.

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Our practice areas

You’ll join our wills & trusts department which is set up differently to traditional private practice law firms. Being a specialist team means we often deal with cases of varying complexity, and can provide our clients with an expert service. We also have specialist Probate, Family law, estate planning, and medical negligence teams, so if you want to gain exposure in another area of law they’ll be opportunity to do so.

Probate is the legal and financial process of dealing with the property, money, and possessions of a person who has died. We help and support thousands of bereaved people and families, many of whom have been previously supported by Co-op Funeralcare.

At Co-op Legal Services our will writing advisors discuss our customers' wishes, offer guidance and help to make a will that’s right for their circumstances.

Family law solicitors offer a wide range of family law legal services to our customers. Our areas of practice range from family law and divorce to legal separation and child custody.

Every year, our personal injury solicitors and litigation lawyers secure millions of pounds in compensation through personal injury claims for people injured in accidents through no fault of their own.

Our medical negligence solicitors specialise in recovering compensation for patients who have suffered medical negligence and medical accidents caused by healthcare professionals.

Application process

At Co-op, we’re passionate about doing great work for the communities we trade in. That means having the right people, from all walks of life and backgrounds, in our team to serve them. Take a look below how to become one of our colleagues.

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Applying for a job

You can apply for a job with us quickly and easily on your laptop or phone. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done before or if you have little experience — it’s all about matching our values and bringing your passion, motivation and capabilities to your new role.

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CV shortlisting

If you pass the assessment your CV will be reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team. If you meet the essential criteria for the role your CV will be sent through to the hiring manager to review.

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Interview

If you're selected for interview, you'll be sent an email for you to choose a date and time for your interview - but if you can't make it don't worry, you can reschedule your interview online up to 48 hours before your interview is due, or you can reach out to our Talent Acquisition team and we can try and accommodate a new time or date. Before your interview, we’ll send you a really helpful guide on how best to prepare, so nothing on the day should surprise you, and most importantly what proof you need to bring to prove your right to work in the UK.

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Your decision

If you’re successful at your interview, you’ll receive a phone call from the hiring manager you met to talk about your job offer. If you accept, we’ll then send your offer online via an email. Before anything can be processed, we'll need you to accept this offer online. This will start your journey into our Co-op.

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Help with your application

If you want to be better prepared for the application process, whether you’re applying for a job at Co-op or somewhere else, our Career Development Hub gives you free access to tools that can help.

Build your CV, practice interview techniques and psychometric tests, or take quizzes on ability, motivation, personality and resilience. It’s all designed to help you develop your skills and build your career.

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