Practice Manager

Job Specification: Practice Manager – Wills & Probate

Location: North London

Working Arrangement: Office-based, full-time

Sector: Wills, Probate and Private Client Services

Reporting to: Directors / Senior Management

The Role

We are seeking an experienced, commercially minded Practice Manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of our wills and probate firm in North London.

The successful candidate will come from a legal background, having previously worked within a law firm, and will understand how legal practices operate, including case management, fee generation, billing, client service and staff management.

This is a hands-on management role for someone who can bring structure, accountability and commercial focus to the business. The primary objective is to ensure that cases progress efficiently, work is billed accurately and promptly, staff are motivated and productive, and the firm operates with strong financial and operational controls.

We are looking for an individual who takes ownership, identifies problems before they escalate and turns management information into measurable improvements in performance.

*Key Responsibilities*

*1. KPI Management and Performance Monitoring

• Establish, implement and monitor KPIs for individual team members and the practice as a whole.

• Track caseloads, case progression, turnaround times, billing performance and fee income.

• Monitor individual productivity and ensure staff meet agreed performance targets.

• Produce weekly and monthly management reports for the directors.

• Identify underperformance, bottlenecks and operational inefficiencies, implementing corrective action where necessary.

• Introduce regular performance reviews and ensure accountability at every level of the business.

*2. Billing, Revenue and Cash Flow Management

• Take ownership of the firm's billing process, ensuring work undertaken is recorded, reviewed and billed promptly.

• Introduce consistent billing procedures across all wills and probate cases.

• Ensure fee earners and case handlers regularly review files for completed work, outstanding charges and opportunities to raise invoices.

• Monitor client funds held on account, outstanding balances, aged debtors and unpaid invoices.

• Ensure appropriate interim billing, stage payments and requests for funds on account are made in accordance with client agreements and applicable requirements.

• Work with the directors and finance team to improve cash flow, reduce aged debt and minimise unbilled work.

• Implement regular billing reviews so that completed work does not remain unbilled and revenue is not unnecessarily delayed.

• Ensure billing records are accurate, transparent and supported by appropriate file documentation.

*3. Team Management and Motivation

• Lead, motivate and manage the wills and probate team, creating a positive, professional and performance-driven working environment.

• Set clear expectations, responsibilities and individual objectives.

• Hold regular team meetings and individual performance discussions.

• Support staff development through coaching, training and constructive feedback.

• Recognise strong performance while addressing underperformance promptly and fairly.

• Manage workloads and allocate cases appropriately to ensure the team operates efficiently.

• Promote teamwork, ownership, accountability and high standards of client service.

• Identify recruitment and training needs as the firm grows.

4. Case Management and Operational Efficiency

• Oversee the progress of wills, probate and estate administration matters, ensuring files move forward without unnecessary delays.

• Introduce consistent processes for opening files, client onboarding, case reviews, billing milestones and file closure.

• Ensure case management systems are used effectively and that file information is accurate and up to date.

• Monitor dormant files, delayed matters and cases requiring management intervention.

• Establish clear procedures for reviewing outstanding actions and chasing clients, beneficiaries, financial institutions and other relevant parties.

• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, reduce administrative duplication and increase the number of cases managed effectively by the team.

5. Client Service and Quality Control

• Maintain high standards of professionalism, responsiveness and client communication.

• Monitor client complaints, service issues and recurring operational problems.

• Ensure clients receive clear information about fees, anticipated timescales and case progress.

• Introduce appropriate file audits and quality-control checks.

• Ensure the firm follows its applicable legal, regulatory, data protection, anti-money laundering and complaints-handling obligations.

• Escalate material risks, complaints and compliance concerns to the appropriate director or designated compliance lead.

6. Reporting and Commercial Management

• Provide directors with clear weekly and monthly reports covering operational performance and financial results.

• Report on fees billed and collected, work in progress, outstanding debts, caseloads and staff productivity.

• Assist with budgeting, resource planning and forecasting.

• Identify opportunities to improve profitability, increase fee income and make better use of staff resources.

• Recommend practical changes to improve the firm's overall performance.

• Take ownership of agreed operational improvement projects and report on their results.

Key Performance Indicators

The Practice Manager will be expected to implement and manage a structured KPI framework, including:

• Billing performance: Percentage of completed or billable work invoiced within agreed timescales.

• Cash collection: Reduction in overdue invoices and aged debt.

• Work in progress: Monitoring and reduction of unbilled work.

• Case progression: Timely completion of case milestones and reduction in avoidable delays.

• Staff productivity: Individual and team performance against agreed targets.

• Client service: Response times, complaints and client feedback.

• File management: Accuracy of records, completion of file reviews and compliance with internal procedures.

• Team development: Staff engagement, training and performance improvement.

Targets will be agreed with the directors following an initial review of the firm's existing performance and operating procedures.

Essential Experience and Skills

• Previous experience working within a law firm or legal services practice.

• Experience in practice management, legal operations, team leadership or a senior legal support role with substantial management responsibility.

• A strong understanding of wills, probate, private client work or estate administration.

• Proven ability to manage staff, workloads and performance against measurable targets.

• Practical experience of billing processes, debt management, work in progress and cash flow controls.

• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.

• Commercial awareness and a focus on improving profitability and operational efficiency.

• Excellent communication, leadership and problem-solving skills.

• Confidence using case management systems, spreadsheets and management reporting tools.

• A proactive, hands-on approach with the ability to work independently and take ownership.

Desirable Experience

• Previous experience as a Practice Manager, Legal Operations Manager, Probate Team Manager or Legal Office Manager.

• Experience introducing KPIs, billing procedures or operational improvements within a legal practice.

• Familiarity with legal accounting procedures and client money controls.

• Experience managing a growing or independently owned legal services business.

• Experience working within an unregulated wills and probate practice, or an understanding of the distinction between regulated and unregulated legal services.

Personal Attributes

The ideal candidate will be:

• Commercially focused and results-driven.

• Organised, disciplined and detail-oriented.

• A confident leader who can motivate a team and hold people accountable.

• Comfortable having difficult conversations about performance.

• Proactive in identifying problems and implementing solutions.

• Approachable and supportive, while maintaining clear professional standards.

• Equally comfortable reviewing financial reports and working directly with staff on day-to-day operational issues.

*What Success Looks Like*

Within the first six months, the successful candidate should have:

1. Established clear KPIs and reporting for the team.

2. Implemented a reliable billing and cash collection process.

3. Improved visibility of unbilled work, outstanding invoices and client funds held on account.

4. Introduced regular case reviews and improved case progression.

5. Established a consistent staff performance and team meeting structure.

6. Provided directors with reliable management information to support commercial decisions.

7. Delivered measurable improvements in productivity, cash flow and operational control.

Pay: £35,000.00-£40,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person