WorkCover Associate (Fully Remote)

Smith's Lawyers | Full-time

Smith's Lawyers is seeking an experienced WorkCover Associate to join our NOCD and Post-NOCD team, exercising primary legal decision-making authority across the statutory and Common Law stages of workplace injury claims. This is a genuine opportunity for a solicitor who thrives on claims strategy, client advice, and working within a clearly defined decision-making framework.

About Us

Smith's Lawyers is one of Queensland's leading Personal Injury law firms. We represent clients across the state and are proud of our "No Win, No Fee" guarantee—ensuring our clients are never out of pocket.

What sets us apart is our culture: we value professionalism, collaboration, and genuine care for both our clients and our team.

About the Role

This is a hands-on legal role within our NOCD and Post-NOCD team, combining primary decision-making authority across the statutory and Common Law stages of workplace injury claims with close collaboration with our NOCD Lead and Special Counsel.

You will be trusted to exercise legal judgment on medical strategy, respondent identification, and claim forms, and to act as the first point of escalation for client legal advice within your team.

Key responsibilities include:

• Determining appropriate medico-legal experts to support liability and quantum, and identifying and assessing appropriate respondents and defendants, including alternative or additional respondents where required
• Providing legal advice and strategic direction on rejected statutory claims, including review options, dispute strategy, and progression pathways
• Exercising legal judgment settling claim forms and documents, including Notices of Claim for Damages (NOCD), Part 1 and Part 2 Notices, and Statements of Loss and Damage (SLDs)
• Providing client legal advice on written settlement instructions and Release and Discharge, including the legal effect, implications, and risks of settlement outcomes
• Engaging directly with defendant solicitors, including Panel Solicitor calls, without prejudice discussions, and settlement negotiations
• Identifying, monitoring, and managing statutory limitation periods, escalating impending limitation risks and taking appropriate protective steps with support from Special Counsel where required
• Assisting on matters presenting elevated legal, procedural, or strategic risk, as directed by the Managing Principal

About You

You are a WorkCover solicitor with deep technical expertise, sound legal judgement, and a genuine passion for guiding clients through workplace injury claims. You bring the confidence to work autonomously while respecting a clearly defined escalation framework.

You will bring:

• Experience as a solicitor with expertise in WorkCover Queensland statutory and Common Law claims
• A sound understanding of statutory limitation periods, with experience identifying and managing limitation risk
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess risk and guide matters toward resolution
• Demonstrated experience working closely with senior leadership, including providing advice and updates on strategically significant matters
• The ability to manage a large and varied caseload across different stages of progression while maintaining consistency and quality
• A genuine commitment to ongoing professional development and training
• Proficiency in LEAP or an equivalent legal practice management system
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to work autonomously with full ownership of your files in a remote team environment

What We Offer

• The opportunity to work on WorkCover Queensland statutory and Common Law claims with genuine decision-making authority
• A clearly defined decision-making framework and escalation pathway, so you always know where you stand
• Structured training, mentorship, and supervision, with direct access to the Managing Principal and a supportive Special Counsel bench
• Ongoing internal and external professional development
• A positive, values-driven firm culture
• Competitive remuneration, commensurate with experience
• Fully remote working arrangements, Australia wide

If you are a WorkCover solicitor ready to take on genuine decision-making authority within a supportive, fully remote team, we would love to hear from you.