Receptionist/Typist

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We are looking for an experienced full-time receptionist/typist to join our Stockport office. Full details of the role can be found below. 

To apply for the role, please forward your CV together with a covering letter detailing your salary expectations to our Practice Manager, Alexandra Newman by email an@haroldstock.com 

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE:                               Receptionist/Typist

LOCATION:                               Stockport, SK2

DEPARTMENT(S):                   Front of House

SALARY:                                   Negotiable dependant upon experience

Harold Stock & Co. Solicitors is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community

Job Purpose

To provide front of house cover for the Stockport office together with typing cover

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

You will perform a wide range of duties including some or all of the following:

Reception

  • Answer general phone enquiries using a professional and courteous manner
  • Direct phone enquiries to the appropriate staff members
  • Reply to general information requests with the accurate information
  • Greet clients/suppliers/visitors to the organisation in a professional and friendly manner and provide them with refreshments.
  • Maintenance of meeting rooms, ensuing they are kept stocked and tidy before and after all meetings.

Secretarial/Administrative:

  • Audio typing using digital dictation software
  • Copy Typing
  • Maintaining diary systems
  • Liaison with clients and other parties both in person and by phone
  • Assist with the distribution of post
  • Prepare and send outgoing faxes, mail, and courier parcels
  • Filing of documents, ensuring that a high level of accuracy is maintained at all times.
  • Photocopying and scanning.
  • Opening of new files
  • General administrative duties

Person Specification:

The successful candidate will have:

Essential:

  • Previous legal secretarial experience
  • Excellent IT skills including experience with digital audio dictation software and case management systems
  • A keen eye for detail
  • Ability and willingness to learn new skills
  • Ability to work within a team
  • Ability to work flexibly
  • Ability to work to strict deadlines
  • A commitment to Equal Opportunities

Desirable:

  • A full clean driving licence and own car is preferable although not essential

Elf Day 2018

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Staff from our offices took part in Elf Day to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society. They raised over £340! Well done to everyone that took part.

The highlight of the day for most was the opportunity to Pie Face Paul Stock together with Tom Simpson, Scott Turner-Percy and Claire Atkinson. Unfortunately, Mr Stock wouldn’t allow the moment to be caught on camera but we can assure you it did happen!

Harold Stock & Co show their pedal power for Road Safety Week

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We held a Virtual Cycle on 20th November 2018 at our Stockport office to raise funds for Brake, the Road Safety Charity. 

Collectively, we cycled 100.05km and have raised £210 so far. You can still donate to our Fundraising page https://www.gofundme.com/haroldstockvirtualcycle 

Special thank to our super cyclists: Tom Simpson, Debra Woolfson, Francesca Rigby,  Kirsty Dunn, Tracey Hine, Danielle Eyres, Wendy Smith, Niamh Darraugh, Scott Turner-Percy, Darren McGuinness and Kelly Jackson. 

 

 

Virtual Cycle Challenge – 20th November 2018

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Our staff are taking part in a virtual cycle event on 20th November 2018 between 10am and 2pm at our Stockport office. 

There will be a charity bake sale on the day and a prize draw.  Donations can be made on our Go Fund Me page www.gofundme.com/haroldstockvirtualcycle. All funds raised will help Brake to support bereaved families and victims of road traffic accidents. 

 

Vacancy – Residential Conveyancer

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Harold Stock & Co. Solicitors is looking for an experienced Residential Conveyancer to join our thriving team based in our Mossley office.

You will be experienced in handling a caseload of all types of transactional work, including but not limited to purchases, sales, remortgages, transfers, equity releases, shared ownership transactions, and dealing with registered and unregistered properties.

This post is open to qualified Solicitors, Licensed conveyancers and experienced non-qualified conveyancers. This role may be suitable to an experienced conveyancing legal secretary looking to take the next step in their career. 

Salary negotiable dependent upon experience. 

To apply for this position, please forward your CV together with details of salary expectations to our Practice Manager, Mrs Alexandra Newman via email to an@haroldstock.com 

 

 

JOB TITLE:                            Residential Conveyancer/Solicitor

REPORTING TO:                  Head of Department

LOCATION :                           Mossley, Tameside

SALARY:                                 Dependant upon experience

Harold Stock & Co Solicitors is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Duties include:-

  • Handling a caseload of all types of transactional work, including but not limited to purchases, sales, remortgages, transfers, equity releases, shared ownership transactions, and dealing with registered and unregistered properties, to the required standard of service as set by the Firm.
  • Ensuring use the Firm’s Case Management and Web-based tracking systems to the required standard
  • Bringing to the attention of the Departmental Manager any matters of concern on a transaction that could result in a financial or professional liability to the Firm
  • Undertaking any other tasks reasonably requested by the firm to assist in the progression of transactions from receipt of file to close of the file.
  • Liaising with the administrator to ensure tasks performed and file progressed in a timely manner
  • Contributing ideas to improve client service and departmental performance
  • Contributing ideas for the development of the case management system

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The successful candidate will have:

ESSENTIAL:

  • A minimum of 3 years residential conveyancing experience
  • Proven experience of handling all types of conveyancing transactional work from end to end. .
  • Ability to work self sufficiently
  • Excellent customer service skills
  • An ability to work with a case management system, databases and normal office IT systems.
  • Ability to work within a team
  • Ability to communicate effectively with fellow employees at all levels of the business
  • A commitment to Equal Opportunities

DESIRABLE

  • A desire to contribute to the overall strategic vision for the department.

Will Aid 2018

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November is Will Aid month and Francesca Rigby from our Stockport office will be taking part this year. Will Aid is an annual fundraising event involving 9 of the UK’s leading charities. With the support of the legal profession, donating their time and skill, people are encouraged to have a will professionally written by a Solicitor whilst raising funds for charity. 

For a suggested donation of £95 for a basic single will or £150 for basic mirror wills, Francesca will meet with you at our Stockport office to take your instructions and then prepare a will specifically tailored to suit your needs. 

For more information on Will Aid and to help you prepare for the meeting, Will Aid have produced a helpful guide and Will Planner which can be found here

To make an appointment to see Francesca during Will Aid month, please contact us on 0161 456 5012 or complete the contact form on this page. 

Private Client team boosted by new recruit

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Harold Stock & Co are delighted to welcome Francesca Rigby into their successful Private Client team. Francesca will be based in the firm’s Stockport office. 

Francesca studied Criminology and Social Policy at Manchester University and then went on to study at BPP Law School achieving commendations in both her Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course before qualifying in September 2012.

Since qualifying, Francesca has gone on to specialise in all Private Client matters including all types of Wills, whether simple Mirror Wills to Wills that cater for more complex inheritance tax, all Probate matters including both taxable and non-taxable estates, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection work and Trusts.

In February 2018,  Francesca successfully completed the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) course and is now a full member of STEP. STEP is a global professional association for practitioners who specialise in Private Client matters. As a full STEP member, Francesca is recognised as an expert in the field of Wills & Probate with proven qualifications and experience.

As well has being a STEP member, Francesca is a Full Accredited member of Solicitors for the Elderly. In order to be a fully accredited SFE member, lawyers must have a minimum of three years’ experience advising in areas of older client law and have completed the Older Client Care in Practice Award – a qualification which demonstrates the specialist client care skills that enable lawyers to advise and support older and vulnerable clients. Members are also required to continuously update their knowledge with training and produce an annual statement of competence, which ensures they maintain their expertise.

SFE

The most popular day for marriage

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Most popular day for marriages sees local Solicitor campaign to raise awareness of the common-law marriage myth

Saturday 18 August has been reported as the most common day in 2018 to tie the knot in the UK. However, since the early 1970s, the number of people actually getting married has steadily decreased, dropping a further 3.4% last year. There have been many theories about why marriage rates are falling, but regardless the fact remains that fewer people are formalising their relationship.

In 2016, there were 3.3m cohabiting couples or around 6.6million cohabiting adults. This is officially the fastest growing family type, more than doubling from 1.5million couples just 20 years ago. Yet, a 2017 ComRes survey showed that only one couple in three knew there was no such thing as common law marriage.

The issue is widespread, with nearly 98% of professionals from family justice group Resolution reported having worked with a cohabiting couple who they were unable to help. A further 90% said the couples are often surprised to find out about their lack of rights.

To help raise awareness of this issue Karen Kenyon from Harold Stock & Co. Solicitors is hoping to raise awareness and encourage cohabiting couples to take steps protect themselves and their families.

Karen explains: “If an unmarried couple breaks up, they would not necessarily be entitled to share in (what they thought were their) joint assets, such as a house they may have made significant financial contributions to, if they aren’t named as an owner on the deed. This is the same regardless of how long they have been together or whether they have children.”

“Government has the opportunity to update legislation, to bring our laws in line with modern family types. Caroline Lucas raised an early day motion in November, which has already been supported by 23 cross-party MPs.”

“In the absence of action from government, these couples need to know that they are not given rights through common law marriage, so they can take appropriate actions to protect themselves. For example, signing a cohabitation agreement is an easy and cost effective way to get financial peace of mind without getting married or forming a civil partnership.”

Meet our Family Team

Karen Kenyon image

Karen Kenyon

Solicitor

T: 0161 682 2400

kk@haroldstock.com

Dawn Atkinson image

Dawn Atkinson

Family Executive

T: 0161 682 2400

da@haroldstock.com

Mossley Hollins Futures Event 2018

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Headteacher, Stuart Marshall with Kirsty Dunn (R) and Alex Newman (L)

 

Former pupils, Kirsty Dunn and Alex Newman went back to school this morning to take part in the Mossley Hollins High School Futures Event. This is the 4th year running that Kirsty and Alex have assisted the school by leading their Year 10 pupils through a mock interview scenario. 

The interviews are structured to be as true to life as possible and constructive written feedback is provided by the interviewers to the pupils. 

Once again, Kirsty and Alex have commented on how confident the students are in the interviews despite their nerves. 

 

Things to Consider before Buying a Property

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Buying a property can be a stressful process, especially if you are not prepared before you decide to buy. Having a plan set in place before you start the hunt is key for getting the best out of your property search. Harold Stock and Co are here with seven things to consider before buying a property. Continue reading…