Date: January 31, 2026
Position: Legal Secretary/Paralegal – Estate Planning
Location: Sonoma, California
Employment Type: Full Time
Compensation: commensurate with experience
Benefits: health, retirement and wellness benefits for full time employees.
About the Role
Sonoma Law Partners seeks a detail-oriented and highly organized Legal Secretary/Paralegal to support our estate planning practice. The ideal candidate will demonstrate proficiency in preparing and managing estate planning documents and procedures, exercise sound judgment, and provide reliable client-facing and attorney support in a professional environment.
Key Responsibilities
1. Draft, format, and proofread estate planning documents, including wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, advance health care directives, HIPAA authorizations, funding documents, trust certificates, and related ancillary instruments.
2. Prepare and organize client intake materials; manage questionnaires, asset inventories, and beneficiary designation requests; track document revisions and redlines.
3. Coordinate document execution, notarization, and witnessing procedures; manage signing ceremonies and post-execution quality control.
4. Assemble final signed document sets; oversee scanning, indexing, and secure digital/physical file maintenance; implement version control and naming conventions.
5. Prepare and file related county and state forms as applicable, including real property transfer documents and preliminary change of ownership forms, and coordinate with title/escrow as needed.
6. Support trust funding, including account retitling letters, assignment of tangible and intangible assets, and beneficiary designation change requests; maintain funding checklists through completion.
7. Manage attorney calendars, deadlines, and ticklers; schedule client meetings; prepare meeting agendas, summaries, and follow-up correspondence.
8. Communicate professionally with clients, financial advisors, CPAs, and fiduciaries; field routine inquiries and provide status updates consistent with firm protocols.
9. Maintain document templates, precedents, and workflows; identify process improvements to enhance efficiency and reduce risk.
10. Assist with probate and trust administration tasks as needed, including notice letters, creditor claim tracking, and basic court/agency filings under attorney supervision.
11. Ensure strict confidentiality, data security, and compliance with firm policies and applicable ethical rules.
12. Other projects as assigned by the team.
Qualifications
1. Experience: 3+ years of legal secretary and/or paralegal experience, with a demonstrated focus on estate planning; or in a related industry.
2. Education: Paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved program and/or Bachelor’s degree preferred; equivalent experience considered.
3. Technical Skills:
(a) Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and PDF management software;
(b) Estate planning document assembly or practice management platforms such as [WealthCounsel/Estate Plan, Smokeball, Clio Manage, Actionstep, NetDocuments, iManage] or equivalent;
(c) E-signature and notarization tools [e.g., DocuSign, Notarize.com or jurisdiction-approved platforms];
(d) Familiarity with county recorder e-recording portals and relevant state filing systems [as applicable].
4. Knowledge: Working familiarity with estate planning concepts, including testamentary and inter vivos trusts, marital deduction planning, incapacity documents, trust funding procedures, and basic transfer/recording practices.
5. Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication; meticulous proofreading and citation/checklist discipline.
6. Organization: Exceptional attention to detail, time management, and multitasking; ability to prioritize competing deadlines with minimal supervision.
7. Client Service: Professional demeanor and client-centered approach; discretion and sensitivity in confidential and high-stakes matters.
8. Preferred: Experience coordinating real property transfers, beneficiary designations, and asset retitling; exposure to probate or trust administration workflows.
Core Competencies
1. Accuracy and attention to detail across drafting, formatting, and data entry.
2. Process orientation with consistent use of checklists, templates, and SOPs.
3. Proactive issue spotting and follow-through to completion.
4. Team collaboration and willingness to support attorneys and colleagues across practice needs.
5. Ethical judgment and confidentiality.
Work Environment and Culture
Sonoma Law Partners is a boutique firm with a collegial, client-focused culture that values integrity, responsiveness, and excellence in service. We provide structured training, thoughtful mentorship, and a supportive environment that emphasizes collaboration, continuous improvement, and respect for work-life balance. Hybrid work arrangements may be available depending on experience and practice needs. Though this position will require a minimum of three days in our Sonoma office.
If This Is For You - How to Apply
Please let us know via email with the subject line “Estate Planning Legal Secretary/Paralegal”:
1. Resume.
2. Brief cover letter describing relevant estate planning experience and software proficiency.
3. Two professional references (will not be contacted without notice).
4. Optional: A sanitized work sample demonstrating document formatting or checklist development.
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