Charlotte Whitehead

A fee-earning paralegal role within the Housing Management team managing a caseload of between 150 - 180 at a time. The role encompassed management of a file from the initial review upon instructions, up to the conclusion of the matter. This includes landlord and tenant disputes alongside drafting and servicing injunctions for access. In addition, regular support to the solicitors in the team is provided across a varying range of tasks.

A summary of the role includes the following:

• Breach of tenancy and seeking injunctions to obtain access for health and safety, compliance and repairs.
• Drafting, including but not limited to claim forms, injunction applications, draft orders, witness statements, exhibit bundles and statement of costs.
• Providing formal advice on a range of housing matters. Including breach of tenancy and management, tenancy contract reviews, disrepair, leasehold reviews and obligations and quantum and liability assessments.
• Assisting fellow fee earners in managing litigated disrepair files through to trial.
• Both settling and successfully defending breach of settlement claims on disrepair matters.
• Assessing bill of costs, providing advice and negotiating settlement for pre-litigation disrepair matters.
• Liaising with both internal and external parties such as clients, counsel, experts and opponent solicitors.
• The meticulous use of time recording and file management software via Outlook, iManage and Intapp.
• Achieving both monthly and yearly financial targets for the 2023/2024 financial year.

Managing a case load of between 90-110 cases at a time including pre-litigation disrepair from Letter of Claim to Settlement. The role required regular direct contact with clients to provide advice and updates as to their claim whilst also liaising with third parties such as expert witnesses and defendants to achieve settlement. The thorough understanding of the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Disrepair alongside the Civil Procedural Rules was required at all times. Daily tasks involved reviewing and assessing disrepair claims including the prospects of success, investigating liability, obtaining and analysing expert evidence and researching case law. The role also required the use of time recording and meticulous case management through the combined system of LEAP.