Paralegal – Family Law

**Paralegal – Family Law** **Bednarczyk & Valerio, LLP** Walnut Creek, CA **$35-$50/hour | Full-time | Non-exempt | In-office** We’re a modern, mission-driven family law firm comprised of 6 attorneys and 6 support staff. We believe in providing meaningful, high-quality legal work while helping clients through deeply personal transitions with empathy and respect. We are looking for a **Family Law Paralegal** to join our collaborative team. If you’re someone who enjoys substantive legal work, takes pride in keeping cases organized and moving forward, and wants to work with a team that values both excellence and balance, you might be exactly who we’re looking for. **The Paralegal Position** This is a substantive legal support role for someone who understands the demands of family law and can take ownership of their work. You’ll work closely with our attorneys to manage case details, prepare legal documents, track deadlines, support discovery, and help ensure our cases stay organized and on track. Our ideal candidate is someone who can manage the details without losing sight of the bigger picture. You’re proactive, organized, and detail-oriented, with the ability to juggle multiple cases, prioritize competing deadlines, and take ownership of your work while staying connected to the team. You anticipate next steps, follow through without constant reminders, and communicate confidently with attorneys when questions arise or decisions are needed. Your responsibilities will include: * **Case Management:** Maintaining organized electronic case files, tracking outstanding items, and helping keep matters moving forward. You’ll identify what is needed, anticipate next steps, follow up on outstanding tasks, and bring issues requiring attorney attention to the forefront. * **Calendaring and Deadlines:** You’ll calculate and calendar court hearings, response deadlines, discovery deadlines, and other case-related dates. You’ll monitor upcoming deadlines, maintain reliable calendaring practices, and flag potential scheduling conflicts or time-sensitive issues promptly. * **Legal Document Preparation:** Drafting and preparing Judicial Council forms, pleadings, discovery, correspondence, and other case-related documents. You’ll ensure documents are accurate, complete, and properly organized prior to filing or service. * **Client Communication and Follow-Up:** Communicating with clients to gather information, request documents, and follow up on outstanding items. You should be comfortable working with clients who may be emotional or overwhelmed while keeping conversations productive, setting appropriate expectations, and recognizing when an issue needs attorney involvement. * **Attorney and Team Coordination:** Managing assignments, communicating progress, and keeping attorneys informed of outstanding tasks, potential problems, and matters requiring their attention. **Ideal Candidate** **Qualifications:** You must possess a paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved program or otherwise meet the qualifications under California Business and Professions Code section 6450(c). Some family law experience is ***required***; two or more years of family law experience is preferred. **Legal Skills:** You have experience preparing legal documents, including Judicial Council forms and discovery, and preparing pleadings for filing and service. You understand basic service-of-process requirements and know how to calculate and track deadlines. You are comfortable working with financial information, organizing documents, and managing multiple assignments with competing priorities. **Personality:** You’re personable, professional, and comfortable communicating with clients who may be emotional or navigating difficult personal circumstances. You can be empathetic while keeping conversations productive, obtaining the information needed, and setting appropriate expectations. You also have a sense of humor and enjoy a lighthearted laugh with your colleagues. **Work Style:** You’re organized, reliable, detail-oriented, and take pride in doing things correctly. You own your assignments from start to finish, keep track of outstanding tasks, follow up when something is needed, and speak up when you need clarification or support. You understand that calendaring, case management, and timely follow-through are essential to protecting our clients and supporting our attorneys. You can manage your workload independently while communicating proactively with the team. **Technology:** You’re comfortable learning new software and working in a primarily paperless, cloud-based office. We use MyCase for legal case management, Asana for task management, and Slack for team communication. Experience with Adobe Acrobat Pro is helpful, and you’re self-sufficient when learning new software programs. **How We Support Our Staff** **Competitive Pay:** Expected pay range of $35-$50 per hour, depending on qualifications and experience. **Reduced Full-Time Hours:** Our office closes each Friday at 12:30 p.m. All staff are permitted to leave early and are still paid for the full 8-hour day. **Sick, Vacation & Holidays:** 10 days of vacation and 5 days of sick time per year, plus generous paid holidays. For most Monday federal holidays, our office closes the Friday before the holiday weekend, creating a paid 4-day weekend. We also close the office for a paid holiday week in December. **Health Insurance:** A generous health benefits package that includes a 100% employer-sponsored platinum medical, dental, and vision plan with no waiting period. **FSA/DCA:** Flexible Spending and Dependent Care Accounts are available to provide tax-free funds for eligible healthcare and childcare expenses. **401(k):** We offer a 401(k) Plan to our employees. Even if you do not contribute to your plan, we make contributions on your behalf to match 3% of your annual compensation. **Group Term Life Insurance:** 100% employer-sponsored Group Term Life Insurance, with an additional option for Supplemental Term Life Insurance at the employee’s expense. **Hybrid Flexibility:** We’re open to a hybrid work arrangement for the right candidate. The specific arrangement will depend on experience, demonstrated independence, and the needs of the role. If you’re someone who loves substantive family law work, is committed to doing it well, and wants to be part of a team that values both excellence and balance, we’d truly love to hear from you. ***All inquiries will remain strictly confidential.*** Job Type: Full-time Pay: $35.00 - $50.00 per hour Benefits: * 401(k) * 401(k) matching * Dental insurance * Flexible schedule * Flexible spending account * Health insurance * Life insurance * Paid time off * Vision insurance Application Question(s): * You understand that this is a full-time, in-office position based in Walnut Creek. * The pay range for this position is $35–$50 per hour, depending on qualifications and experience. Is this compensation range acceptable to you? * Do you possess a paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved program or otherwise meet the qualifications under California Business and Professions Code section 6450(c)? * Which of the following have you personally handled in a previous paralegal position? - Drafting Judicial Council forms and pleadings - Preparing discovery requests and responses - Preparing documents for filing and service - Calculating and calendaring court and discovery deadlines - Managing electronic case files and tracking case progress - Communicating with clients to obtain information and documents - Reviewing financial records or compiling information in spreadsheets - Managing multiple cases and competing deadlines - None of the above * What interests you most about this Paralegal position, and what experience would you bring to our family law team? Please answer in 2–4 sentences. Experience: * Family Law Paralegal : 1 year (Required) Work Location: In person