Tara Sparrow

• I was employed as a Paralegal and got promoted to a Practice Manager.
• I assist in running the Family Law department, the Commercial department, and the overall management of the firm.

Practice management duties include:

• Conducting performance reviews with staff members.
• Creating, reviewing, and implementing new policies and procedures.
• Organising third-party service providers.
• Reviewing contracts, and liaising to obtain better deals and benefits.
• Providing training to all new employees with our current software.
• Attend management meetings.
• Debt collection involves organising payment plans and immediate payment of overdue client invoices.
• Liaising with third-party finance companies to obtain legal funding for clients.
• Organising the office, stationery and supplies.
• Onboarding and offboarding staff members.

Paralegal duties included:

• Assisting with new client inquiries.
• Opening new client files.
• Assisting with the day-to-day running of our Facebook page.
• Diary and email management.
• Screening, answering calls, and taking messages.
• Handling phone calls and queries from clients.
• Drafting correspondence and documents.
• Requesting relevant material on behalf of clients.
• Preparing court documents.
• Preparing briefs to counsel, preparing court books, and tender bundles.
• Preparing matters for hearings/trials.
• Managing diaries, court deadlines, and discovery.
• Indexing disclosure documents.
• Finalizing settlements.
• Running files from start to finish.
• Liaising with clients, opposing lawyers, and third parties via telephone, email, and face-to-face;
• Ensuring billables are entered.
• Other ad-hoc administration duties, as required,
• Preparing invoices, entering invoices, and banking.
• Preparing precedent correspondence and court documents.
• Preparing and helping with business management, policies, and procedures.
• Conference organisation.

• I was employed as a full-time Personal Assistant/Legal Secretary to the Principal and a Senior Lawyer, working solely in Family Law.
• Assisting with new client inquiries.
• Opening new client files.
• Diary and email management.
• Screening, answering calls, and taking messages.
• Handling phone calls and queries from clients.
• Drafting correspondence and documents.
• Requesting relevant material on behalf of clients.
• Preparing court documents.
• Dicta typing.
• Preparing briefs to counsel, preparing court books.
• Preparing matters for hearings/trials.
• Managing diaries, court deadlines, and discovery.
• Finalising settlements.
• Running files from start to finish.
• Liaising with clients, opposing lawyers, and third parties via telephone, email, and face-to-face.
• Ensuring billables are entered.
• Other ad-hoc administration duties, as required,
• Running a busy reception switchboard while the receptionist was on her break.

• I was employed as a full-time Personal Assistant to an Associate of the firm.
• I dealt with TAC Personal Injury, WorkCover and Hearing loss.
• Dealing with client’s face to face or via telephone.
• Liaising with the TAC on behalf of my clients.
• Managing diary notes daily.
• Arranging medical examinations.
• Writing to clients and doctors, preparing the relevant paperwork for the medico examinations.
• Managing dispute applications, impairments, serious injuries, and common law lodgements.
• Arranging Common Law Conferences, Pre-Issue Conferences, and Mediations.
• Preparing briefs to counsel, preparing court books.
• Preparing matters for hearings.
• Preparing invoices.

• I was employed as a full-time Personal Assistant to a Senior Lawyer who specialises in Litigation and Family Law.
• Diary management.
• Liaising with clients, barristers, and other solicitors.
• Preparing and amending documents and court documents, including affidavits, affidavits of documents, summons, defenses, and briefs to counsel.
• Preparing court hearings.
• Legal research.
• File management and filing.
• Drafting and preparing wills of all types, from simple wills to trust wills, and powers of attorney, whether financial or medical.
• Preparing and filing of probate, estate distribution, cohabitation agreements, financial agreements, preparing and filing of divorce applications, consent orders, arrangements for process serving, and monthly billing.
• Dicta typing.
• Booking meetings, arranging mediations, and drafting letters.
• I also worked as a receptionist while the full-time receptionist was at lunch, or not in the office.
• I would also attend the courts daily to file documents.