Senior Family Solicitor / Branch Manager - Cirencester

Senior Family Solicitor (5+ PQE) & Branch Manager - Cirencester

Our client is a well-established and growing specialist law firm with a strong reputation for providing expert family law advice delivered with professionalism, empathy and exceptional client care. They are seeking an experienced Senior Family Solicitor (minimum 5 years' PQE) to lead and grow their Cirencester office as Branch Manager, while continuing to deliver outstanding legal services to clients.

This is an excellent opportunity for a senior lawyer who combines strong technical expertise with proven leadership ability, commercial awareness and a passion for developing people and building a successful team.

A key focus of this position will be the establishment, growth and leadership of the Cirencester office. The successful candidate will be instrumental in recruiting, developing and embedding a high-performing local team. Hybrid working will be available once the branch is successfully established and a sustainable team structure is in place, offering increased flexibility alongside leadership responsibilities.

The Role

As a Senior Family Solicitor, you will:

Manage a varied caseload of privately funded family law matters with a high degree of autonomy.
Conduct client meetings in person, by telephone and via video conference, delivering a compassionate and professional service.
Take full responsibility for client matters from instruction through to conclusion.
Draft correspondence, court documents and pleadings.
Attend hearings, conferences and negotiations, instructing Counsel where appropriate.
Ensure matters progress efficiently and clients are kept fully informed throughout.
Accurately record time, manage costs and billing, and support effective debt management.
Contribute to business development activities, building relationships and generating new work.
Maintain the highest standards of client care, professional conduct and regulatory compliance.
Branch Manager Responsibilities

This is first and foremost a leadership opportunity, with responsibility for driving the success and growth of the Cirencester branch.

You will:

Take overall responsibility for the day-to-day management, performance and development of the office.
Lead the growth of the branch through recruitment, team development and local business development initiatives.
Build, motivate and retain a high-performing team of legal and support professionals.
Provide supervision, mentoring and guidance to junior fee earners and support staff.
Foster a collaborative, supportive and accountable team culture.
Work closely with senior leadership to deliver branch growth plans and strategic objectives.
Monitor branch performance, including billing, productivity, profitability and debt management.
Ensure compliance with regulatory, risk management, health and safety and operational requirements.
Lead regular team meetings and contribute to wider organisational initiatives.
Support the recruitment, onboarding and ongoing development of new team members.
About You

The successful candidate will have:

A minimum of 5 years' post-qualification experience (PQE) in Family Law.
Strong technical expertise across a broad range of privately funded family matters.
Proven leadership and people management skills.
Experience of team development, supervision and performance management.
Excellent client care and communication abilities.
Commercial awareness and a proactive approach to business development.
Strong organisational and case management skills.
A commitment to maintaining the highest professional and regulatory standards.
The ambition to build and lead a successful branch office.
What's on Offer

A senior leadership role with significant autonomy and influence.
The opportunity to establish and grow a successful branch in Cirencester.
Clear career progression and long-term development opportunities.
Ongoing professional development, mentoring and support.
Bespoke leadership and management training programmes.
Comprehensive wellbeing initiatives and employee support.
A collaborative and supportive workplace culture.
A business that values diversity, innovation, knowledge-sharing and professional excellence.
Hybrid working arrangements available following the successful establishment and development of the Cirencester team and office operations.
This is an exciting opportunity for a Senior Family Solicitor with 5+ years' PQE to combine high-quality legal work with branch leadership responsibilities, playing a pivotal role in building, developing and growing a successful Cirencester office.

Please contact Sam Higgins at Simpson Judge for further information about this opportunity
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed