Associate Attorney - Estate Planning, Probate and Trusts

Build My Great Team · Bellingham · $105,000–$130,000 (stated in the posting)

Apply on the company website

$105K to $130K Base Salary + Profit Sharing | Direct Owner Mentorship | A Real Path to Ownership

Limitless Law PLLC is an award-winning Bellingham firm serving clients throughout Whatcom County and Washington State since 2014. Recognized as Best Attorney in the Northwest, Cascades Best Law Firm, and Best Estate Law Firm, we handle estate planning, probate, adoption, business law, prenuptial agreements, and real estate.

This is a long-term, developmental role. You will work directly with the firm owner, build your own client relationships early, and take on more responsibility as you grow.

About the Role

Approximately 75% of your work will focus on estate planning, probate, and trust administration. The remaining work will include real estate and business transactional matters that come through the firm's existing client relationships.

You will have direct client contact from the start and will begin managing your own matters as you acclimate to the firm's processes and clients. At the same time, you will also have direct access to the firm owner for mentorship, questions, and support.

Business development is not expected during your first year. This position’s priority is learning our practice; serving clients well and building strong relationships. Referrals and new business that naturally develop through those relationships are welcomed and rewarded through our firm's bonus structure.

How Your Performance Is Measured

Most of our work is billed flat fee, and probate bills hourly per local practice. There is no billable-hour requirement. Performance is based on the quality and volume of matters you complete, client outcomes, and the revenue your work generates. Production goals are set together during your first 30 days and adjusted as you grow.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of estate planning, probate, and trust administration matters from intake through completion.
• Draft, review, and advise clients on wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, community property agreements, and related estate planning documents.
• Handle probate administration, including court filings, creditor claims, inventories, and distributions.
• Advise trustees and personal representatives on their responsibilities and the administration of estates and trusts.
• Handle related real estate and business transactional matters, including deeds, purchase and sale agreements, and entity formation documents.
• Meet directly with clients, conduct signings, and help families navigate decisions that can often be personal, emotional, and complex.
• Provide thoughtful and informed counsel to clients with a wide range of family structures and circumstances.
• Keep matters organized, moving forward, and properly documented within a fully paperless, cloud-based practice.

Requirements

Experience and background:

• Approximately two to five years of legal practice experience.
• Estate planning and probate experience is strongly preferred, although strong candidates from adjacent practice areas will also be considered.
• Experience drafting estate planning documents and independently managing client matters.
• Small-firm experience is a plus, particularly if you have been responsible for managing matters from start to finish.

Must-haves:

• Active Washington State Bar license in good standing.
• Interest in building a long-term career and helping grow the practice.
• Comfort working with clients whose family structures may require more thoughtful or customized planning, including LGBTQ+ and ethically non-monogamous clients.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and confidence working directly with clients during difficult or sensitive conversations.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Comfort working within a fully paperless, cloud-based practice.

Why This Role Stands Out

• Path to ownership.
  Profit sharing is established here, and the owner is open to discussing an earned equity path with the right attorney.
• Interesting and nuanced estate planning work.
  Limitless Law serves a diverse client base, including many LGBTQ+ and ethically non-monogamous families. Their planning needs do not always fit neatly into standard forms or statutory defaults, which creates an opportunity to do thoughtful, customized work and develop deeper expertise.
• A model where efficiency is rewarded.
  Because the firm primarily operates on flat fees, there is no incentive to stretch work simply to create more billable hours. The expectation is to do quality work, move matters forward efficiently, and serve clients well.
• A modern, fully paperless practice.
  Cloud-based tools, minimal travel, and a team where your input shapes how the work gets done.
• The opportunity to live and work in Bellingham.
  Bellingham offers access to the mountains and water, a smaller-city lifestyle, and proximity to both Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., without the commute and cost associated with a larger metro area.

Benefits

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary: $105,000 to $130,000, commensurate with experience
• Performance-based bonuses tied to what you produce, with no cap
• Profit sharing
• A path to earned equity for an attorney who commits to the firm
• Medical, dental, and vision, with our firm paying 100 percent of the employee premium
• 401(k) with employer match
• Malpractice insurance paid in full
• Employee Assistance Program
• 12 paid holidays, plus PTO and sick leave that exceed Washington State minimums

How to Apply

Submit your resume and a brief cover letter for review. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and you will hear back quickly. If you are relocating, say so in your note and we will talk about timing.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Limitless Law PLLC is an equal opportunity employer and encourages candidates of all backgrounds and identities to apply.

More jobs at Build My Great Team · Legal & Compliance jobs in Bellingham