Contentious Trusts and Probate Partner (remote/hybrid)

Contentious Trusts & Probate Senior Associate / Partner | Remote-First Leadership Role

Picture this: you're leading a small, highly skilled contentious probate team from home, working on complex trusts, estates, and will disputes, shaping a practice that's consistently ranked in the Legal 500. The caseload is challenging, high-value, and genuinely manageable. You have the autonomy to do it properly. And you can live anywhere across Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, Surrey, London, or surrounding areas.

You'll visit the Brighton office approximately once or twice per fortnight for strategy, team meetings, and client work.

The rest? Remote, flexible, focused on leading and growing the practice from wherever works best for you.

This nationally recognised firm has built its reputation on smart, commercially minded dispute work. Quality comes before volume. Your expertise is genuinely valued. Partnership is a real prospect for the right candidate.

If you're ready to lead a contentious trusts and probate practice with genuine impact and genuine flexibility, this is rare.

The Opportunity

You'll take the reins of the Sussex Contentious Trusts & Probate team, overseeing a small group of experienced lawyers while remaining hands-on on the highest-quality work:

• Lead and mentor a small team of experienced contentious private client lawyers (mostly remote with structured office time)
• Manage complex, high-value matters: will challenges, trust disputes, probate litigation, estate disputes
• Handle a substantial personal caseload of challenging, sophisticated contentious work
• Build and deepen client relationships rooted in trust and commercial understanding
• Shape team strategy and growth as the practice's senior leader
• Work from home with flexibility to structure your own time, visiting Brighton office approximately once or twice per fortnight

Partnership is a genuine prospect for the right candidate. This is leadership with real scope and real progression.

The Firm

A nationally recognised, client-focused firm built on smart, commercially minded dispute work. Long-standing UK and international relationships. Modern, collaborative, and supportive culture where quality comes before volume.

They understand that leading a contentious trusts team doesn't require you to be in the office every day. Strategic oversight, case management, mentorship, and client relationship building can happen remotely. Office attendance is about collaboration, client meetings, team connection, and partnership culture, not presenteeism.

The Role in Practice

• Work from home across Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, Surrey, London, or surrounding areas
• Visit Brighton office approximately once or twice per fortnight for:
  • Team meetings and strategy sessions
  • Client meetings and relationship building
  • Office-based collaboration and mentorship
  • Partnership culture and social connection
• Lead remotely: manage the team, drive strategy, develop junior lawyers, shape practice direction
• Flexible schedule: structure your own time around office attendance and client needs
• Technology-enabled: proper systems, support, and tools to lead effectively from home

This isn't about being disconnected. It's about working smarter, remote for focus and case management, office time for connection and leadership.

About You

• Senior Associate or Partner-level contentious private client lawyer
• 8+ years PQE with strong trusts, probate, and estate litigation experience
• ACTAPS or working towards would be advantageous
• Experienced in supervising and developing a small team
• Commercially aware, personable, and confident with clients at all levels
• Ready to take ownership and lead a practice within a respected Legal 500 firm
• Comfortable leading a team remotely with periodic office attendance
• Based (or willing to relocate to) within reasonable distance of Brighton for fortnightly visits

What's On Offer

• Salary up to £100,000, depending on experience and track record
• Remote-first working: work from home with flexibility to visit Brighton office approximately once or twice per fortnight
• Leadership of a small, high-performing team of experienced contentious lawyers
• Hands-on, high-quality work in a sustainable and structured environment
• Clear route to partnership and long-term progression
• Flexible, modern, and supportive culture that genuinely values work-life balance
• Real autonomy to shape how the team and practice develops
• Legal 500-ranked firm with stellar reputation for contentious work

Why This Works

This firm has built something genuinely valuable, a respected contentious trusts and probate practice with a loyal client base and Legal 500 recognition. Now they want leadership that can scale it and shape its future. Remote-first working means you get the lifestyle flexibility without sacrificing the opportunity to lead a thriving, high-profile practice.

You'll visit the office for what matters: strategy, team development, client relationships, partnership culture. The day-to-day? Remote, focused, genuinely efficient.

The fact that candidates can live across the South East (Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, Surrey, London, or surrounding areas) reflects that they understand modern working. You're leading a team and managing high-value litigation, not warming an office chair.

The contentious trusts and probate space is intellectually demanding. Having the flexibility to work from home, with proper support, mentorship, and office time for collaboration, means you can do your best work without the commute grind.

If you're ready to lead a contentious trusts and probate practice that's already performing well, genuinely valued, and intellectually challenging, with the flexibility to do it from home and the prospect of partnership, this is genuinely rare.

Apply now for a confidential conversation.