At Wickes we have an exciting opportunity to join our dedicated in-house legal team on a 12 month fixed term contract as a Legal Assistant, reporting to our Claims Paralegal. In this role you will be based at our Head Office in Watford (with a requirement to work in the office at least twice a week) and will support the Claims Paralegal with all legal disputes and claims, from pre-action through to resolution..

Using your excellent communication skills, you will be liaising with different stakeholders across the business to resolve and deal with letters before action and claims. You will be supported in your role as a Legal Assistant to develop your legal knowledge.

The focus of your role will be dealing with letters before actions and assisting the Claims Paralegal with a range of tasks connected with disputes and claims which range from customer installation disputes, product disputes and supplier disputes (amongst others). Key tasks will include:

Key Responsibilities:

• Reviewing and drafting responses to Letters before Action (LBAs);

• Reviewing and responding to all pre-action correspondence;

• Liaising with customers to resolve their issues in a timely manner;

• Liaising with various stakeholders (such as the installation team, customer services, installers) in order to obtain information to assist you in resolving disputes; 

• Keeping the claims and LBA spreadsheet up to date;

• Order stock, arrange dates for rectification of works and keep all parties involved in a dispute up to date;

• Assist the Claims Paralegal with any tasks in relation to ongoing claims and LBAs;

• Feed back any trends/issues to relevant stakeholders in the business;

• Assist customer services and customer relations in resolving queries in relation to the Consumer Rights Act.

You will need to be calm under pressure, demonstrate empathy and be confident in liaising with customers in connection with complex complaints..  Ideally you will have a good understanding of consumer law and be confident in both your written and verbal communications. You will need to be highly organised, enjoy working as part of a team and be able to work to strict deadlines. In addition you will be a ‘hands on’ self-starter and be able to operate at all levels within a fast paced but rewarding environment.

What can we offer you?

Wickes is a multi-channel retailer operating in the UK home improvement market. With 50 years in industry, Wickes now generates revenue in excess of £1.5Bn across 230 stores, delivered by around 8000 colleagues. 

Wickes listed as a public company in April 2021. It is the Wickes’ culture that is considered its best kept secret; it’s a collaborative, down to earth, fun and inclusive environment where people feel part of a winning team. All our colleagues come from different backgrounds but what we all have in common is a determination to succeed and a passion for being the best we can be. If that sounds like you, we’ll make you feel right at home.