REMOTE CONTRACT POSITION l US-BASED LAW FIRM l CALIFORNIA LAW
Starting at $10 per hour, could be higher depending on experience
POSITION OVERVIEW
We are seeking a highly capable, self-directed Philippine-based attorney to provide Estate Planning drafting and comprehensive legal support for a California-based law practice. This is a remote role requiring exceptional initiative, strong English communication skills, and the ability to manage complex legal tasks independently — with minimal hand-holding. The ideal candidate does not wait to be told every step; they research, problem-solve, and get things done. The ideal candidate speaks English with an American accent and is familiar with American English standards of writing and speech, including common idioms.
This role blends two primary functions: (1) drafting California Estate Planning Documents, including revocable trusts, wills, powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and other related documents using Wealth Counsel software, and direct client-facing work in obtaining and clarifying all the required information for an estate plan using the Confirmation of Important and Missing Information (“CIMI”) document, starting from after the planning meeting and working through document execution; and (2) broad legal support for California litigation and general legal matters, including research, court filings, and attorney/court communications.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Confirming Client Decisions and Drafting Estate Plans in Wealth Counsel
• Guide clients through the process of confirming their choices in their estate plans, such as successor trustees and beneficiaries and clearly, and carefully documenting their choices in a completed CIMI document
• Communicate directly with clients to gather required information and ensure accurate documentation
• Draft the estate plan including revocable trust, will, powers of attorney, advance health care directive, HIPAA waiver, etc. in Wealth Counsel and provide all the completed documents for supervising attorney review
• Coordinate scheduling and follow-up to keep client matters moving without escalation
• Maintain organized client files and track status of all pending matters
B. California Litigation & General Legal Support
• Conduct thorough legal research on California law issues and prepare clear, usable research memos
• Draft, format, proofread, and finalize legal documents, pleadings, motions, and correspondence
• Prepare and file documents with California courts via the electronic filing system One Legal
• Apply Bates numbering to document productions and exhibits; learn and implement applicable tools or software as needed
• Proactively call courts, opposing counsel offices, electronic filing services, and other attorneys to get answers — and report back with solutions, not just questions
• Track deadlines, court rules, and procedural requirements; flag issues before they become problems
• Manage document organization, version control, and filing logistics across active matters
C. General Professional Support
• Take full ownership of assigned tasks — research options, determine the right approach, and execute without requiring constant direction
• Serve as a reliable point of contact for routine attorney-to-attorney and attorney-to-court communications
• Identify issues, propose solutions, and escalate only when truly necessary
• Maintain confidentiality and professional standards at all times
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Licensed attorney in the Philippines (IBP member in good standing)
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. legal practice, particularly California civil procedure and court rules
• Excellent written and spoken English — legal writing must be precise, clear, and professional
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, including styles, formatting, track changes, tables, and document automation
• Experience with or ability to quickly learn court electronic filing systems
• Ability to apply or implement Bates numbering (manually or via software such as Adobe Acrobat, Bates Numbering tools, or similar)
• Strong research skills using Westlaw, LexisNexis, Fastcase, or comparable legal research platforms
• Strong research skills using ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc., including the ability to verify the accuracy of responses
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple matters simultaneously
• Proactive, resourceful, and comfortable making calls and resolving issues independently
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Experience drafting estate planning documents in Wealth Counsel.
• Prior experience supporting U.S.-based Estate Planning attorneys or law firms remotely.
• Familiarity with California Estate Planning law, civil litigation and transactional matters
• Experience dealing with affluent, educated American clients – this is NOT personal injury law
• Familiarity with case management software (Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther, or similar)
• Exposure to U.S. federal or state court e-filing systems
WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR
The right person for this role does not need to be walked through every step. When given a task, they figure out what needs to happen, make the calls, do the research, and come back with answers — not more questions. They take things off the supervising attorney's plate rather than adding to it.
The primary legal work is Estate Planning. You need to be comfortable and confident talking with clients who are educated professionals and have substantial assets. You will be assisting the managing attorney in capturing the client’s choices in the CIMI document, and then drafting the estate planning documents using Wealth Counsel.
For litigation matters and uncontested court proceedings such as probate, you should be comfortable picking up the phone and calling a court clerk to clarify a filing requirement, troubleshooting an eFiling rejection, or finding a solution to a procedural problem you've never encountered before. You take ownership. You follow through. You get it done.
This is not a high-volume Personal Injury firm. You are not managing intake calls from people in car accidents. This firm serves a limited number of sophisticated clients who expect excellent service.
WORK ARRANGEMENT & COMPENSATION
• Remote position based in the Philippines
• Hours will need to overlap with California business hours (Pacific Time) for calls and real-time coordination
• Contract or part-time engagement with potential to grow into a full-time role
• Compensation commensurate with experience and scope of responsibilities