Trust & Estates Bookkeeper – Newark

Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. is a full-service corporate law firm with offices located in New Jersey, New York, and Florida. The Firm prides itself on providing quality and effective legal services to a diverse range of clients from Fortune 500 companies to emerging growth businesses and foreign corporations conducting businesses within the United States.

It is our goal to be the best service provider to our client base. To achieve this goal, we understand that our team is our greatest asset. By working at Sills Cummis & Gross you will have a distinct and unique opportunity of long-term professional development, diverse assignments, and a supportive work environment. The successful candidate will join a team of highly skilled lawyers and support staff and be a contributing member to a sophisticated and successful legal practice. We will provide you with the tools and training to support our attorneys and provide you with a platform to share your ideas and develop your skills.

We are currently looking for a motivated, innovative, and experienced Bookkeeper in our Trusts & Estates Group. The position will provide legal assistance to the Tax Trusts & Estates Attorneys, focusing on detail and accuracy. The Bookkeeper will ensure all financial data and legal documents are complete and error-free, meticulously reviewing all work for discrepancies.

Essential Functions:

Tax and Estates Bookkeeper with a strong background, capable of working independently and with clients and third parties to resolve and finalize issues.

Financial Management and Accounting:

• Manage checkbooks for estate and trust accounts where attorneys in the Firm serve as fiduciaries.
• Prepare and process checks for estate expenses, beneficiary distributions, and other disbursements.
• Coordinate with designated attorney(s) to ensure timely payment of bills and invoices from estate & trust accounts.
• Regularly reconcile bank statements and maintain accurate transaction records.
• Assist in developing and maintaining an organized internal accounting system for estates and trusts.
• Contribute to streamlining internal processes to improve efficiency and reduce costs associated with preparing estate and trust accountings.

Client Communication and Coordination:

• Communicate with clients, beneficiaries, and other professionals (accountants, financial advisors) to gather information and provide updates.
• Maintain organized client files and ensure all documentation is current.

Estate Administration Support:

• Gather and analyze probate and non-probate asset information, including real estate holdings, investment accounts, retirement plans, and business interests.
• Obtain date-of-death valuations for all assets, coordinating with appraisers, financial institutions, and valuation companies as needed.
• Prepare detailed inventories of estate assets and liabilities.
• Assist with preparation and filing of estate accountings.
• Manage the collection and organization of supporting documentation for estate and inheritance tax returns (IRS Form 706, NY Form ET-706, NJ IT-R, etc.) and other filings.

 Trust Administration Support:

• Assist with the preparation and filing of trust accountings.
• Track trust income and distributions.
• Maintain accurate records of trust assets, income, expenses, and beneficiaries.

 Practical Analysis and Projections:

• Develop comprehensive estate tax projections, considering various tax scenarios and planning strategies in consultation with designated attorneys(s).
• Estimate estate administration expenses, including executor fees, attorney fees, and court costs in consultation with designated attorney(s).

 General support:

• Draft basic correspondence and other template-based legal documents.
• Assist with probate/Surrogate’s Court filings and procedures.
• Conduct process-specific research (e.g., obtaining apostille on notarized document for international use) as needed.
• Contribute to the development of consistent internal processes for:
  • Execution of court, tax, and institutional forms.
  • Service of process on interested parties and filing of affidavits of service with Court.
  • Electronic and physical filing of documents with Surrogate’s Courts.
• Perform any other duties as necessary or required.

Competencies:

• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong work ethic.
• Sound judgement and problem-solving skills.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to work independently, handle a high volume of work efficiently, and accept a high degree of accountability.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize assignments while consistently delivering quality work product to both attorneys and clients.
• Proven experience performing under pressure in a fast-paced environment, both individually and within a team setting.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Outlook, Excel and iManage Document Management System.

Education and Experience:

• 2+ years of Tax Trust and Estates bookkeeping experience in a law or accounting firm
• Associate/Bachelor’s Degree or Paralegal Certificate required

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

We offer a competitive salary and for full-time roles, a benefits package including:

• Medical, Dental, Vision plans
• Life Insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability plans
• 401K
• 18 days of paid time off (PTO)/year, paid holidays, and floating holiday(s) to take as you wish (25 days of PTO/year after 5 years of service)
• Health Savings and Flexible Spending Account options to help save money on healthcare.
• Transit Commuter Benefits
• Wellness – Gym reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program
• Pet Insurance

The base annual salary range for this role is $80,000 to $115,000. This is a non-exempt position, that reports to the Administrative Manager. Base annual salary depends on a wide array of factors, including but not limited to skill set, years and depth of experience and certifications. This is a hybrid position reporting to our Newark, NJ location.

Sills Cummis & Gross is committed to providing an equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All employment decisions including those relating to hiring, promotion, transfers, benefits, compensation and placement, will be made without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic characteristics, religion, religious dress and/or grooming, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, U.S. military status, political affiliation, or any other class protected by state and/or federal law.

Qualified candidates should submit cover letter and resume to Millie Cruz, Administrative Manager, here.