A legal secretary provides specialised administrative support to attorneys: typing and formatting legal documents, managing matter files, diarising court dates and deadlines, and keeping the practice’s correspondence moving. The role differs from general secretarial work because the deadlines are legal ones and missing them has consequences for a client’s case.
This guide sets out legal secretary duties and responsibilities, the daily routine, and how the role differs by area of practice. It sits in the Admin Office duties and responsibilities cluster, part of the wider job duties guide.
What Does a Legal Secretary Do?
A legal secretary produces and manages the paperwork of a legal practice. That means typing pleadings, agreements and correspondence from dictation or notes, formatting them to the conventions of the court or the firm, and getting them filed, served or sent within the time allowed.
The diary is the other half of the job. Court dates, notice periods and prescription deadlines all sit in it, and a legal secretary who keeps it accurately protects both the attorney and the client.
Key Legal Secretary Duties and Responsibilities
- Typing and formatting pleadings, notices, affidavits, agreements and correspondence.
- Transcribing dictation accurately, including legal terminology.
- Opening, maintaining and closing matter files and keeping them complete.
- Diarising court dates, notice periods and deadlines, and reminding the attorney.
- Arranging service and filing of documents with the court and the sheriff.
- Liaising with clients, counsel, the sheriff, correspondents and the deeds office.
- Preparing briefs to counsel and assembling court bundles.
- Managing the attorney’s diary, consultations and appearances.
- Capturing time entries and preparing accounts and disbursement schedules.
- Handling FICA and client onboarding documentation.
- Maintaining strict confidentiality and legal professional privilege.
- Following the firm’s trust account procedures for client funds documentation.
Daily Tasks of a Legal Secretary
- Start of day: check the diary for court dates and deadlines falling due, flag anything urgent.
- Morning: type dictation and documents, prepare items for filing or service.
- Midday: liaise with the sheriff, correspondents and clients, follow up outstanding documents.
- Afternoon: file correspondence onto matter files, prepare briefs and bundles, capture time.
- End of day: confirm tomorrow’s appearances and consultations, and diarise new deadlines.
Legal Secretary Skills and Competencies
- Accurate typing: speed with legal terminology and correct document formats.
- Diary discipline: deadlines captured the moment they arise, never later.
- File management: a matter file that could be handed to another attorney cold.
- Attention to detail: case numbers, parties and dates correct every time.
- Confidentiality: client matters discussed with nobody outside the firm.
- Composure: working to court deadlines without losing accuracy.
Legal Secretary Duties by Workplace or Industry
Litigation
Duties centre on pleadings, notices, service and filing, court diaries, briefs to counsel and trial bundles. Time limits under the court rules drive everything.
Conveyancing
Work follows the property transfer process: transfer documents, bond instructions, rates clearance, deeds office lodgement and tracking a matter through to registration.
Commercial and Corporate
Duties shift to agreements, company documentation, CIPC filings and due diligence packs, with deal timetables rather than court rolls setting the pace.
Estates and Trusts
Duties include estate reporting documents, correspondence with the Master’s office, liquidation and distribution account preparation support, and long-running matter files.
Legal Secretary Duties for a CV
Name the practice area, the number of attorneys supported and your file load. Use the duties for a CV guide for the method.
- Supported two litigation attorneys with a combined file load of 90 active matters.
- Typed pleadings, notices and correspondence from dictation, formatted to court requirements.
- Maintained the court diary and prescription reminders with no missed deadlines over four years.
- Prepared briefs to counsel and assembled trial bundles for High Court matters.
Related Job Roles and Responsibilities
These guides cover the roles and next steps most closely related to this one.
- Secretary duties and responsibilities
- Paralegal duties and responsibilities
- Lawyer duties and responsibilities
- Administrator duties and responsibilities
- Job description duties and responsibilities
Frequently Asked Questions About Legal Secretary Duties
What are the duties of a legal secretary?
Typing and formatting legal documents, transcribing dictation, opening and maintaining matter files, diarising court dates and deadlines, arranging service and filing, liaising with clients and counsel, preparing briefs and bundles, managing the attorney’s diary, capturing time entries and maintaining confidentiality.
What is the difference between a legal secretary and a paralegal?
A legal secretary focuses on document production, file management and diary control. A paralegal does substantive legal support work such as research, drafting and case preparation under an attorney’s supervision. Some roles combine both.
Do legal secretaries need a legal qualification?
Usually not. Employers look for matric, fast accurate typing and, above all, prior experience in the relevant practice area. A legal secretarial certificate helps, and conveyancing experience in particular is treated as a specialism.
Can a legal secretary give legal advice?
No. Explaining a legal position to a client is the attorney’s role. A legal secretary may relay information and progress, but should refer any question calling for advice to the attorney handling the matter.
What happens if a court deadline is missed?
Consequences range from a wasted appearance to an application for condonation to, in serious cases, a claim against the firm. This is why the diary is treated as a core duty rather than an administrative convenience, and why deadlines are usually recorded in more than one place.
How much legal knowledge does the role require?
Enough to recognise document types, use terminology correctly and understand why a deadline matters. A legal secretary does not need to know the law, but does need to know the process well enough to spot when something has been left out of a set of papers.
Duties vary by firm and practice area. Court rules, the firm’s procedures and professional obligations take precedence over this general guide.
Last reviewed: 2 September 2026