Lawyer Monthly Women in Law Awards 2025

Family Lawyer of the Year 14 www.lawyer-monthly.com Lawyer Monthly Women in Law Awards 2025 Children’s Lawyers to bring neutral insight into the matter. By staying rooted in the science and grounded in the facts, we ensure that our advocacy is not only effective but principled. As a woman working in what has historically been a male-dominated field, what unique challenges have you encountered during your legal career? I have always been cautious not to frame my professional journey purely through a gendered lens, and hold firmly in the notion of progression through merit and excellence. Juggling business ownership, client demands, school dropoffs, court appearances, and staff management often felt like maintaining a high-speed treadmill with no safety rail. And yet, as research from the Law Council of Australia and Women Lawyers Association of Victoria shows, this invisible labour is disproportionately carried by women. What helped me overcome these challenges was not seeking to emulate traditional models of success, but redefining them. I built a firm culture where flexibility and understanding, my experience has taught me that diversity is not simply about gender; it is about lived experience, values, and leadership that reflects the complexity of families and live in genernal. The juggling act is not isolated to women, but parents across the board who have to make sacrifices in spending time with their families in order to provide for them financially, as well as progress their own needs and careers. Conversely, do you feel there are distinct advantages or perspectives that women bring to family law in particular? I would say that the lived experiences many women share can be particularly valuable in the context of family law. Qualities such as empathy, active listening, adaptability, and conflict de-escalation are often more socially reinforced in women, but they are not exclusive to any gender. They are skills, not traits, and they can be developed by any committed practitioner. That said, female lawyers may bring a unique perspective to issues of caregiving, emotional labour, domestic violence, and post-separation parenting, because of their willingness to share their own experiences more freely. Family law is not a soft practice area; it is a rigorous, high-stakes jurisdiction that demands both steel and compassion. That balance is not gendered; it is professional. How has your identity and experience as a woman shaped the culture of your firm and your relationship with clients? My lived experience as a woman, mother, business owner, and legal practitioner have significantly shaped how I lead, how I advocate, and how I relate to clients. My personal experience navigating competing demands, professionally and domestically, has instilled in me a deep respect for resilience and adaptability. I understand what it means to feel overwhelmed by responsibility, to make difficult choices with imperfect information, and to face systems that do not always feel built to support your circumstances. This insight informs how I communicate with clients: with transparency, realism, and compassion. At The Family Lawyer, we have cultivated a culture grounded in authenticity and accountability. We practise what we preach—flexibility, trauma-informed service, continuous learning, and a commitment to empowering clients, not just advising them. I want clients to leave feeling not only Q Q Q “Your value as a lawyer lies not in how perfectly you cite the law, but in how effectively you use it to improve someone’s life. Family law challenges your intellect and emotional resilience in equal measure, but it also gives you the chance to create real, lasting impact.”

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