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Why is family law so appealing to young lawyers?
Following a record number of submissions in the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 family law category, Lawyers Weekly spoke with several of the finalists to understand why family law is such a popular practice area for young lawyers.
Jess Feyder
Kiarah Grace Kelly, collaborative family lawyer at Brisbane Family Law Centre, manages a team of 12 young people, and she noted that she had taken an interest in understanding how Millennials and Gen Z lawyers interact with the workplace.
“That being said, younger lawyers in the Gen Z demographic are really socially aware and are demanding to be paid fairly.”
“I feel family law is a happy mix of what young lawyers are looking for,” she said. “Family law is purpose-driven and provides a real opportunity to do real, impactful good in the lives of families, and our work can prevail as impactful on families for decades after our engagement.”
“This being said, family law is, I’m very technical, and you have plenty of opportunity for intellectual stimulation; we advocate in court and out every day.”
Kate Alroe, senior associate in family and relationship law at Lander & Rogers, also commented on the unique opportunities provided in family law.
“Family law provides ample opportunities for solicitor advocacy work during interim hearings and mentions, enabling young lawyers to gain valuable court experience that they may not obtain in other areas of law,” she illuminated.
“Solicitors practising in this area interact with a diverse range of clients from all walks of life on a very personal level.”
“It is also an area of law that has undergone significant reform in recent years aimed at dealing with many of the societal problems that we face today,” Ms Alroe explained.
“For these reasons, it [is] an attractive option for a generation of lawyers who value diversity, innovation, and community.”
Bryan Do, family law associate at Barry Nilsson, also discussed why family law is attractive for young lawyers.
“In my view, there is broadly a generational focus on equity and net positive outcomes for everyone,” he highlighted, and “family law is a practice area where practitioners can make a direct and real difference to people’s lives”.
“To that end, young practitioners have the opportunity to play a positive role in a client’s lives and to facilitate a resolution to their family law matter which may have long-lasting impacts on their lives,” noted Mr Do.
Mr Do also noted that in family law, young practitioners have the ability to “step up” in their early career, taking an active role in meeting with clients, developing advocacy skills in court or alternate dispute resolution, and instructing counsel.
“This is distinct from other practice areas where there is less exposure to dealing with clients/practitioners or attending court,” he noted.
Shayal Autar, senior associate in family and relationship law at Lander & Rogers, discussed why family law appealed to her.
“What I have always loved about family law is that it is an area of law [that] sees the intersection of other areas,” she said.
“Any family law matter could have employment law, property, commercial, corporate issues, and each case brings with it its own interesting web of issues, which we are required to work through to bring the matter to an expeditious resolution,” Ms Autar explained.
Ms Autar said: “I believe this is the attraction of family law as no two cases are the same, and we have the privilege of working with other professionals to achieve results for our clients.”
Emily Ownsworth, associate in family and relationship law at HopgoodGanim, said: “The ability to make a positive difference in a client’s life is a particular draw for me to family law.”
Ms Ownsworth also highlighted that the increasing focus on alternative ways to resolve disputes without litigation enables lawyers who practise in the area to develop a wide range of skills, “which is ultimately very rewarding”.
Isaac Douglas, associate in family law at Barry Nilsson, contended that the two main reasons family law appeals to young lawyers are the people-focused nature of the work and the extensive variety.
“Being able to exercise your legal skills across multiple jurisdictions and witnessing firsthand the impact of your work on real people appeals to many junior lawyers,” Mr Douglas noted.
“Family law is one of the few areas of law that the majority of the community have either been involved in or know someone who has been involved in family law matters,” said Camille Saunders-Browne, associate at Schtezter Papaleo Family Lawyers.
“This makes family law more relatable and therefore sparks more interest than other areas of law.”
