Guided by Empathy: A Journey in Family Law

How did you start down this career path?

My journey into family law was shaped by my passion and competency for persuasive, emotive, and factually informed writing—a skill I honed during law school. Following a stint in commercial law, I realised that my skills were best applied in the area of family law, not only due to my academic and analytical ability but also because of the client facing nature of this practice area and focus on human connection. From early on, I learned it was an incredible privilege and responsibility to be able to guide people through complex, often emotional situations and help them reach resolutions that protect what matters most – their families and their future.

What inspires you in your role/industry? Why?

What inspires me is deeply personal and stems from a young age. My father, a respected lawyer himself, was my first mentor. His approach to analysing legal quandaries was to be cool, calm and collected. He was always strategic in analysing potential pathways and resolutions. This combined with perseverance and empathy resulted in positive outcomes for his clients over many years and consequently many of his clients have been his clients for several decades. This type of professionalism inspired me as I developed my passion for legal practise.

What's your approach to customer service that separates you from the rest?

When I first started practising in family law in 2011, I noticed a disconnect between client’s expectations as to how the system should and does indeed work, and the service provided by family lawyers. This led me to rethink how legal services are delivered, and how we could do things differently at JP Legal. Over the past decade, my team and I have focused on effective communication, quality counsel and empathy. Across the firms practice areas, I believe the most important skill that a practitioner can learn over a period of time is the ability to have difficult yet empathetic conversations with clients. These conversations reality test the strengths and weaknesses of a client’s case but in doing so through a lens of empathy, we build trust and reinforce our commitment to our client’s best interests. This is the essence of quality legal representation.

How do you innovate and stay ahead of industry trends?

The legal industry and workplace culture more broadly has undergone significant transformation, with remote work, cloud-based systems and AI integrations becoming the norm. At JPLegal we’ve really embraced what technology can bring to our firm. We have built out functionality in relation to family law and wills and estates by working with Settify and automating our own customised forms which gives our client’s a lot of value. Our cloud-based practice management software incorporates Artificial Intelligence, an offering that will never replace quality, bespoke legal service but that can be harnessed to enhance our service offerings. I’ve invested significant time in garnering a deep understanding of where technology can support us.

What is the toughest challenge you've faced in your role? How did you overcome it?

The toughest challenge I have had to overcome is transitioning from an employee of the business to the business owner whilst maintaining a busy caseload. The level of responsibility that comes with running your own practice is huge and it was important to identify where I needed support and surround myself with the right people who could take the firm into the next chapter. I was able to ease the pressures of running a practice by employing great staff in the form of additional talented young Lawyers and a full time Practice Manager who has been amazing in making everyone’s role at the firm that little bit easier. I have also enlisted further support working closely with our company accountant, management accountant and business coach to ensure that the firm’s goals are clearly articulated, tracked and achieved year on year. This collaborative approach has been key to navigating the daily challenges of business ownership - allowing me to work in and on the business.

What are some of your goals for the next 5 years?

Our people first approach will always remain our north star - it has to be when you’re balancing the complexities of Family Law. It was a core value of my father’s when he opened our doors in 1993 and it remains a core value of mine as I move the business into its next chapter.

Our firm has stood proudly on Burgundy Street for more than 30 years and we’re a trusted partner for our clients and a go-to within our community, a community we’re deeply invested in. Our strong client retention and referrals is a testament to that, as most of our clients come to us organically via word of mouth. We’ve had the privilege of watching and being part of how Burgundy Street has evolved over the years into a hub of schools, café’s, restaurants, parklands, yoga studios and the like. I was thrilled to be recently appointed to the committee for the Heidelberg Traders Association working closely with our local council to ensure our local businesses are connecting and supporting our community.

Our strong network of related professionals that we can call upon add to the value we can provide our clients so that their every need can be covered off and addressed in, not only in what we may feel is the best possible way, but in a way that makes our clients feel understood.

Whilst community engagement remains a cornerstone of our firm’s success and growth, I’m excited by what’s to come in the years ahead - growth, innovation that technology will bring, fresh thinking with new talent entering the industry, all whilst staying true to that very first foundation that saw me attracted to family law – helping people in times when they most need it, with the very best in legal counsel, through a lens of empathy.