Shelly Tamas - The empathy-first approach redefining employment law

How did you start down this career path?

I started my law degree straight after Year 12 and worked as a paralegal alongside my studies. One of my earliest placements was at an employment law firm, and it clicked almost immediately. I remember telling myself that this was the only area of law I wanted to practise, and everything since has been about achieving that goal. Employment law is a niche field that only a handful of lawyers in Australia specialise in, and I have never wanted to do anything else.

How did you start down this career path?

I started my law degree straight after Year 12 and worked as a paralegal alongside my studies. One of my earliest placements was at an employment law firm, and it clicked almost immediately. I remember telling myself that this was the only area of law I wanted to practise, and everything since has been about achieving that goal. Employment law is a niche field that only a handful of lawyers in Australia specialise in, and I have never wanted to do anything else.

What inspires you in your role and industry? Why?

My clients and their stories inspire me. Employment law is never coldly transactional. You are dealing with people's lives, their livelihoods, and often the worst thing that has ever happened to them. Helping someone through that, whether they are an employee facing an unfair dismissal or an employer trying to do the right thing, is genuinely rewarding. I love the complexity of the cases and the human element that sits behind every one of them. Work is such a fundamental part of life, and being able to make a real difference at a difficult moment is what keeps me motivated.

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

It is not just legal knowledge that sets us apart, it is how we run the firm. We take an empathy-first approach, which means caring about what our clients are going through, not simply delivering the advice they came for. I tell our solicitors they are in the business of customer service first and law second. Employment law is one of the more human areas of law, and it should be treated that way.

We also practise what we advise. We live and breathe the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) inside our own firm, with proper training, written communication on any change to process, a hybrid working model, and genuine flexibility for team members with young families or unwell pets. That lived experience turns our advice from something we know into something we understand.

Clients consistently praise our responsiveness. We answer online enquiries the same day, reply to calls and emails within 24 hours, and turn documents and letters around in five working days or less. Our motto is fair, honest and direct, and that is exactly how we advise, balanced and fair, honest about prospects and costs, and direct about what a client needs to hear to make an informed decision.

How do you innovate and stay ahead of industry trends?

Employment law is already more technologically advanced than most areas of law. Almost all of our correspondence is by email, conciliations and conferences run online, most consultations happen over the phone or video, and the Fair Work Commission accepts applications through online portals. For us, the question is how to keep innovating from there.

We use internal software to work quickly and consistently, and we have adopted LexisNexis AI for legal research, which has cut down the time we spend locating cases and principles. We also work closely with our marketing team and use Google's tools to understand what people are searching for and talking about, so we stay across the issues our clients are worried about before they pick up the phone.

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

The hardest thing was taking the leap to start the business. As an employee you have stability, set hours, leave entitlements and a consistent income. Starting from scratch is a very different world. I did not bring a single client with me, so I had to find and fight for every one, convincing people to take a chance on a new firm with no reviews and no track record. I got through it by persevering, putting myself in rooms I had never been in before, and learning to pitch, market, sell and manage the books.

The second challenge was becoming a mother. I had to step back from the day-to-day running of the firm, and my husband, who is also a director and lawyer with us, took over operations while I did. Finding my new place in the business again was harder than I expected. What helped was thinking about every other new mum who has faced the same fears and still built her career and cared for her family. If they could do it, so could I.

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

Growth, and specifically growth of our people. Over the next five years I want to bring on more talented lawyers, promote our current team into managerial roles, move our paralegals who are studying law into associate positions, and launch a graduate program. Building the firm has always been about building the team, and the next chapter is about creating a place where great people can grow their careers with us.

About Fair Workplace Solutions

Fair Workplace Solutions is a specialist boutique team of employment lawyers based in Bella Vista in Sydney's Hills District, acting for both employees and employers across Australia. Over the past four years the firm has made many clients happy with handsome monetary settlements, while helping employers stay compliant and avoid costly disputes. If you need practical, plain-English advice on a workplace matter, call Fair Workplace Solutions on 1800 565 975 or contact the team today.

My clients and their stories inspire me. Employment law is never coldly transactional. You are dealing with people's lives, their livelihoods, and often the worst thing that has ever happened to them. Helping someone through that, whether they are an employee facing an unfair dismissal or an employer trying to do the right thing, is genuinely rewarding. I love the complexity of the cases and the human element that sits behind every one of them. Work is such a fundamental part of life, and being able to make a real difference at a difficult moment is what keeps me motivated.

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

It is not just legal knowledge that sets us apart, it is how we run the firm. We take an empathy-first approach, which means caring about what our clients are going through, not simply delivering the advice they came for. I tell our solicitors they are in the business of customer service first and law second. Employment law is one of the more human areas of law, and it should be treated that way.

We also practise what we advise. We live and breathe the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) inside our own firm, with proper training, written communication on any change to process, a hybrid working model, and genuine flexibility for team members with young families or unwell pets. That lived experience turns our advice from something we know into something we understand.

Clients consistently praise our responsiveness. We answer online enquiries the same day, reply to calls and emails within 24 hours, and turn documents and letters around in five working days or less. Our motto is fair, honest and direct, and that is exactly how we advise, balanced and fair, honest about prospects and costs, and direct about what a client needs to hear to make an informed decision.

How do you innovate and stay ahead of industry trends?

Employment law is already more technologically advanced than most areas of law. Almost all of our correspondence is by email, conciliations and conferences run online, most consultations happen over the phone or video, and the Fair Work Commission accepts applications through online portals. For us, the question is how to keep innovating from there.

We use internal software to work quickly and consistently, and we have adopted LexisNexis AI for legal research, which has cut down the time we spend locating cases and principles. We also work closely with our marketing team and use Google's tools to understand what people are searching for and talking about, so we stay across the issues our clients are worried about before they pick up the phone.

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

The hardest thing was taking the leap to start the business. As an employee you have stability, set hours, leave entitlements and a consistent income. Starting from scratch is a very different world. I did not bring a single client with me, so I had to find and fight for every one, convincing people to take a chance on a new firm with no reviews and no track record. I got through it by persevering, putting myself in rooms I had never been in before, and learning to pitch, market, sell and manage the books.

The second challenge was becoming a mother. I had to step back from the day-to-day running of the firm, and my husband, who is also a director and lawyer with us, took over operations while I did. Finding my new place in the business again was harder than I expected. What helped was thinking about every other new mum who has faced the same fears and still built her career and cared for her family. If they could do it, so could I.

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

Growth, and specifically growth of our people. Over the next five years I want to bring on more talented lawyers, promote our current team into managerial roles, move our paralegals who are studying law into associate positions, and launch a graduate program. Building the firm has always been about building the team, and the next chapter is about creating a place where great people can grow their careers with us.

About Fair Workplace Solutions

Fair Workplace Solutions is a specialist boutique team of employment lawyers based in Bella Vista in Sydney's Hills District, acting for both employees and employers across Australia. Over the past four years the firm has made many clients happy with handsome monetary settlements, while helping employers stay compliant and avoid costly disputes. If you need practical, plain-English advice on a workplace matter, call Fair Workplace Solutions on 1800 565 975 or contact the team today.