A DETAILED LOOK INTO FAMILY LAW A DETAILED LOOK INTO FAMILY LAW

Family Lawyer Jason Walker has had countless years of experience, specialising in more intricate areas such as complex parenting matters, and financial litigation, he offers invaluable insight into such an intriguing area

Why did you decide to pursue family law and can you detail your journey to becoming a family lawyer?

I have a theory that you become a family lawyer either by design or by default Many family lawyers accidentally find their way into family law, never having had the intention of practising in the area at law school or upon graduation There are fewer of us who become family lawyers by design Once I had done all the compulsory (boring) units of my law degree, I elected to study family law I finally found a subject which resonated with me as being an area where I could make a career It was a combination of factors: it would fulfil my naïve and perhaps, lofty ambitions of wanting to help people and it was a fascinating and complex area of law, with a real human dynamic, combining almost every area of law plus social science

I finished law school in 1997 I got career advice from a couple of lecturers at law school as to who I should apply to for what was then, Articles of Clerkship I applied to several different firms – mostly suburban firms, as that was where the bulk of family law work was being done, and ultimately accepted an offer at a boutique commercial firm with a family law practice.

Over the two years I worked there, I was given the opportunity to rotate through several teams and was exposed to more than just family law - everything from entertainment and media law, corporate law and litigation and wills and estates, all of which became a really valuable foundation for pursuing a fulltime career in family law in 2000, when I joined a bigger law firm This position was something I found out about through word of mouth, it wasn't advertised In the end, I was the only candidate, that got the job offer and accepted it. I went on to work there for 22 years until June 2021, moving through the ranks of lawyer to Associate, to Senior Associate, to Partner in September 2009 In July 2021, I joined my current practice, a specialist boutique practice in family law

Has there ever been a point in which you have regretted your decision to enter family law?

No There have been very challenging days – the complexity of dealing with clients in emotional distress, family violence issues, demanding deadlines, etc which have been challenging, but those challenges have been all the more rewarding when you are able to find solutions I cannot imagine working in any other area of law and love the variety that family law presents each and every day as we navigate clients through their relationship breakdown and onto the next phase of their life

How was the journey to becoming an accredited family law specialist?

The Law Institute of Victoria runs an accreditation program in various areas of law, including family law. In 2005, I undertook the accreditation program in family law which required you to do a threehour exam, a client interview (with an actor pretending to be a client), and a written piece of work which required you to prepare a detailed letter of advice and court documents. It was an arduous process In my year, I was one of a handful of successful candidates The pass rate is notoriously low. But I vowed to be a better student studying for my accreditation than I was at law school. Hours were consumed in studying at night and on weekends in a way that I never applied myself at law school

Getting my accreditation became a real badge of pride and an affirmation that I knew what I was doing But the learning didn't end there As a practising lawyer, I have to do 12 hours of continuing professional development per year I see that as the minimum, rather than the maximum As the law changes, through legislative reform, rule reform, and with new judgments from the High Court and appeal court, you have to keep up to date

To undertake the accredited specialist program, you must have six years post admission experience The accreditation program is something I would recommend for all lawyers practising in family law: it was a great personal affirmation, and many employers regarded it as a valuable commodity.

What is your opinion on becoming involved in not only your practice, but outside organisations too?

I was encouraged by my mentor, Rose Lockie, the partner with whom I worked for, to get involved with the Law Institute of Victoria as a junior lawyer

Rose herself had been involved with the LIV for many years and knew it to be important for career development, networking and for the fun of being involved in a member organisation As a junior lawyer, I joined the Children and Youth Issues Subcommittee of the Family Law Section of the Law Institute of Victoria I might not have said much, if anything, for the first 12 months – there was a lot of active listening The Committee had a number of the top family lawyers at that time, including Tim Mulvany, David Schetzer, David Edney and Joe Gorman – true leaders in the profession. I learned lots from them through that Committee I found being an involved member rewarding on many levels. When I was at law school, I had my existing stable of friends and, at times, was ambivalent about becoming a lawyer. Since I didn't fit the Law Review (or Law Revue) profile, I really didn't bother to engage or get involved Because of my pride and prejudice, I didn't see a value to any of those things and it was really only through getting involved in the LIV and other organisations that I began to really connect

Being involved in these activities has become a great balance to what are, at times, difficult, challenging and draining elements of working in family law It's something I've really enjoyed and I'm a better lawyer because of those connections and involvement

I would encourage everyone to be actively engaged at law school and to resist learning completely online. The benefits and opportunities at being at university are so much more than just simply getting a degree and, in the same way, for those practising in law, to recognise the benefits of being part of a professional member organisation

Jason Walker is a Partner at Forte Family Lawyers He is accredited by the Law Institute of Victoria as a specialist in Family Law and is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers