Category: The Brief

I’ve been a legal secretary, paralegal or executive assistant for most of my adult life (far longer than I care to admit). It’s not just something I do — it’s who I am.

Retention and attrition are natural forces in any profession. But in family law—where firms are often small and built on tight-knit teams, complementary skill sets, and deeply held relationships—the departure of key staff can feel like a gut punch. Losing multiple senior staff in quick succession can be a knockout blow.

In an industry often synonymous with high stress and burnout, Umbrella Family Law is challenging the status quo. Founded in 2018 by Jane and Eve—two lawyers determined to practise differently—this Melbourne-based family law firm is proof that compassion and commercial success can coexist.

The recent amendments to the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) (“the Act”) have created a robust framework designed to curtail proceedings that are not only unmeritorious and/or vexatious but are harmful. The provisions found in Part XIB of the Act reflect a legislative shift towards providing safeguards to litigants and children from being subjected to the collateral damage that arises due to litigation. This article briefly contrasts the legislative frameworks in relation to vexatious proceedings, summary dismissal and harmful proceedings, before diving further into the latter. To achieve this, we examine what constitutes harm under s 102QAB of the Act, how the harmful proceedings provisions have been applied since their introduction and speculate about future directions in this space.

Each technological revolution changed how legal knowledge was stored and transmitted, but none fundamentally altered its accessibility. Artificial intelligence promises something different: not just access to legal information, but access to legal understanding and capability.

In an increasingly saturated legal market, where everyone is “client-focused” and “committed to results,” one thing is clear—cookie-cutter messaging won’t cut it. According to legal marketing expert Greta Hearle, the firms that stand out today aren’t the loudest or most polished. They’re the ones that know exactly who they are, who they serve, and how to connect with real people.

I remember the day I stepped into my first job as a paralegal. Little did I know almost 20 years later I would look back at those early moments and wonder how I survived.

Family violence is one of the most complex and deeply rooted issues facing society today. “She Is Not Your Rehab,” co-founded by Matt and Sarah Brown, has been leading the charge in changing the way we talk about, respond to, and heal from family violence.

Family Law is, at its core, about human connection and communication — both within the family involved in a dispute and in the relationship between a client and their lawyer. Yet, despite our best intentions, the systems we work within and the way we deliver legal services often assume all people think, communicate, and respond the same way. For neurodivergent clients, that assumption can create barriers that are disheartening and emotionally taxing.

Access to justice remains one of the biggest challenges in Family Law. For many clients, the financial burden of legal disputes can be overwhelming, creating barriers to fair outcomes. JustFund is changing that. We sat down with co-founder Jack O’Donnell to ask him some questions.