A good place to start would be my progression into family law and then most recently undertaking my mediation qualification. I did my degree in Durham and then followed that up with a Masters in European and Human Rights Law. During my studies I met someone who I hugely looked up to then and continue to do so now. Professor Warbrick was exceptionally inspirational and there were times we would perhaps not see him for a while, only later to hear he had been working on significant human rights law issues around the world.
It was only when I discovered family law at law school that I realised how much of it was based in human rights, the rights of the individual and of the family. It’s fair to say that there is a lot of overlap.
Like most people, life has changed significantly in the past almost two years, since the outbreak of COVID-19. I never would have considered a work from home role before the pandemic but now I truly appreciate it, I would struggle going back to an office. There are so many great elements to working from home like being able to do something domestic rather than just getting up to walk around an office. We are all advised to take regular five-minute breaks from the screen and now, rather than walk to a water cooler, I can pop on the washing machine or stand in the garden.
The benefits of this way of working, for me, really are extraordinary. I have freedom to work in a way I want to, when I want to, and in a way that pleases me. It offers great autonomy and the only real restriction I have on the way I work, is myself and how I wish to manage my time.
I feel I can be more client-centered than at any other stage of my career. I appreciate how some large practices can be time focused but within LSL Family Law and my current working style, the client always comes first. I also love that we are a purely family law practice and one which is dispute resolution focused, always putting the client family at the heart of what we do.
I previously worked as a family law specialist in a general law firm, and by contrast this feels like speaking in a different dialect, doing what I love doing best; working with Linda is so refreshing. Finance targets aren’t the focus.
Family law is a careful balance, it’s a holistic approach, and one of the best things about it is exploring with a client how the financial implications of a separation should come secondary to other factors like emotional well-being and the welfare of the family. You can’t put a price on your, and your children’s emotional well-being.
On a personal note, I am married with two children, aged 15 and 9, and we have a dog who I am now able to take a fairer share of the walking of thanks to the model within LSL Family Law. I adore cooking and really, apart from the recent Ruth Bader Ginsburg book (and Harry Potter – a parental duty), I mostly read and spend time perusing cookery books. I do also love Zumba but I’ve found it’s much too difficult to do in a Zoom format when you have a dog at home, it can lead to a rather overexcited wagging tail.
If you would like to speak to Tanya about your family law matter, please email tanya@lslfamilylaw.co.uk. View Tanya’s full profile here.
