In England and Wales, women make up 53% of lawyers within the average law firm. At Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice, 80% of our lawyers are women – and we take pride in that.
This International Women’s Day, we interview three of the Firm’s lawyers, each at different stages of their careers, to celebrate their achievements and to inspire future female lawyers.
Thea Hughes – Director
What inspired you to pursue a career in law and why family law specifically?
“To be perfectly honest, I sort of ‘fell into’ the law. I can’t say that I had a burning ambition to be part of our well-respected legal institution but took the advice of my career’s advisor at school (who just happened to be my mother) and decided to do a law degree. When I was learning about all the different areas of the subject, I realised that law touched on and was relevant to every single aspect of our lives, and so became more and more interested in what a career in law could offer. When I undertook my training (articles as it was then), I had a great opportunity to try various areas of law and quickly realised that I wanted to deal with and help individuals. Family law provides me with that challenge which I embrace.”
Key milestones or achievements in your career so far?
“I think my main achievement has to be becoming a Partner in this law firm. Whilst it is a privileged position to be in, it also presents many challenges and responsibilities and there is truly never a dull moment!”
What do you enjoy most about being a family lawyer?
“I love the feeling of actually helping to make things better for people. I know that for the most part, the people I see initially are going through one of the worst periods in their life, so it is lovely that when matters are resolved, they come back to me, or I see them out and about, and they tell me how happy they are.
I also particularly enjoy the forensic side of the financial issues – I loved maths at school, and I find it so interesting to see how different businesses operate.”
What are some challenges you’ve faced in your career?
“I am challenged every single day in my work – whether by the cases I’m dealing with, or by individuals I come across. This means that no two days are ever the same and I am never bored.
One specific challenge I have faced is bringing up my children whilst also being a Partner in a law firm and balancing those two competing calls on my time. However, I have been lucky in this respect, having considerate and understanding partners and a very long-suffering husband!”
What advice would you give to aspiring female solicitors?
“Probably my strongest advice would be to recognise your own value and have confidence in yourself and your abilities. This was something that I didn’t have as a young lawyer, and it is only as I have become more experienced in my career that this has grown.
I would also say that you can have it all! You can have a satisfying career in the law and have a family, so don’t feel that sacrifices must be made. This is more so post COVID where remote working has become so much more the norm, and work can be done effectively at times that suit you rather than necessarily 9am to 5pm.”
Fay Jones – Associate Solicitor
What inspired you to pursue a career in law and why family law specifically?
“I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in law at school and work experience at various firms whilst at school and University helped firm my decision. I really enjoyed the family law module on the LPC and knew that I wanted to specialise in an area of law that made a difference to people’s everyday lives. I think that something about family law just clicked for me.”
Key milestones or achievements in your career so far?
“Training in law is hard and so being offered a Training Contract was a big milestone – I still remember crying when Thea told me that I was being offered a Training Contract (poor Thea!) The other stand out moment would be being promoted in November 2023 and becoming an Associate Solicitor.”
What do you enjoy most about being a family lawyer?
“I am lucky to be able to run my own files but also assist on high-net worth and high-profile cases meaning that I get to deal with cases on every level. I like having that variety. However, the best thing about being a family lawyer for me is that I feel that I have the ability to make a difference to a client’s life. I might only be in a client’s life for a few months (or for some of them, a few years) but being able to try and help steer them through often the most difficult time in their lives is something that I never take for granted. To me, there is nothing better than seeing a client through from our initial meeting to the closure of their file, knowing that I have done everything that I can to help them and that they have come out at the end of it.”
What are some challenges you’ve faced in your career?
“Finishing the LPC and finding a firm/Training Contract was hard. It took a lot of resilience.”
What advice would you give to aspiring female solicitors?
“Always have faith in yourself and never stop learning.”
Chloe Dixon – Trainee Solicitor
What inspired you to pursue a career in law and why family law specifically?
“For as long as I can remember, I recall answering “what do you want to be when you grow up” with “I want to be a Lawyer”. This stemmed more from a personal perspective, having experienced my parents divorce at such a young age. I went on to study the family law module as part of my undergraduate degree and wasn’t particularly keen, but having said that, I gave it another chance and chose the family law elective as part of the LPC and really enjoyed it. Looking back, I am so glad I persevered because I can actually say I love my job, putting aside how difficult and emotional it can be at times, this was the area of law for me.”
Key milestones or achievements in your career so far?
“Being offered a Training Contract within my first 6 months of being at the Firm. It was a real confidence boost. If you work within law, you will understand just how difficult it is to be offered a Training Contract as it is such a competitive process.
Although I had experience of working within law, my move to the Firm was the first time I had ever worked in a private family law setting, and although I had undertaken the module as part of the LPC, I felt as though I knew very little about how to put my knowledge into practice. After countless applications I thought I would never get the chance to show why I was worthy of being offered a Training Contract. The Firm has given me that opportunity, and to know I am learning from the best in the business makes that wait worth the while.”
What do you enjoy most about training to become a family lawyer?
“I am lucky to be able to work alongside the solicitors, assisting on a variety of cases on every level. No two days are the same, and you are definitely kept on your toes. As a Trainee I also attend Court to provide support to our clients. I am a people person, so it’s nice to get to know clients on a more personal level. Everyone assumes that solicitors are there just to fight their corner but more often than not, they just need that bit of support to help get them through one of the most difficult times in their lives. A client recently said to me, “I could not have done this without my team” (referring to our Firm) and, “in the nicest way possible, I hope to never see you again, and to clarify I mean in this setting!” There is no better feeling than knowing as a team we have done everything that we possibly can to get the best outcome for our client, and hopefully they can finally move on with their lives.”
What are some challenges you’ve faced in your career?
“Working full time whilst completing the LPC, I wouldn’t recommend it but it was something that I could not avoid. It was tough and though I did gain invaluable experience along the way, it took a lot of determination to stay focused.”
What advice would you give to aspiring female solicitors?
“I won’t sugar coat it, a career in law is difficult. You will experience setbacks, sometimes even rejections and imposter syndrome will definitely have you second guessing whether you are good enough. I for one, can resonate with this. But if you are really set on becoming a solicitor, believe in yourself and most importantly, back yourself. You will get there eventually and it is so rewarding when you do.”