Name: Amy Toomey

Firm: Taussig Cherrie Fildes

Title: Associate

Why did you choose to work in Family law?

I knew that I wanted to be a lawyer for a long time, but throughout university when there was such a focus on a commercial career I quickly realised that one of the things most important to me in my career was the ‘people dynamic’ – being able to interact with people and deal with their concerns directly. As soon as I was introduced to family law, I knew it was for me.

Why did you choose to work at Taussig Cherrie Fildes, what makes working there unique?

TCF has long held a reputation as being Melbourne’s preeminent boutique family law firm. I was drawn to TCF by the high-quality work I witnessed them undertake during my time working as an Associate, recommendations from members of counsel in discussions as to prospective next-steps in my career, and also borne out of a desire to challenge myself to take on a position that would require me to develop a whole new range of skills. Aside from our reputation as a leading family law firm, what makes working at TCF so unique is that it is a very supportive environment where we exchange ideas, discuss different approaches to matters and take advice and guidance from one another. What also makes TCF so unique is the clear commercial element to our practice – for example, a number of our clients have significant commercial interests which form part of the matrimonial property pool. This requires us to have an in-depth knowledge of commercial practice areas, including trusts, property, tax, corporate and insolvency issues, and contracts and equitable principles. This overlap with a commercial practice means that our skills traverse across both litigation and transactional abilities.

Can you tell us a brief summary of your law career?

I studied a Bachelor of Arts (Mandarin) and Bachelor of Laws at Deakin University, graduating in early 2019. Whilst studying, in 2015 I was given the opportunity to undertake a twice-weekly work experience internship with the Hon. Justice Bennett AO of the then-Family Court of Australia. Her Honour was the Hague Network judge at the time which meant frequent travel, and I was able to sit with and observe a number of other judges during this period, including Judge Stewart of the then-Federal Circuit Court of Australia, which lead to an eventual role as Judge Stewart’s Deputy Associate. I worked as her Honour’s Deputy Associate for three years, before moving to work for Judge Carter (now Justice Carter) as her Associate upon her appointment in March 2019. Around that time, I undertook my Practical Legal Training with the College of Law, before being admitted in September 2019. I had planned to move into private practice in 2020 before the pandemic threw a spanner in the works, and stayed working with her Honour for an additional year before beginning my career at Taussig Cherrie Fildes in April 2021.

How would you describe the culture of Taussig Cherrie Fildes?

We are extremely lucky at TCF in that we have a very collaborative workplace. We share ideas, discuss issues and seek guidance from one another on a daily basis. We pride ourselves on being detail-oriented and highly professional, and having such a supportive workplace in my view really helps us to achieve this goal. Our file system is structured that there is a partner on every file, and you may work on files under different people at any given time. I find this so helpful as a junior lawyer as you are exposed to different ways senior lawyers approach things and learn how people approach or consider matters, which in turn I hope will make me a better and more considered lawyer.

What is the most prevalent area of family law matters you come across?

TCF deal with both financial and parenting matters, taking a holistic and client-focused approach to each of our matters, to support people as they move through what is usually a difficult separation into the next chapter of our lives. It is a sad reality of the work that we do that so many of our matters (whether parenting or property matters) are characterised by some extent by the existence of family violence in the context of the relationship, separation or sometimes even post-separation.

What advice do you have for someone who is interested in pursuing a career in family law once they graduate from law school?

I cannot speak more highly of my time as an Associate at the now-FCFCOA. I would recommend an Associateship to all students once they graduate, as every day in my current role there is a process, procedure or form I am already familiar with thanks to my time at the court (or at least until the merger!). More generally speaking, being in court every day is a brilliant lesson in both what to do and what not to do, whether it be court etiquette or advocacy in general, I would strongly encourage students to take the time and observe matters in person where possible. It is amazing how much you absorb!

What does your day-to-day at Taussig Cherrie Fildes include?

One of the things I love about working at TCF (and family law in general) is that the day-to-day is never the same. If there is a court hearing or mediation, usually the day consists of meeting with clients and counsel early to take instructions, allay any concerns they have and take any final instructions before the event, before spending the day trying to resolve matters as best we can in our client’s interests. On any other day, I will usually spend time drafting court documents or correspondence, liaising with clients and taking instructions, or corresponding with other lawyers on the other side of a matter to progress things as best we can.

To find out more about Taussig Cherrie Fildes, you can visit their website here.