Talya Faigenbaum
Current Role (s):
Principal Lawyer & Director, Faigenbaum Family Lawyers
Research Fellow, Centre for Legal Innovation
Family law program coordinator, West Heidelberg CLS
Sessional Lecturer, Victoria University College of Law & Justice
A little about:
I’ve been a practicing family lawyer for over 10 years. I was drawn to family law largely because it deals with some of the most difficult, delicate and important issues in our lives: our children our financial security and our personal safety. Unfortunately, the rising demand for family law services has driven legal costs upwards and placed significant pressure on the community justice sector.
In response to these changes, I set out to create a start-up family law firm in 2015. I founded my firm with a vision of designing new ways of practicing family law. Through a combination of innovative approaches and disruption of traditional legal practice, my mission is to achieve holistic, affordable and real-world outcomes for clients. A central focus of this has been exploring ways to use legal innovation & emerging technologies to enhance access to justice.
As a result of this work, I was honoured to be appointed a Research Fellow at the Centre for Legal Innovation for 2019. The CLI is a legal think-tank that aims to explore the changing landscape of the legal industry and support lawyers in adopting emerging legaltech and non-traditional practice models.
Recently I have also been appointed as a sessional lecturer in family law at Victoria University’s, College of Law & Justice.
What is your greatest professional achievement:
In November 2015, I was honoured to receive the Women in Law Awards Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year for a program I had designed to address issues faced by Jewish women trying to obtain a religious divorce (‘Gett’). The following year I had the privilege of featuring in an ABC Compass documentary that highlighted some of the brave women who have struggled with these issues.
What do you wish you'd known in year 12 or early on in your careeR:
You don’t have to do everything at once. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Try to slow down and value the journey of learning.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given:
“If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life”.
What are your thoughts on failure:
No one chooses to fail. Our choice lies in how we respond to our mistakes. Over the years I’ve made many. I’ve learnt to allow myself some time to dwell in the natural emotions that come with failure – to feel frustrated, embarrassed, annoyed, whatever it is. Then, I’ll swallow my pride and ask for feedback from a mentor or friend or family member to try to understand what went wrong and to think about what I could have done differently. Hopefully, this has helped to develop resilience as well as courage to keep trying.
How do you 'pay it forward' in your career:
Mentoring young lawyers or students whenever I can. Navigating through the legal industry can be very overwhelming for young people, especially women. I like to think that I can help make that journey a little less daunting.
What do you do for self-care:
Getting to sleep early is absolutely central to maintaining my balance and wellness. Being in bed by 9.30pm gives me the time and space to rejuvenate my body, mind, and spirit so that I’m fully recharged and can hit the ground running at first light the next day.
What podcast(s) are you listening to:
'Evolve the Law' from ATL's Legal Innovation Centre to keep up to speed with the changes in the legal industry
'The Juggle Podcast' for great tips from working women on finding the right balance between having a satisfying career and a fulfilling family life
'Happy Lawyer Happy Life' for legal life hacks and wellness tips
What are your top 3 life hacks:
Keep & Lists – my lifeline to keeping on top of tasks!
Talk less, listen more – there is so much we can gain from hearing the experiences and stories of others. Active listening not only fosters these learnings but builds deeper connections with the people around us.
Find ways to be generous – it could be with money, time, humour, empathetic words or small acts of kindness.