International Women’s Day 2026 invites us to “Balance the Scales.” In family law, we do not merely speak about balance – we build it.
We build it in courtrooms.
We build it in mediation rooms.
We build it in late-night affidavit drafting when someone’s safety depends on precision.
Family law is often described as adversarial. But at its best, it is restorative. It is protective. It is strategic. And for many women practising in this space, it is deeply values-driven work. Because “balancing the scales” in family law is not about tipping the system in one direction. It is about correcting historic imbalance. It is about protecting survivors of family violence while preserving procedural fairness. It is about ensuring financial transparency where there has been economic control. It is about making space for children’s voices. It is about advocating fiercely, but ethically.
And women have long been at the forefront of this work.
Family lawyers do more than run files. We manage power imbalances. We recognise coercive control in the stories our clients tell us, in their lived experiences. We understand the subtle dynamics of financial abuse.
We know when a client needs strategy and when they need psychological safety. We are often the first to softly indicate to a client that the relationship they were in wasn’t safe.
Much of this work is unseen. It sits between the lines of submissions. It lives in the questions we ask. It shapes the advice we give when no one else is in the room. Balancing the scales often begins long before a matter reaches a courtroom. It begins with listening. Family Lawyers are the most skilled ‘readers of a room’. We have the unique ability to understand that what is spoken is not often what is meant. That beneath every statement lies a usually more uncomfortable truth for our clients.
One of the most important distinctions in family law and in gender discourse, is the difference between equality and equity.
Equality suggests sameness.
Equity recognises difference.
In property matters, equitable outcomes require us to examine contributions that are not always financial. Parenting. Emotional labour. Career sacrifice. Invisible work. In parenting disputes, equity requires us to identify where risk exists and where narratives may distort it. The legal system provides a framework. But practitioners bring it to life. And women in family law have consistently pushed for a more sophisticated understanding of contribution, safety, and fairness.
The system evolves as female practitioners drive change inside of it. We are not only fearsome advocates on behalf of our clients but also society. We challenge accepted norms and work towards balancing the scales of fairness and justice to all, improving the system we work within.
But balancing the scales is not confined to client advocacy. It also applies within our firms and our greater legal community. For too long, legal success has been measured by billable hours alone. But many women in leadership are reshaping that narrative, advocating for ethical hiring, sustainable workloads, trauma-informed practice, and cultures that value both performance and wellbeing.
If we want equitable outcomes for clients, we must build equitable workplaces for practitioners. The profession is evolving, and women are driving that change. We are challenging what was once acceptable and asserting that we can choose the way we practice into the future, how we ‘balance our scales’.
Family law often intersects with vulnerability – migrants, First Nations families, women experiencing violence, economically disadvantaged parties, and children caught in high-conflict disputes. Balancing the scales means ensuring access to justice is not reserved for the well-resourced.
It means using technology intelligently to reduce cost barriers.
It means clear drafting. Clear advice. Clear strategy.
It means understanding that power imbalance is not always visible – but it is always relevant.
To practice family law is to sit at the intersection of law and humanity. And that requires courage, heart and a never-ending drive to make the world a better place one small action at a time. Family lawyers stand at the precipice of equality on a daily basis.
Every interim application seeking protection orders.
Every property pool properly uncovered.
Every carefully structured parenting plan.
Every client empowered to negotiate rather than collapse.
This is balancing the scales.
Not symbolically.
Practically.
International Women’s Day is a moment of recognition, but in family law, this work is daily.
It is meticulous.
It is strategic.
It is values-led.
And it matters.
As a female dominant area of law, Family Law is on the edge of the movement for kindness, collegiality and changing narratives so that we, as a society, can ‘balance the scales’ in favour of equality. Because when the scales are balanced in one family’s matter, the ripple extends beyond that file. It shapes futures. It protects children. It restores dignity.
And that is the quiet power of this profession.
Amanda Little is the Principal Solicitor of ALA Law. She is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law, Mediator, Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, Collaborative Family Lawyer, Sessional Academic, Public Speaker, and Author. She is recognised as a leading business person in Penrith being awarded Business Person of the Year for Penrith and Business Woman of the year for Lindsay.
