I always knew I wanted to practise law. From a young age, it was not just a career option. It was part of how I saw myself. I was drawn to the responsibility of representing people, advocating for them, and helping them navigate difficult situations. Law felt purposeful. It felt like a space where I could be ambitious and useful at the same time.
Early in my career, I had a moment that made me question whether the profession would ever truly make space for the life I also knew I wanted. I came into my workplace at the time feeling unwell and mentioned it to my supervisor. His response was, “Oh God, I hope you’re not pregnant.” It was said casually, almost as a joke. I remember feeling a very real shift in that moment. There was a quiet fear that perhaps this was not an industry that could support women who wanted both a career and a family.
I had always been career driven. I set goals. I enjoy being challenged. I like responsibility. I also always knew I wanted children. For the first time, those two things felt like they might be in conflict.
Despite that experience, I continued to progress in my career. Over time, I had the privilege of working alongside incredibly capable and inspiring women who were exceptional lawyers and present mothers. They showed me something important. The conversation was not about choosing one or the other. It was about redefining how both could exist together. Despite those early doubts, I built my career with intention. When I fell pregnant, I continued working right up until my son was born. Stepping away on maternity leave was not a departure from my professional identity. It was simply a different season of it.
My son is nine months old, and I have recently returned to practice on a part time basis while working from home. Coming back has been both energising and confronting. There is the practical adjustment of rebuilding momentum, re-entering matters mid-stream, and finding rhythm again. There is also the internal shift.
Motherhood changes you. It does not diminish ambition, but it refines it. I am more protective of my time now. More efficient. More comfortable saying no to things that do not serve a clear purpose. The hours I dedicate to work are deliberate and focused. There is less room for inefficiency, which in many ways has made me a stronger practitioner.
At the same time, I am deeply conscious of being present at home. Returning part time and working remotely has allowed me to remain engaged professionally while still being hands on in these early months of my son’s life. Outside of my formal working days, I remain contactable and involved, but the structure gives me clarity. It allows me to show up properly in both spaces. We often talk about balance when it comes to working motherhood. Balance suggests equal weighting at all times. In reality, some days work needs more of me. Other days, my family does. What I am learning is that it is less about achieving perfect equilibrium and more about allowing those roles to blend without guilt.
Support makes a significant difference. I am fortunate to work in an environment with a strong parental leave policy and a culture that supports flexibility. That support is not just about policy on paper. It is about the tone set by leadership and the practical understanding that flexibility does not equate to a lack of commitment. I also recognise the importance of support outside the workplace. Having family around me has made returning to work possible in a way that feels sustainable. Not everyone has that infrastructure. If we are serious about retaining talented women in the legal profession, structural support must be part of the conversation.
Law has not always made this easy. Long hours, billable targets and expectations around constant availability can create pressure, particularly for women who may still carry a disproportionate share of caregiving responsibilities. That early comment in my career reflected a mindset that saw motherhood as a professional inconvenience. The profession is evolving. Technology enables flexibility in ways that were not previously possible. Increasingly, firms recognise that retaining experienced practitioners requires adaptability rather than rigidity. Cultural shifts are happening. Conversations about parental leave and flexible arrangements are becoming more open. Male colleagues are participating more actively in shared caregiving responsibilities, which is critical to meaningful change.
Returning to work has given me perspective. The challenges of practice remain real, but they sit differently now. My identity is no longer defined solely by my profession. Strangely, that has strengthened my confidence within it.
International Women’s Day is about celebrating progress and acknowledging where change is still required. For working mothers in law, progress looks like flexibility without stigma. It looks like workplaces that do not view pregnancy as a disruption, but as a natural part of life. It looks like recognising that ambition and motherhood are not competing forces.
Returning to practice has reinforced something I once doubted. It is possible to build a meaningful legal career and raise a family. Not by perfectly balancing the two, but by intentionally blending them. Motherhood has not made me less committed to the law. It has made me clearer about why I do it and how I want to do it.
Antonia is a highly accomplished Senior Associate at Chamberlains, with expertise spanning workplace and industrial relations law as well as corporate and commercial law. She guides clients through every stage of their employment journey, from contract and policy advice to performance management, terminations, and restructures, while also handling complex commercial disputes, real property matters, intellectual property issues, debt recovery, and ATO challenges. Known for her pragmatic, detail-oriented approach, Antonia delivers tailored solutions that empower clients with confidence and clarity. She holds advanced legal and commerce qualifications and has been recognised as a Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 finalist in 2023 and 2025.
