Meet Victoria Kilby, Partner at Farrar Gesini Dunn, a progressive law firm that’s been guiding Australian families through life’s toughest moments for more than 30 years. With offices in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and Coffs Harbour, FGD offers a uniquely compassionate approach to family law, estates law and advisory services – putting people at the heart of everything they do.
What sets FGD apart is their multidisciplinary team, including a dedicated child and family specialist team made up of counsellors and therapeutic professionals who support clients through the emotional side of separation. FGD also offers in-house accountants and conveyancers. Our holistic services are something that most firms simply don’t offer, and one FGD is incredibly proud of.
In this exclusive interview, Victoria shares what it takes to lead with empathy in one of the most emotionally complex areas of law, and how FGD continues to grow while staying true to its values. Let’s meet this local legend!
Tell us about Farrar Gesini Dunn. How did it all begin?
Farrar Gesini Dunn started as a family law firm in Canberra about 30 years ago. Since then, we’ve expanded into Melbourne, Sydney, and Coffs Harbour, opening offices to service a wider population. We offer a wide range of services, predominantly family law and estates law, but we also provide advisory services. We have a child and family specialist team, which is a supportive team of people who have counselling and therapeutic backgrounds, not lawyers, and who help the clients through the emotional journey that’s an inevitable part of a family law matter. FGD is different from our competitors because we take a very unique approach. There is no one-size-fits-all in family law. Every relationship, every person, every separation, and every set of finances is different and unique.
You’re supporting families through some very difficult times. How do you create a compassionate environment for your clients?
Family law is usually one of the most emotionally challenging times that a client can go through. It’s very important to be able to deliver a high-quality service and to understand what it is that they want. If your client trusts you and feels confident with you, then they’re likely to tell you what you need to know to give them the advice they need. It’s about being approachable and reminding your clients that lawyers, we’re people, and we’ve all gone through life experiences. Our goal is to help them get from step A to B.
FGD has such a strong brand identity. How do you bring it to life?
We take pride in the way that we present ourselves and the firm. Some of that’s showcased by the way we set up our meeting rooms in the office, making sure everything reflects a very polished, organised and professional image.
What advice would you give someone aspiring to be a partner or start their own practice one day?
The first one is that you are running a business: a profitable, well-serviceable one. Two, you are delivering a very high standard of service to your clients, ensuring integrity and excellence at all times. Three, you are able to provide flexible work for your staff and your employees, and also work-life balance for yourself and your staff, which is sometimes easier said than done.
VistaPrint believes in supporting businesses like yours. As a customer of VistaPrint, what are your favourite products and how do you use them?
Presentation folders, notepads and business cards are really important for us. They help us present a clean, professional image that clients can remember and take with them.
Building a business starts with building a brand. VistaPrint has the custom marketing tools, design services and merch to help you do both. Follow us @vistaprintaustralia on Instagram for more branding inspiration and catch more Aussie #LocalLegends on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@vistaprintau.
