Marina Faggionato

NAME Marina Faggionato
CHAMBERS Queen Elizabeth Building (tenant)
UNIVERSITY Politics, philosophy and economics, University of Oxford (2003)

Why did you decide on a career as a barrister?

Since discovering how much fun arguments could be as a child, I’d been attracted to a career at the Bar. I developed an interest in family law because I like working with people – and couldn’t get excited about widgets in washing machines (or the contracts to make/ship them).

'I developed an interest in family law because I like working with people.'

During pupillage with my current set, I saw a wide range of family law cases and I was encouraged to maintain my commitment to pro bono work.

Life as a family law specialist

My practice is varied; in a single week I can deal with cases of domestic violence, child abduction, the recognition of foreign marriages (or divorces) as well as contact and residence disputes. I represent parents, grandparents, step-parents, guardians, husbands and wives, children and other interested parties. As a junior tenant I do a lot of travelling (to courts as far north as Liverpool, and as far south as Brighton); my geography has improved a great deal!

Being led by a silk on a case is an altogether different experience; it involves working as part of a team on cases that tend to involve eye-watering sums of money, off-shore companies or trusts, and various international issues. I deal with the practicalities of running a case, managing the papers and liaising with solicitors so that the silk can do the ‘clever stuff’. As a junior I get to see great advocates at the top of their game and learn about complicated matters I don’t usually get to see in my own practice.

Some weeks I am in court every day; sometimes I spend most of the week at my desk. On average I’ll work from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm and a few hours at the weekend. A career at the Bar is not for the faint hearted but it can be great fun and hugely rewarding. Being on your feet in the Court of Appeal is utterly exhilarating!