Reflecting on the biggest challenges facing SME firm owners in Western Australia, Nicola Watts says that leaders have to be consistently engaging with their staff to not only attract and retain top talent but also to better understand and appreciate evolving attitudes to career trajectory for those coming through the ranks. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with O'Sullivan Davies principal Nicola Watts on practising family law in different Australian jurisdictions and navigating the idiosyncrasies, the opportunities to tailor one's practice that emerge from such differences, the headline issues and challenges she's seeing for practitioners out west, and why these are so significant.

Ms Watts also reflects on hurdles being faced regarding talent attraction and retention, the need for shifting mindsets from business owners, engaging in regular conversations with staff about what changes are needed, practice-specific challenges she's anticipating in 2024, doing one's best to keep ahead of market trends, opportunities for business owners in the new year, and why firms cannot simply rely on their reputations amid changing vocational attitudes. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!