'If they hadn't been so negative I wouldn't have tried as hard' =============================================================== ![If they hadnt been so negative I wouldnt have tried as hard'](https://vardags.com/images/pictures/_360/96b317780b4be83e257d082940f4e6cf.jpeg)Managing director at Vardags, Catherine Thomas, spoke to [Wales Online](https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/catherine-thomas-top-international-divorce-7414487) about the lessons she had learned on her rise to being a top international divorce lawyer. She remarked that "*I decided I wanted to go into law when I was 10 after taking part in a primary school debate. I really got into it, opening with a long (and probably completely over the top) speech. Afterwards the teacher said I should be a lawyer and the idea stuck with me."* She continued in this goal despite initial discouragement, she explained. "*The careers advisors told me I should try an easier career than law. I find it deeply depressing that rather than encourage students to push themselves as far as they could, they were advising them to take an easier route. When I told my school I wanted to read law at Oxford I was told it was a waste of an application and I wouldn't get in because of the school to which I went. They refused to look at my application form before I applied or even help me to prepare with a mock interview. It could all have been handled a lot better, but if they hadn't been so negative I probably wouldn't have tried as hard as I did just to prove them wrong*." Catherine was successful in her application to Oxford, laying the foundation for a career in family law, a position she described as "*complicated and requires me to understand not only family law but also to be able to work with complex business structures, off-shore investments, trusts and tax (to name but a few) which is endlessly interesting*." When asked to advise budding young lawyers in Wales, she said "*when someone tells you that you can't do something you want to, ignore them. It says much more about them than it does about you*." Catherine's interview with the Welsh paper came of the back of being celebrated by [Management Today](https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/i-told-people-didnt-go-oxford-reveal-35-women-35-2014/article/1301153) and [The Times](https://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/business/Economy/article1430543.ece). "Ayesha Vardag - Britain's top divorce lawyer." ![The Huffington Post](https://vardags.com/images/logo/huffpost.png) "Ayesha Vardag - Woman of the Year"![GG2](https://vardags.com/images/logo/gg2-3.png) "Leading, Magic Circle law firm."Mr Justice Coleridge "A handful of firms dominate the so-called 'glamour' end of the market ... Vardags"The Times "One of the best divorce lawyers in the country"Marie Claire "Ayesha Vardag - 'diva of divorce' for the world's super rich" ![BBC](https://vardags.com/images/logo/bbc.png) "Dr Stephen Bence is a financial genius."Lewis Marks KC "Ayesha Vardag - the Queen of divorce"Daily Mail "Vardags brilliantly argued my case to a resounding victory"Pauline Chai (client) "Britain's top divorce lawyer" ![The Telegraph](https://vardags.com/images/logo/telegraph.png) Articles by John Oxley ---------------------- [Divorce Saloon: "Just call her the 'Diva'"](https://vardags.com/posts/divorce-saloon-just-call-diva "Divorce Saloon: 'Just call her the 'Diva''") [Top divorce lawyer weds at Winchester Cathedral](https://vardags.com/posts/top-divorce-lawyer-winchester "Top divorce lawyer weds at Winchester Cathedral") ['If they hadn't been so negative I wouldn't have tried as hard'](https://vardags.com/posts/hadnt-negative-wouldnt-tried-hard "If they hadnt been so negative I wouldnt have tried as hard'") [Catherine Thomas stars in 35 Women Under 35](https://vardags.com/posts/catherine-thomas-stars-35-women-35 "Catherine Thomas stars in 35 Women Under 35") [Yasmin Prest seeks to enforce maintenance areas](https://vardags.com/family-law/yasmin-prest-maintenance-areas "Yasmin Prest seeks to enforce maintenance areas")