Stephanie Pearce

Practice Manager

• +61 3 7020 6542
• Stephanie Pearce

Stephanie Pearce is the practice manager at Empower Family Law & Mediation, bringing over 13 years of experience working within private law firms and more than five years specialising in legal practice management.

With a strong background in people management and operations, Stephanie focuses on optimising workflow, strengthening HR policies, and implementing practical improvements that enhance team efficiency and collaboration.

She is deeply committed to creating inclusive, well-structured workplaces that support both staff wellbeing and organisational goals. She is a proud member of the ALPMA Victorian and Tasmanian Committee, contributing to the advancement of best practice within the legal profession.

Stephanie deeply cares for clients and their wellbeing. She is always available if you have any questions or concerns about your client experience at Empower Family Law & Mediation. Outside of work Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dogs, going to spin classes and collecting vinyl records.

Ann Marie Elenius

Next Team Member

At Empower Family Law we understand the pressure our clients are under and the distress they feel. We work diligently to navigate them through to better times.

We take pride in offering our clients expert advice tailored to their situation and empowering them to achieve the best possible result.

Want to know more about the Empower Team?

Meet the Team

Speak with us

Your first 30-minute consultation is free. Call (03) 7020 6542 or contact our team to discuss your circumstances and next steps.

What the Practice Manager role means for clients

A practice manager does not provide legal advice and does not have carriage of your matter. The role sits behind the legal work: workflow, policies, operations and the systems that determine how reliably a file moves.

For a client, that work is mostly visible in its absence. It is why appointments are scheduled and confirmed, why documents arrive when they should, why the practice has a consistent approach to confidentiality and record-keeping, and why the people working on your matter are supported well enough to do it properly. Family law files generate a substantial volume of correspondence, court documents, disclosure material and subpoenaed records, and the difference between a practice that manages that well and one that does not is felt directly by clients.

Who to contact, and about what

• Advice about your matter, strategy, or whether a proposal is reasonable — your lawyer. Nobody else in a practice is in a position to answer those questions.
• Appointments, scheduling and general enquiries — the practice, on (03) 7020 6542 or through the contact page.
• Accounts, invoices and costs questions — these are handled by the practice, though your lawyer can explain any item of work on an invoice.
• An urgent situation — say so when you call rather than waiting for an appointment.

How costs work at the firm

Our services are billed at the lawyer's hourly rate, so you are charged only for the time spent working on your file. After the first appointment we send our Costs Agreement, setting out the terms of your engagement and an estimate of your total legal costs. A tax invoice follows at the end of each month, or on the conclusion of a significant event or court hearing, detailing the work undertaken.

If at any point you have a concern about costs, we welcome the opportunity to discuss it. That conversation is easier early than late.