Stephanie Reid

Director and Principal

Stephanie’s clients appreciate her calm, considered manner, her pragmatic approach to resolving matters and her humility.

Stephanie has practised solely in family law since 2008.

During her career Stephanie has represented clients in complex financial and property disputes, negotiated and drafted agreements geared towards asset protection before, during and after marriage or cohabitation, and represented parents in high-conflict parenting disputes.

Stephanie has a wealth of experience, a keen eye for detail and a desire to get the best outcome for every client. Her focus is on providing expert advice and practical solutions to assist her clients to resolve their disputes as quickly and efficiently as possible. She has represented a diverse range of clients in financial and property disputes; from the modest to the complex, she is thorough and analytical.

Stephanie enjoys guiding clients through parenting and grandparenting disputes. She has a reputation for excellence in this area and is regularly referred clients who are in the midst of high-conflict, complex parenting disputes. Stephanie is a trained Parenting Co-ordinator and Independent Children’s Lawyer.

In previous roles Stephanie has led organisations tasked with delivering mediation and counselling services to separating families and has provided advice to the Federal Government on the delivery of these services. She is a past board member of the Australian Children’s Contact Service Association and the Victoria Family Law Pathways Network.

In 2022 Stephanie was appointed Chair of the Law Institute of Victoria Parenting Working Group, Deputy Chair of the Family Law Education Working Group and a member of the Family Executive of the Law Institute of Victoria. Stephanie is also a Director of Pacifica Congress, a member of the Law Institute of Victoria and a member of the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia.

Away from work, Stephanie is a passionate foodie, a keen cyclist, a wannabe surfer and a proud parent to three amazing humans.

Renishka Naidoo-Weisse

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?

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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.

The work this involves

Stephanie's practice spans three areas that each raise distinct issues.

Complex financial and property disputes. There is no formula for dividing property in Australia. The Court identifies and values the assets, liabilities and financial resources, assesses each party's contributions including as homemaker and parent, considers each party's future needs, and asks whether the overall result is just and equitable. Complexity usually comes from the structure of the pool rather than its size: interests held through companies and trusts, business valuations, contingent interests, and the duty to disclose total direct and indirect financial circumstances including property that goes to another person. See property settlement.

Agreements directed at asset protection. A financial agreement is a contract under the Family Law Act that can be made before, during or after a relationship, which is what allows it to address a future that has not yet happened. No court reviews it when it is made, so each party must obtain independent legal advice from an Australian lawyer before signing — the principal safeguard that each person understood what they were giving up. See binding financial agreements.

High-conflict parenting disputes. The child's best interests are the paramount consideration, and the first matter the Court must consider is what arrangements promote the safety of the child and of each person caring for them. Since 6 May 2024 there is no presumption of equal shared parental responsibility. In high-conflict matters the Court may appoint an Independent Children's Lawyer, who does not act for either parent and forms an independent view of what serves the child. See parenting and child custody.

Arranging an appointment

Call (03) 7020 6542 or use the contact page. Initial appointments usually run for 1 to 1.5 hours, with the first 30 minutes at no charge, and can be conducted remotely by Microsoft Teams.

Legal information in this section reflects the published guidance of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, as at 27 October 2026. It is general information only, not legal advice.

What is Stephanie Reid's role at Empower Family Law & Mediation?

Stephanie Reid is the Director and Principal of Empower Family Law & Mediation. She has practised solely in family law since 2008. Over her career she has represented clients in complex financial and property disputes, negotiated and drafted agreements geared towards asset protection before, during and after marriage or cohabitation, and represented parents in high-conflict parenting disputes.

What kind of matters does Stephanie handle?

Complex financial and property disputes, agreements directed at asset protection before, during and after marriage or cohabitation, and high-conflict parenting disputes. Clients describe her calm, considered manner, her pragmatic approach to resolving matters and her humility. Having practised solely in family law since 2008, her experience spans both the financial and children's sides of separation.

How do I arrange an appointment with Stephanie?

Call the firm on (03) 7020 6542 or use the contact page to request a consultation. Initial appointments usually run for 1 to 1.5 hours, with the first 30 minutes at no charge, and can be conducted remotely by Microsoft Teams if getting to the Melbourne CBD is difficult.

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What is a Parenting Co-ordinator, and when is one used?

Parenting co-ordination is a dispute resolution process intended to help high-conflict parents implement parenting orders or agreements in a way that minimises conflict and supports the child's best interests. A parenting co-ordinator may be appointed by court order or simply by agreement between the parties. The important limit is that a parenting co-ordinator cannot impose a decision: the role is to work alongside both parents to remove obstacles to communication and to suggest tools and techniques so that existing orders actually work in practice, which can include liaising with the medical, legal or mental health professionals already involved with the family. It is most useful where the orders themselves are settled but putting them into effect keeps generating conflict. Stephanie is a trained Parenting Co-ordinator.

What does an Independent Children's Lawyer do?

An Independent Children's Lawyer is appointed by the Court where a child's interests ought to be separately represented, which commonly happens in high-conflict parenting disputes. The role is independent in a real sense: the Independent Children's Lawyer does not act for either parent, does not simply advance what the child says they want, and forms their own view of what arrangements would serve the child's best interests, which they then put to the Court. That view will not necessarily match what either parent is seeking, although any views the child expresses are something the Court must consider. Stephanie is a trained Independent Children's Lawyer, so she has seen parenting disputes from that perspective as well as acting for parents.

What should I bring to a first appointment with Stephanie?

If you have received a letter from another lawyer, or been served with Court documents, provide them in advance so they can be read before you arrive rather than during your appointment. For property or financial matters, a list of your assets, liabilities and superannuation is the single most useful thing to bring, even in rough form. For parenting or grandparenting matters, bring the names and dates of birth of the children and a short description of their current living arrangements. If circumstances are urgent, for example you believe your former partner may leave the country with the children or is taking steps to sell or transfer assets, say so when you book rather than waiting for the appointment, so that steps can be taken immediately.

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