Introduction

Stefanie is a junior barrister with experience across civil, family, and immigration law. Before being called to the Bar, she gained practical advocacy experience as a County Court advocate in civil matters, worked as a commercial litigation paralegal, and supported clients as a McKenzie Friend in private family proceedings. This diverse experience has given her a strong foundation in both the technical and practical aspects of legal practice.

Outside of work, Stefanie actively volunteers with charitable and non-governmental organisations, developing leadership, collaboration, and communication skills while supporting migrant communities and vulnerable individuals.

Civil

Before being called to the Bar, Stefanie worked as a court advocate and was instructed in over 500 cases across a broad spectrum of civil law. She regularly appeared in small claims trials, interim applications, and final hearings, gaining substantial courtroom experience early in her career.

Her civil practice encompassed a diverse range of matters, including landlord and tenant disputes, HMO licensing issues, road traffic accidents, personal injury, flight delay claims, credit hire, consumer rights, debt recovery, and bankruptcy proceedings. Stefanie continues to draw on this experience in her work as a barrister, maintaining a well-rounded and practical approach to her cases.

Family

Since being called to the Bar, Stefanie has built a thriving practice, regularly accepting instructions across all areas of family law.

Prior to her call, she gained extensive hands-on experience as a McKenzie Friend, supporting clients at every stage—from initial hearings to applications for permission to appeal. She has worked on a wide spectrum of private family law matters, including child arrangements, applications under the Family Law Act 1996, international relocation, and child abduction cases.

Stefanie has particular expertise in cases involving complex overlaps between child arrangement orders, non-molestation orders, and occupation orders. She is widely recognised for her empathetic approach, ensuring that clients feel genuinely heard, supported, and empowered throughout often challenging proceedings.

She routinely accepts instructions in Children Act matters, domestic abuse cases, and matrimonial finance disputes, bringing clarity, skill, and care to every case she undertakes.

Immigration & Nationality

Stefanie has developed extensive expertise across all areas of immigration law. She regularly appears before both the First-tier and Upper Tribunals, representing appellants in appeals, bail applications, and public law proceedings, including Judicial Review claims. She has appeared personally in the High Court and has juniorled in cases before the Court of Appeal, gaining valuable experience at every level of the appellate system.

She has significant experience in a wide range of complex cases, including asylum, applications based on private and family life, claims outside the Immigration Rules, trafficking cases, and other matters involving vulnerable clients. Her public law work includes challenging unlawful detention, procedural unfairness, and irrational or disproportionate decision-making by public authorities. This breadth of experience gives her a deep understanding of tribunal and court procedures, as well as the practical and legal challenges clients face at each stage of litigation.

Stefanie is known for her clear, persuasive advocacy and her ability to provide clients with strategic, well-informed guidance throughout their cases.

Direct Access

Stefanie is authorised to accept instructions directly from members of the public.

Languages

Stefanie is bilingual in Spanish and English and has beginner-level proficiency in French. 

Notable Cases

Tazeem v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 347 (link) – Having succeeded on procedural unfairness in the High Court ([2023] EWHC 1828), Stefanie appeared as junior, led by Jay Gajjar, and successfully persuaded the Court of Appeal that the appellant had been unlawfully detained during the interview process, securing damages for unlawful detention for a period of less than 24 hours.

Sandor Szorad & Eszter Andrea Kozma v Pritpal Singh Kohli [2023] EW Misc 12 (CC) (link)  – Stefanie successfully represented the Claimants in a tenancy deposit claim addressing the operation of deposit protection requirements under the Housing Act 2004 and the implications of Superstrike Ltd v Rodrigues. The court held that a landlord’s failure to protect a deposit gave rise to multiple statutory penalties where a fixed-term tenancy was followed by a statutory periodic tenancy, resulting in additional awards for non-compliance.