In family law, no two matters are the same. Behind every matter is a story of separation, conflict, resilience and reform. It’s one of the most complex, emotionally charged areas of legal practice and yet, many of the tools family lawyers use today are generic, not purpose-built.
If legal technology is to genuinely support family law practitioners, it must be designed with them, not just for them. That’s why we’ve made a deliberate decision to embed experienced practitioners into our product development process and why we’re proud to introduce Bree Staines, a family lawyer who joined our team earlier this year.
With over a decade in practice and a deep understanding of the challenges lawyers face daily, Bree brings more than legal knowledge. She brings empathy, clarity and a client-centred mindset that’s helping shape our family law solutions from the inside out.
“Family law is probably the most emotional of all the areas of law,” Bree explains. “Lawyers aren’t just managing legal issues, they’re managing their clients’ emotional states too. This emotional burden must be front of mind when creating tools for this space.”
It’s a sentiment many practitioners will recognise. Burnout is real. Time is limited. Clients expect transparency and care, even as legal budgets tighten.
Bree believes, unless a product accounts for this delicate balance, it will never gain traction.
“Practitioners are tired and overworked,” she says. “They rely on their experience to get the job done as efficiently as possible, without compromising quality. If a technology solution wants to change their work process, it has to offer a clear benefit and slot in seamlessly.”
Bree’s lived experience gives her the ability to spot those benefits, or the lack thereof, early in the process. Her input helps our product teams focus on features genuinely helping practitioners, not just tick boxes.
“A lawyer can also speak to what clients need,” Bree adds. “Clients are paying thousands of dollars in legal fees. Even when they’re happy with the outcome, they want to know their money is being used efficiently. Products helping lawyers work faster without losing personal care for their client will succeed.”
Bree’s legal journey has taken her through the Family Court registry, national firms, boutique practices and collaborative law settings. She’s worked alongside Criminal and Estates lawyers, adapted her approach to suit diverse client needs and helped countless families find a way forward.
Some of her most memorable matters highlight the depth of her impact:
She’s also served the profession through roles with the St George Sutherland Law Society and the NSW Collaborative Professionals board, always bringing collegiality, open-mindedness, and integrity to everything she does.
But after more than a decade in practice, Bree felt it was time for a change.
“I didn’t want to leave family law entirely,” Bree says. “But I wanted to expand my skill set, do something different day to day and still feel connected to the profession.”
InfoTrack offered the right opportunity.
“It felt like a safe move; reputable company and doing good work for legal practitioners. Now I get to work on varied projects with different team members, which keeps things interesting. Most importantly, the company values its people, which really matters to me.”
Since joining the team, Bree has been instrumental in shaping how we approach Family Law technology. One of the key perspectives she brings is the distinction between supporting the lawyer-client relationship versus replacing it.
“Technology can’t replace humans, lawyers or admin staff,” she says. “What it can do is make things quicker and easier, without taking away jobs or empathy.”
For example, in developing our tools for Financial Disclosure or Process Serving, Bree helps us stay anchored in reality. She reminds us, while automation can gather information, it’s still the lawyer’s role to interpret, verify and advise.
“Clients give instructions. Lawyers still need to understand those instructions, critique them and apply professional judgement. Good technology should make the exchange smoother, not bypass it.”
This kind of thinking ensures our solutions are practical, compliant and genuinely valuable to the people who use them.
Having Bree on board has reaffirmed our belief: purpose-led technology takes practitioners, people who’ve walked the path, navigated the pressures and know the stakes firsthand to design impactful solutions.
We don’t want to stop here. Our vision is to continue to create a network of legal practitioners who can contribute to how legal technology is built, whether that’s through formal roles, advisory panels, user testing or product feedback.
Because at the end of the day, building for the legal profession means building with it. And when it comes to family law, collaboration matters more than ever.
This is your opportunity to connect with fellow family lawyers and explore how technology is shaping the future of family law. Hear from those with real experience, practitioners and behind the technology.
Seats are limited. Don’t wait.
