Focus on Service: Stange Law Firm

When choosing a law firm, you’re selecting more than just an attorney to represent you. From paralegals to office managers, there is an entire team working to protect your interests and meet your unique needs. At Stange Law Firm, every employee is dedicated to serving clients, according to director of administration Rebecca Terry. She has worked with the firm since shortly after it was created by founding partners Kirk Stange and Paola Arzu Stange. Terry started as a paralegal in 2008 and now assists with administrative management of the firm’s 19 offices.

“I’ve been married to this company longer than I have my husband,” Terry jokes. She recalls that when she started with Stange, it operated out of a small space in Brentwood. “There were three offices and a lobby area, and the conference room was a table in Mr. Stange’s office,” she says. “It was a big difference from where we are today. We now have offices across Missouri, Illinois and Kansas, and our headquarters is in Clayton right across from the courthouse.”

Before starting with Stange, Terry had no experience with family law, but she quickly learned how rewarding it is to help clients through divorce, child custody issues and other complicated challenges. “Some days are harder than others, and it is heartbreaking to hear stories of parents who just want to spend time with their children,” she says. “But when our attorneys return from court and share how we helped someone get more visitation, it makes those days worth it.”

After working as a paralegal for a few years, Terry took on new responsibilities with the firm, and she began performing more administrative tasks to keep the expanding company operating smoothly. “My job description changed as more employees came on and more offices opened,” she says. Eventually, she transitioned into her current position, director of administration. “My desk has paper on it all the time,” she says. “Files do not get opened or closed here without first passing through my office.”

A graduate of the University of Illinois at Springfield, Terry had a bachelor’s degree in legal studies and political science when she joined the firm, and while working at Stange, she earned her master’s in legal studies from the same university. She has spoken at continuing education seminars for organizations like the Institute for Paralegal Education, MyLawCLE and the National Business Institute.

“The firm continues to grow, and I’m glad to be a part of it,” Terry says. “After seeing the Stanges’ vision in action, I remember telling my mother that it felt like I was getting in on the ground floor of a great organization. I was right, and it’s been a pleasure to work here for the last 11 years. I can’t wait to see where we go next.”

Note: The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Rebecca Terry is responsible for this content. Pictured on the cover: Director of administration Rebecca Terry. For more information, call 855.805.0595 or visit stangelawfirm.com.
Cover design by Cydney Moore | Cover photo by Bill Barrett

Pictured at top: Director of administration Rebecca Terry
Photo: Bill Barrett