Stella is a 38-year-old best interest attorney. She is deeply committed to her job and takes her role as a child advocate seriously. She is client focused and begins each case by establishing trust with the children and adolescents she represents. She specifies that she always meets with clients “on their turf” and makes an effort to start her investigation with an in-depth understanding of what the child wants. She is thorough in her research and assertive in her interviews. When she encounters teachers, therapists, or other figures from the child’s life who are not as forthcoming as they should be, she is firm in her requests and clear in the rights afforded to her by the courts. The reports that she prepares are meticulous and wide-ranging, and she does her best to paint a holistic picture of each custody case.

Stella is also empathetic and a keen judge of character. She is highly intelligent and insightful, and she understands when to listen to her intuition. She initially has a great deal of empathy for Rose, especially given Rose’s traumatic mutism, which she once experienced herself. As empathetic as Stella is, she is also circumspect in her judgment of people, and she forms opinions only after thorough research and measured observation.