As a finalist in the 2025 Lawyers Weekly, Women in Law Awards for Partner of the Year – SME category, Sophia Anderssen, shares insights into her journey, leadership, and what drives her passion for the law.
How did you start down this career path?
I did not immediately go into law, and it was not a path I was drawn too in my younger years. However, after studying and working in other areas (business, crisis counselling and so on) I found that I was drawn to law. I began studying law in my late 20’s when I was already a Mum. I was always around law as my father, uncles and grandfather were lawyers, and even further back, we have a Judge in Sweden in our family tree. However, it is not a career that I thought I would end up doing. There were signs though! I was told as a child often that I would make a good lawyer as I liked to win an argument.
What inspires you in your role/industry? Why?
Two things inspire me. The first is that I believe that every day in this job, we can make a difference. To me, this isn’t just about the final outcome, it is also about the process. It is about assisting clients along the journey and to make the journey a little lighter for them. After going through my own family law journey with my daughter, I was inspired to go into law to help others. I knew what it felt like to be on the other side and I wanted to assist clients to feel listened too. We also have many Wills and Estate clients who are going through grief. I find that we can make a difference for the journey our clients are on, just by displaying empathy and kindness. The other inspiration for me is to demonstrate to my children the importance of helping others. I believe we motivate others by what we do, more than what we say.
What's your approach to customer service that separates you from the rest?
This may sound cliché, but I believe that customer service is really an area that we excel in at our firm. It helps that we are a small firm and we can keep a pulse on the whole client journey. In our firm, we have worked to create a culture of care. I genuinely believe that the culture of the firm comes from the top down. My father and I value treating people well and that extends to our customers and our staff. I always remember one of my roles as a young person where my boss used to say ‘smile when you answer the phone, it makes a big difference to how you come across’.
How do you innovate and stay ahead of industry trends?
It has been an interesting journey in law, watching how quickly things have changed, particularly in recent years. We have found that innovation is essential if you want to continue to stay current and competitive in this field. Lawyers can no longer just wear that one hat. They also have to excel in marketing and promoting their firms. Now, AI has come in and we are having to learn fast. Most processes that were mostly via paper or person are now online. I have seen how much change has occurred in the industry in the last 30 years or more from my involvement in my father’s firm since I was a child. Back in the day, lawyers could get on with the job of lawyering with minimal time put into advertising. it was as simple as developing a good reputation, doing some networking and a putting in a yellow pages advert once a year that stood out. Now, law firms need to implement a multipronged and continual marketing approach involving social media, webpage blogs, Google, networking, and so on. It is far more competitive these days for law firm owners and much more time consuming. For small law firms, it is more complicated. We have to divide our time and innovate constantly. You have to constantly be willing to channel your energy as a business owner into developing an evolving marketing plan and put that plan into action. If you don’t innovate, you fall behind. We have managed as a firm to stay in the game for over 32 years because of innovation as well as developing a good reputation.
What is the toughest challenge you've faced in your role? How did you overcome it?
For me as a partner in the firm at Terry Anderssen Lawyers, there is not just one challenge. I have found there have been a few key challenges. The first major challenge was, after wearing too many hats, was to let go and learn to delegate. The second challenge is mindset. With the stresses of this role, for me learning to quickly recognise the negative worry thoughts and reframe those thoughts was a necessity. I have had to learn to adapt and view challenges as part of the process as well as a learning opportunity. I am also lucky to have my father, Terry Anderssen to discuss and share my concerns with. I have been able to learn from his wisdom and also have had his emotional support when things are tough. I have found it is vital to reach out to colleagues and other supports to also discuss these challenges. This is not an easy gig, you have to have the right mindset to constantly overcome challenges in this field. The other big challenge is managing a busy firm as a Mum. I am lucky to have a supportive husband and family. However, there is always a new challenge that I have to overcome.
What are some of your goals for the next 5 years?
In the next five years, my father will probably have passed the baton to me. I hope for our firm to continue to thrive. With the changes that I have seen in the past year with AI, I can see there will be many changes coming, and this means continual innovation. I aim to continue to create a legacy of kindness and continue to be a positive role model for my children. Apart from law, some other personal goals are to have an art exhibition for my artwork and improve my Spanish.
Sophia Anderssen is a partner with her father Terry Anderssen at their law firm, Terry Anderssen Lawyers based in Nundah, Brisbane.
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At Terry Anderssen Lawyers, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and empathy in every interaction. As a proud family business spanning three generations of dedicated legal professionals, we have earned a strong reputation in the community for delivering quality, tailored legal services.
