Practice Areas

Dedicated to Compassionate and Professional Representation

Family Law
I represent clients throughout the state of Missouri in all facets of family law including the following:

• Adoption
  • Domestic
  • International
  • Step-Parent
• Divorce (simple and complex)
• Legal Separation
• Spousal Maintenance / Alimony
• Child Custody/Visitation
• Parenting Agreements
• Marital Separation Agreements
• Paternity
• Temporary Orders
• Enforcement Proceedings
• Pre-Nuptial and Post-Nuptial Agreements
• Establishment, Modification, or Termination of:
  • Child Custody
  • Child Support
  • Visitation
  • Alimony
• Name Changes
• Domestic Abuse / Violence
• Grandparent Visitation
• Annulment
• Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Mediation
  • Collaborative Law

Adoption
Adoption is the legal process by which a legal parent-child relationship is created between individuals not biologically parent and child. When an adoption is finalized, the relationship of the adopted child with its biological parents is severed, and the adopted child becomes, for all legal purposes, the child of their adoptive parents.

Adoption serves many purposes including promotion of the welfare of the child and to serve the interests of the biological parents, adoptive parents, and the State. Because of the profound impact adoption has on personal, familial and economic relationships, adoption laws are among the most complex manifestation of government regulation of the lives of private citizens.

I have experience representing individuals in public, private, domestic, and international adoption proceedings. I am well versed in the laws and procedures governing the adoption process and am able to handle adoption matters with the utmost efficiency and effectiveness. If you are looking for representation to assist you through the adoption process, contact me today.

Alternative Dispute Resolution
Not all family disputes require traditional litigation methods to reach a resolution. More and more family law matters are being resolved through alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation and collaborative law. These methods allow for a quicker and less acrimonious resolution of family law disputes, thereby avoiding the conflict and stress of litigation. ADR offers many advantages, including reduced cost, faster resolution, less emotional stress, and the ability to construct solutions that are custom tailored to meet the needs of the parties.

Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution process where a mediator, who is a neutral, disinterested person, helps parties resolve disputes on their own. A mediator is not a decision- maker and does not decide the outcome of a dispute. Rather, a mediator’s role is to facilitate communication between the parties and guide the parties in exploring creative resolutions.  A mediator does not act as an advocate for either party, and although a mediator can provide general legal information to the parties, a mediator can not give individual legal advice to either party.

I have received extensive training and have a wealth of experience as a family law mediator. I am a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, the Association of Conflict Resolution and the Association of Missouri Mediators, and am a contract mediator with the Clay County Missouri Family Court. I also participate as a mediator in M.A.R.C.H., a program designed to provide mediation services to better serve the needs of children whose parents are divorced, separated or never married. For more information on the M.A.R.C.I-I. program, please go to www.marchmediation.org.

Collaborative law is another alternative dispute resolution process. Like mediation, the goal of the collaborative law process is for the parties to reach a negotiated settlement and avoid litigation. The collaborative law process requires each party to be represented by an attorney who has received collaborative law training. Each attorney provides his or her client with legal advice and advocacy. However, unlike traditional legal representation, the attorneys and the parties agree not to litigate the disputes in court. Instead, there is an agreement among the attorneys and clients to participate in a series of ‘four-way’ meetings where settlement is the only agenda.

I am trained and experienced in the collaborative law process, and am a member of the Collaborative Law Institute of Missouri. If you would like additional information concerning the collaborative law process, please either contact me or go to www.collablawmo.com.