About The Firm

I founded Divorce & Custody Services (D&CS) after 17 years as a litigation-focused family law attorney. Over time, I’ve come to believe that the traditional adversarial approach to family law often fails to serve the best interests of families, especially children. Divorce doesn’t have to mean conflict, anger, or turmoil. The conventional path is expensive, stressful, and emotionally draining. Children, unfortunately, are frequently caught in the middle, used as pawns, and bear the brunt of the anxiety their parents experience. My goal is to change that for as many people as possible.

I want to help clients navigate the end of their marriage or resolve custody and parenting disputes as gracefully as possible, keeping their futures in focus. In most cases, I believe this is achievable if both parties are willing. A contested family law matter can take a year or more to work through the court system, leaving lives on hold in the meantime. During that time, I’ve seen the emotional toll and financial strain detrimentally affect my clients. A judge’s decision is binding, and often, neither party is satisfied with the outcome. Once in the courtroom, the result is entirely out of your hands. By contrast, mediation and collaborative approaches allow you to retain control over the outcome.

At D&CS, my goal is to adapt to my clients’ needs, think creatively, and provide flexible, innovative solutions for family law issues, including divorce, custody, parenting time, child support, relocation, and spousal support disputes. I believe many clients benefit from the support of outside professionals like counselors, financial advisors, and coaches. I’ve built a trusted network of these experts and integrate them into cases when appropriate.

My purpose isn’t to meet a billable hour requirement or charge as much as possible. It’s to use my experience to help clients move into the next phase of their lives in the best possible way.

I will continue to accept a small number of traditional litigation clients because I recognize that some disputes require court intervention to resolve. For those cases, you can rest assured that I will represent you with compassion and fiercely advocate for your interests in the courtroom.

  • Attorney, Founder

    Kelly brings an honest, skilled, straightforward approach to her family law practice. She has practiced law in Central Oregon since 2007, starting at the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office and moving into family law. Kelly has handled every kind of marital dissolution, including complex and high-asset cases, custody and parenting time disputes, right-to-move cases, and restraining orders. She also mediates family law matters and drafts pre- and post-nuptials.  

    One thing that sets Kelly apart from other family law attorneys is her wealth of professional and life experience: she grew up in the Midwest, has lived on both coasts, and has worked in public relations, the media, and the federal government. She has deep compassion for people going through difficult life transitions and finds it rewarding to help people during one of the most stressful times of their lives.

    Former clients describe Kelly as articulate, honest, responsive, and strategic. She maintains a small client base to get to know her clients well and help them pursue their goals while always keeping in mind the financial and emotional impacts that family law involves.

    Kelly earned her Juris Doctorate from Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, and her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University in Washington, DC