Law Office of Kari Nelson

Kari Nelson, Esq. -- Licensed to Practice Law in both Kansas and Missouri

Personal Bio:

• Hometown:  Salina, KS
• Undergraduate College:  Kansas Wesleyan University
• Law School:  Washburn Law School

Areas of Law:  Including, but not limited to:

• Family Law
  • Divorce
  • Child Custody and Support
  • Paternity
• Adoption
• Guardianship
• Criminal Law
• Wills and Estates  

Professional Organizations:

• Kansas Bar Association
• Douglas County Bar Association
• Criminal Defense Bar  

Licenses:

• Kansas State Courts
• Federal District Court for the District of Kansas
• Missouri State Courts
• Federal District Court for the Western District of Missouri  

A little more about myself:

A number of people have indicated that they would like to know about me before retaining me. I have always wondered exactly what type of information do they want? Do they want academic credentials; personal information; length of practice; philosophies regarding the law; or something else? Come to find out, the answers are as varied as the people. Therefore, I will try to give you a little information about all areas of my life and then if you have further questions, please feel free to let me know.

I graduated cum laude from Washburn Law School in 2003. During law school, I participated in Law Journal, Moot Court, and Law Clinic. I sat for and passed the Kansas Bar in the summer of 2003 and then I took and passed the Missouri Bar in 2004. After law school, I had the honor of working directly with Judge Elliot of the Kansas Court of Appeals as a research attorney. I then worked briefly with a local attorney in Lawrence, prior to starting my own practice in November of 2005.

Since beginning my own practice, I have handled a variety of family law cases, including divorce, child custody, child support, adoption, paternity, and guardianships. I have also handled a number of criminal law cases, from traffic to misdemeanors to felonies and appeals. I also do work in the area of wills, trusts, and estate planning and general probate law. Since I have a general practice, I have also worked with landlord-tenant issues, drafted contracts, and worked on commercial leases. I have also generated a list of attorneys to refer cases to in the event I am overbooked or if I feel you would be better served by someone with more experience in your type of case.

As far as my personal philosophies regarding legal matters, keep things simple and out of court as much as possible. The less interplay you have with the legal system, the better. Also keep your money in your pocket. When at all possible, it is better to work something out with someone else instead of using attorneys and the courts. Of course I realize this is not always possible, but it is far better to compromise than to make the court do it for you after you have spent thousands on attorneys.

In family law cases where children are involved, I also believe you should focus on the children instead of revenge. In most circumstances, it is best for the children to have open access to both parents. Even if you no longer love the other parent, your child/ren should still be allowed and encouraged to love that parent. Of course, there are cases where abuse, mental instabilities, and/or chemical dependency warrant a restriction on one parent’s access. But even in these situations, it should be about keeping the child/ren safe -- not about keeping them away from the other parent.

When and if you need to hire an attorney, probably the most important thing to consider is whether you are comfortable with the person. The reason this is so important is because you are going to most likely have to share a lot of details of your life with this individual. It is far easier to do this with someone you are comfortable with and can relate to than the alternative.

I am probably like most of you and juggle many hats. I have two children of my own and a stepdaughter. My children range in age from 4 to 13. Having a stepdaughter, I have personally dealt with a number of issues that you might be facing. I am also a wife and I know that marriage is a process and is not always easy, although when things are going well, it can be a wonderful partnership. I am also a daughter, an aunt, a sister, and a friend, just to mention a few of the other hats. Most importantly, I am a Christian and I try to run my life and my practice according to God’s principles. It is very important to me to keep a balance between work and home life and because of that, I try to limit the number of cases I am involved in so my children can grow up with a mother and not just with a money supply.

I hope this information is helpful. I am sure there could be a million other things I could tell you about myself, but I think this gives you an overview. The next step is for you to call and set up an appointment so we can meet. That way, we can both decide if a professional relationship would be beneficial to both of us.

Lawyers

Kari Nelson

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Location : Lawrence, KS

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