Our Practice Areas

Going through a divorce in Kansas City requires experienced legal representation to protect your rights and interests. Ellis Family Law provides comprehensive divorce representation for clients throughout Kansas and Missouri, handling both contested and uncontested divorces with skill and compassion. Our Kansas City divorce attorneys understand the nuances of divorce law in both states, including property division, debt allocation, and the dissolution process. Whether you're seeking an amicable resolution or preparing for litigation, we develop a strategic approach tailored to your circumstances and fight for the best possible outcome in Kansas and Missouri family courts.

Spousal support, also called maintenance or alimony, is a critical financial component of many Kansas City divorces. Ellis Family Law provides expert guidance on spousal maintenance matters in both Kansas and Missouri, where the laws differ significantly between states. Our Kansas City spousal support attorneys help clients seeking maintenance or defending against excessive requests, ensuring fair outcomes based on factors like marriage length, earning capacity, and standard of living. We assist with determining appropriate support amounts, duration, tax implications, and handle modifications when circumstances change, protecting your financial future through negotiation or litigation.

Child custody battles are among the most emotionally challenging aspects of family law, and you need the best Kansas City child custody attorneys fighting for your parental rights. Ellis Family Law provides dedicated custody representation throughout Kansas and Missouri, handling legal custody, physical custody, parenting time schedules, and custody modifications. Our experienced Kansas City custody lawyers understand that every custody case is unique and prioritize your children's best interests while protecting your relationship with them. We handle contested custody litigation, negotiate parenting plans, address relocation disputes, and modify custody orders when circumstances change. Whether you're a mother or father seeking primary custody, joint custody arrangements, or defending against unfair custody claims, our attorneys have extensive courtroom experience in Kansas and Missouri family courts to achieve the best outcome for you and your children.

Establishing paternity is essential for protecting parental rights and ensuring children receive support from both parents. Ellis Family Law handles paternity cases throughout Kansas City for unmarried fathers seeking to establish their parental rights and mothers seeking to establish paternity for child support purposes. Our Kansas City paternity attorneys guide clients through genetic testing, voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, and contested paternity proceedings in Kansas and Missouri courts. Once paternity is established, we assist with custody arrangements, parenting time schedules, and child support orders. Whether you're a father fighting to be part of your child's life, challenging incorrect paternity claims, or a mother seeking to establish paternity for support and custody purposes, our experienced attorneys protect your rights and your child's best interests.

Adoption is a joyous process that legally expands your family, and Ellis Family Law guides Kansas City families through every type of adoption in Kansas and Missouri. Our experienced Kansas City adoption attorneys handle stepparent adoptions, private adoptions, agency adoptions, relative adoptions, adult adoptions, and interstate adoptions. We manage all legal requirements including termination of parental rights, home studies, background checks, adoption petitions, and finalization hearings in Kansas and Missouri courts. Stepparent adoption is one of the most common types we handle, allowing a stepparent to legally adopt their spouse's child and create permanent family bonds. Our compassionate adoption lawyers ensure compliance with the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) for interstate cases and handle contested adoptions when necessary, making the adoption process as smooth as possible for your growing family.

Life circumstances change, and Ellis Family Law helps Kansas City clients modify existing court orders or enforce compliance when the other party violates court-ordered obligations. Our Kansas City modification attorneys handle custody modifications, child support modifications, spousal support modifications, and parenting time changes in Kansas and Missouri courts when substantial changes in circumstances warrant modification. Common reasons for modification include job changes, income changes, relocation, remarriage, children's changing needs, or parents' failure to follow existing orders. We also provide aggressive enforcement representation when ex-spouses or co-parents refuse to pay child support, violate custody orders, deny parenting time, or ignore other court-mandated obligations. Our experienced attorneys pursue contempt proceedings, wage garnishment, license suspension, and other enforcement remedies to ensure court orders are followed.