Website: http://WWW.KCDIVORCELAW.COM

Seminar topics include:

Child Custody and Time Sharing in Missouri

Tax Aspects of Divorce in Missouri

Equitable Distribution in Divorce Settlements in Missouri

Reported Appellate Decisions:

Maciak v. Maciak, 193 S.W.3d, (Mo. App. WD 2006)

Cullison v. Thiessen, 51 S.W.3d 508 (Mo. App. WD 2001)

Haden v. Riou, 37 S.W.2d 854 (Mo. App. WD 2001)

Allen S. Russell, Jr.
Attorney at Law
4739 Belleview, Suite 304
Kansas City, MO 64112
Phone: (816) 753-1500
Fax: (816) 753-1686
Email: asr.kcmo@att.net
Website: http://www.kcdivorcelaw.com

1989-1992 Associate in law firm n/k/a Cochran, Oswald, & Roam. Practiced in firm’s Family Law Department.

Education:
1986 BSBA University of Missouri-Columbia School of Business. Graduated Magna Cum Laude in Economics.

1989 JD University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law.

Professional Associations:
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - Fellow and present President of Missouri Chapter, past Treasurer of the 2000/2001/2002/2003 Missouri Chapter.

Missouri Bar Family Law Section - Member, Section’s Executive Council 1998 - present and 1991-1992, and Chairman of Section 2001 - 2003.

Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Family Law Section - Member (Chairman - 1995).

Eastern Jackson County Bar Association - Member.

Circuit Court of Jackson County Mediation Advisory Committee - Member.

Circuit Court of Jackson County Family Court Liaison Committee - Past Member.

Circuit Court of Jackson County Family Law Rules Committee.

Appointed to Supreme Court of Missouri Family Court Committee (Subcommittee reviewing the Form 14 Child Support Chart-as a non-voting member/participant).

Appointed to Supreme Court of Missouri and Missouri Bar Joint Commission of Pro Se Litigation

Continuing Professional Training and Achievement:
Wrote the Missouri Bar’s video entitled, “Divorce - A Guide to the Legal Journey Ahead” along with Jack Wax of the Missouri Bar. Said video being released for sale in the year 2001. Presented said video at numerous legal seminars, including the Missouri Bar Mid-Year Meeting, the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and the Solo and Small Firm Conference.

Completed mediation training in compliance with Supreme Court of Missouri and Jackson County Rules. Mediate family law issues.

Co-Authored the supplement of Chapter 25 of The Missouri Bar, Family Law Fourth Ed. Vol. 2 CLE.

Former Co-Author of the Missouri Bar Family Law Section “Update on the Law”.

Assisted attorney Jack Cochran in authoring The Missouri Practice, Vol. 21 on Family Law.

Contributing author of The Missouri Bar Family Law Handbook.

Faculty member and speaker at numerous seminars including: Tax Aspects of Divorce (1996); The Impact of Bankruptcy on Dissolution of Marriage (1995 and 1998); Real Estate Problems in a Dissolution (1996); Legal Terminology and the Form 14 (1997); New Form 14 and Senate Bill 910 (1998); Associate Circuit Judges’ Conference, “What Should be in Every Judgment and Decree of Dissolution of Marriage” (1999); Missouri Bar CLE Annual Law Update (2001); Missouri Bar Solo and Small Firm Conference (2001); Joint Physical Custody - - Form 14 Child Support Methodology (2003); Missouri Bar Family Law Section

Community Involvement:
Blue Springs Kiwanis Club (Past President); Blue Springs Country Club (Past Member and Vice President of Board of Directors); Blue Springs Jaycees (Past Vice President); Kimstin Place Homeowners’ Association (Past President); Eastern Jackson County Youth Court (Volunteer); First United Methodist Church of Blue Springs Finance Committee.

James H. Young
4951 N.E. Goodview Circle, Suite A
Lee’s Summit, Missouri 64064
Telephone: (816) 373-9898
Fax: (816) 373-9882
Email: jhyatty@sbcglobal.net

Experience in Family Law. David has nearly 25 years of experience in family law cases. After a two-year judicial clerkship with Justice David Prager of the Kansas Supreme Court, David began private practice in Johnson County, Kansas. For his work in family law, David is listed in Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers published by Martindale-Hubbell.

David is the 2004-2005 President of the Family Law Section of the Kansas Bar Association. As a long-time member and former Chairman of the Family Law Bench-Bar Committee of the Johnson County Bar Association, David has worked in drafting the Family Law Guidelines.

David is a member of the Family Law sections of the American Bar Association, Kansas Bar Association, Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, and Johnson County Bar Association.

Apart from family law, David has been a fellow of the American Judicature Society for more than 25 years. David is a member of the American Constitutional Law Society and a fellow of the Johnson County Bar Foundation.

Work with Children and Families: Awards. For his work with children and families, David received the first Attorney Advocate of the Year award presented by Johnson County CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate). The Kansas Bar Association awarded David the Pro Bono Award for public service.

Alternative Ways of Resolving Disputes: Mediation. Although experienced in divorce litigation, David has been in the forefront in exploring innovative ways to resolve family law cases without litigation. In 1982, David began his work as a mediator to help couples resolve financial and parenting issues without the trauma and expense of a court battle.

As one of the first attorney-mediators in the Kansas, David was one of many attorneys from around the United States invited to attend the 1988 American Bar Association “First National Dispute Resolution Workshop for Bar Leaders” in Chicago to explore the cutting-edge of ADR ("alternative dispute resolution"). When the Kansas Supreme Court appointed a group of judges, lawyers, and other professionals to develop recommendations for mediation and other forms of dispute resolution in Kansas, David was selected as part of the task force.

A long-time member of the Heartland Mediators Association, David received his advanced mediation training through CDR Associates of Boulder, Colorado, and helped coach mediation as part of the Kansas Bar Association=s innovative 40-hour program on Mediation Training. David is a former member of the Academy of Family Mediators. David has spoken on mediation and other dispute-resolution topics to lawyers, judges, and mental health professionals.

Collaborative Law. Collaborative law was begun in 1990 by Stu Webb, a lawyer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Collaborative law involves a teamwork approach with spouses and attorneys working together to resolve family law cases. A special element of the process is an agreement to focus on settlement and avoid going to court.

David received his initial training in collaborative law through its founder, Stu Webb. David continues to receive additional training through local bar association and collaborative law groups in both Missouri and Kansas. David is a member of the Collaborative Law Institute of Missouri and is in the process of helping form a collaborate law group in Kansas.

Multi-Discipline Approach. From his early work as a board member of the Johnson County Mental Health Association and on the advisory council for the Kansas City Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, David has always enjoyed working with psychologists, counselors, and other mental health professionals in a multi-disciplinary approach. David provided volunteer training to Johnson County CASA and staff training to Johnson County Family Court Services on divorce and child custody issues.

David has served on the international board of the Association of Family & Conciliation Courts (AFCC). As a multi-discipline group, AFCC encourages judges, lawyers, psychologists, mediators, court-service workers, and other professionals from around the world to work together to promote progress in family law. In connection with AFCC, David has attended multi-disciplinary family law conferences throughout the United States and Canada. As a member, president, and board member of the Kansas AFCC, David has worked to bring national experts in family law to the Kansas City area.

Family Law Guidelines. As chairman of the Family Law Bench-Bar Committee of the Johnson County Bar Association, David helped draft, develop, and revise both the financial and parenting aspects of the Family Law Guidelines—which are used to help resolve divorce and paternity cases in Johnson County. David continues to work as a member of the committee. The Family Law Guidelines provide recommendations for settlement of issues relating, in part, to:

* identification, valuation, and division of property
* determination and calculation of spousal maintenance
* minimum schedules for parenting time
* age-specific considerations for infants & toddlers

David has worked with Gary Kretchmer of Domestic Court Services of Johnson County and Carol Roeder-Esser of the Johnson County Mental Health Center on the Children Need Both pamphlet distributed by the Johnson County District Court. The Children Need Both pamphlet helps reinforce some of the concepts taught to divorcing parents in the GRASP parent-education class and outlines some of the factors to be considered in developing a parenting plan in Kansas.

Scholarship & Professional Education. After law school, in his two-year clerkship as a research attorney for Justice David Prager of the Kansas Supreme Court, David enjoyed researching legal issues raised on appeal while also examining the overall development of the law. Since focusing his practice on family law, David has continued his research and reading about legal, financial, and psychological developments related to family law. As part of his practice, David writes and speaks about various aspects of family law.

David’s article on the family law aspects of the federal Violence Against Women Act appears in the American Journal of Family Law (Summer 2000)(Volume 14, Number 2).

At local, regional, and national conferences, David has spoken to lawyers, judges, mediators, mental health professionals, teachers, and others about mediation, family law, and other topics. Those seminars and conferences include the following organizations:

* American Bar Association
* Law Education Institute in Vail, Colorado
* Kansas Bar Association
* Association of Family & Conciliation Courts
* Kansas Trial Lawyers Association
* University of Missouri at Kansas City Law School
* Ottawa University
* University of Kansas Law School
* Washburn University Law School
* University of Kansas School of Social Welfare
* Legal Education Institute
* Johnson County Bar Association (Kansas)
* Johnson County CASA
* MidAmerica Nazarene University (Grad School)
* Domestic Court Services
* Columbus, Indiana Bar Association
* National Business Institute
* Kansas Legal Assistants Society
* Johnson County Community College
* Shawnee Mission School District
* Shawnee Heights School District
* Park Hill School District
* Pembroke-Hill School

David P. Woodbury
4121 W. 83rd Street, Suite 125
Prairie Village, KS 66208-5317
Telephone: (913) 642-1144
Fax: (913) 642-1175
Email: dpwoodbury@aol.com

A custody mediator since 1988, Ms. Wallingford uses mediation techniques in her case negotiations, such techniques learned in over two hundred hours of mediation training and practiced in over two hundred mediations.

Chairperson, Missouri Child Support Guidelines Task Force (1985 - 1990).

Guardian ad litem for adoptions, Jackson County Family Court (1978 - present).

Guardian ad litem in over 100 domestic cases, particularly those involving complex child issues such as alienation of affections, abduction, mental illness and sexual abuse.

Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award, Christian College, Columbia, Missouri 1996.

A member of local and state bar family law associations and mediation associations, Ms. Wallingford has written and spoken extensively on child support guidelines, custody and parenting time, and abuse and neglect.

Undergraduate education: Christian College, Columbia, Missouri; University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Legal education: University of Missouri at Kansas City

Widow, two children, two stepchildren.

Nancy Wallingford
1310 Carondelet Drive, Suite 300-303
Kansas City, MO 64114
Telephone: (816) 942-1900
Fax: (816) 942-2671
Email:  nwatymed@swbell.net

Warren was admitted to the Missouri Bar in September 2004, and the Kansas Bar in April 2007. He is an associate with the firm of Barlow & Niffen in Kansas City, Missouri and practices almost exclusively in the area of family law in Platte, Clay, Jackson and Cass counties.

Warren and his wife JoAnn have lived in Kansas City North since 1992. Both are active members of North Heartland Community Church.

Warren Wade
Barlow & Niffen
1125 Grand Boulevard, Suite 2020
Kansas City, MO 64106
Telephone: (816) 842-9009
Fax: (816) 221-8040
wwade@kclawinfo.com

Education:
B.A. (Psychology), University of Missouri – Kansas City, 1972; J.D., University of Missouri – Kansas City, 1974

Associations:
The Missouri Bar; Eastern Jackson County Bar Association; Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association

Background:
About half of Jim’s practice has been in family law since 1987.  He served as a prosecutor with the Jackson County Juvenile Court from 1977 through 1986.  Since then he has appeared frequently in juvenile matters in that Court, which is now part of the Jackson County Family Court, representing parents and children.  He served as Secretary on the Board of Directors of the Habitat for Humanity affiliate in Independence for the first nine years of its existence.  He is married and has two adult children from his prior marriage.

Newhouse, Byers & Swaney, P.C.
304 West Walnut, Suite 210
Independence, Missouri 64050-3883
Telephone: (816) 833-3000 Ext. 303
Fax: (816) 833-3733
Email: jswaney@homeisp.com

David is authorized to practice in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri and is listed as an Arbitrator in both Clay and Platte counties. He is also a member of the Clay County Bar Association.

David is a partner in the firm of Schulz, Bender, et al. and his current practice consists of civil and criminal litigation, domestic and worker’s compensation.

Schulz, Bender, Maher, Lee, Sexton, Hill & Steinman, P.C.
Woodlands II Bldg., Suite 100
2900 Brooktree Lane
Gladstone, MO 64119
Telephone: (816) 455-2700
Fax: (816) 455-2775

Law: University of Missouri, at Kansas City, 1980

Admitted to the Missouri Bar in Missouri and engaged in private practice since 1980.

Former Missouri Parole Officer, and Assistant Public Defender. Law practice has included family mediation since 1991, currently mediating well over 100 cases each year.

Past or current member of: the Jackson County, Missouri Circuit Court Mediation Advisory Committee; the M.A.R.C.H Mediation Program in conjunction with the Office of Child Support Enforcement and the State Court Administrator’s Office; the Clay County Bar Association Family Court Committee; and original member of the Jackson County, Platte County, and Clay County Circuit Court Mediation programs. I am Past President of the Clay County Bar Association; and Hearing officer on the State Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board (a gubernatorial appointment).

I have attended or presented at approximately 20 different mediation courses and seminars, including the Academy of Family Mediator’s Consultant’s Institute in Atlanta GA, and I received training by the Key Bridge Foundation of Washington D.C.

I have been recognized as an Approved Consultant by the Academy of Family Mediators, now the Association for Conflict Resolution.

I am prosecuting attorney for the cities of Excelsior Springs and Parkville, Missouri. I am married with 4 children… enjoy travel, sailing and volunteering for AFS, the student foreign exchange program.

104 W. Kansas St.
Liberty, MO 64068
Telephone: (816) 792-4242
Fax: (816) 792-0888
Email: PMSLAW@kc.rr.com

Our firm takes pride in the fact that the vast majority of our business stems from returning former clients, client referrals and attorney referrals.  We understand that for a client or colleague to refer someone else to us speaks volumes about the trust and confidence they have in our services.  If you choose The Reynolds Law Firm, L.L.C. to represent you, expect quality legal services at a fair and reasonable cost.

Educational Background:
Mr. Reynolds graduated with honors in 1992 from Rockhurst University where he received his B.S.B.A. degree in Finance and Economics.  In 1995 he earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law. 

Admitted:
Mr. Reynolds was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1995 and the Kansas Bar in 1996.  Mr. Reynolds is also a member of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri and the U.S. District Court for Kansas.  Mr. Reynolds has argued appellate cases before the Missouri Court of Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. 

Professional Memberships & Activities:
Mr. Reynolds has professional affiliations with the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (KCMBA); KCMBA Family Law Committee; Missouri Bar Family Law Committee; Eastern Jackson County Bar Association; Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys; and The Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

Mr. Reynolds has served a member of the board of directors for the Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA) as well as on the advisory board.  He has also served as a member of the board of directors for the Rockhurst University Alumni Association.

Mr. Reynolds has been an instructor and contributing author of family law seminars (Child Custody Law, Institute for Paralegal Education, 1998 and Nuts & Bolts of Child Support of Maintenance

My Goal:
My goal is not just to practice law, but to build a relationship with you based on trust, professionalism and respect.  Understanding that your situation is unique and important, my staff and I will work with you to identify your objectives and design legal solutions to meet them.  I believe that relationships are the cornerstone of my business.

The Reynolds Law Firm, L.L.C.
Belletower Office Building
4700 Belleview Ave., Suite 404
Kansas City, Missouri 64112
Telephone:  (816) 531-6000
Fax:  (816) 531-3939
Email:  wreynolds@whrlawfirm.com
Website: http://www.whrlawfirm.com

Ms. Plax is a founding member of the Collaborative Law Institute of Missouri, Inc. She is a member of the International Association of Collaborative Professionals. Ms. Plax believes that the collaborative approach to resolving family disputes may offer the best option for many spouses. She has handled numerous collaborative cases.

Active in many professional organizations, Karen Plax is former legislative chair and vice-chair of the Missouri Bar Family Law Section, past chair of the Family Law Committee of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, a member of the American Bar Association Family Law Section, a past chair of Division 3 of the 16th Judicial Circuit Committee which reviews ethical conduct of lawyers, and a member of the Jackson County Family Court Domestic Violence and Rules Committees. Ms. Plax is also past president of the Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, of which she is a Fellow.

The President of the Missouri Bar Association cited Ms. Plax for her special efforts in family law legislation in 1997. In 1998 Ms. Plax received the University of Missouri - Kansas City Law Foundation Public Service Award and in 1999 the Association of Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City selected Ms. Plax as its Woman of the Year. The Missouri House of Representatives has also cited Ms. Plax for her contributions to law and society. Karen Plax lectures frequently on family law topics. Recent presentations have included: Update on Legislative Changes affecting Family Law; Removal of Children from the State; Use of Depositions in Litigation of a Dissolution; Federal Child Support Requirements; and Tax Aspects of Family Law Cases.

Ms. Plax is also a matrimonial arbitrator trained by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Ms. Plax limits her practice to Jackson, Clay, Cass and Platte Counties in Missouri.

1310 Carondelet Drive, Suite 300-303
Kansas City, MO 64114
Telephone: (816) 942-1900
Fax: (816) 942-2671
Email:  kaplax@swbell.net
Website: http://www.plaxlaw.com

James Piedimonte has been a family lawyer throughout his career with emphasis in divorce, maintenance, custody and visitation, child support, modifications, paternity, adoptions and many other family law matters.

Education and Degrees:
1981-1983 University of Missouri at Kansas City, Missouri; Juris Doctorate
1978-1981 Graceland College, Lamoni Iowa; Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/History
1977 Pembroke-Country Day School in Kansas City, Missouri; High School Diploma

Advanced Training:
2007 Collaborative Law Training, Chip Rose.  Collaborative Law Institute of Missouri.
2007 Guardian Ad Litem Training, Missouri Bar.
2006 Advanced Guardian Ad Litem Training, Clay County Bar Association.
2000 Advanced Family Law Mediation Training, Robert Benjamin-instructor, Kansas City, MO.
1998 Mediation Training of Business, Family and Divorce Conflict,
Robert Benjamin-Instructor, Washington University, St. Louis, MO.
1998 Guardian Ad Litem Training, MO Bar, Jefferson City, MO.
1991 Family Law Mediation, KCMBA office, Kansas City MO.

Associations:
Member of the Missouri Bar Association since 1983;
Western District of the Federal Bar Association since 1983;
Supreme Court of the United States Bar Association since 1986;
Kansas City, Missouri Bar Association since 1983;
Eastern Jackson County Bar Association 1983
Clay County Bar Association 2006.
Member of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) 2006;
Jackson County Family Court Child Custody Mediator Panel, 2006;-07
Member Rule 17 list of Dispute Resolution Neutrals of Missouri Bar 2006 and 2007.
Member of Mediator Panel of Kansas City Bar Association 2006.
Member of the National Organization of Social Security Claims Representatives (NOSSCR).
Member of Panel of Attorneys for Union Plus Legal Services for AFL-CIO’s
and other affiliated labor unions.
Member of Panel of Attorneys for ARAG North America Inc.
Community Associations:
Chairman of Panel of Attorneys for Hope House Shelter for Battered
Women 1983 to 1989.
Advisory Board to Salvation Army in Independence, Missouri 1985-1988
Advisory Board to Vatterott College in Independence, Missouri 1986-1989.
Adjunct Professor at Park University teaching master degree program in “Evaluation and Study of Not-for-Profit Corporations” 2000-2001

Piedimonte & Associates, P.C.
221 W. Lexington
Suite 104
Independence, Missouri 64050
Telephone: (816) 254-6477
Fax: (816) 836-9077
Email:  james@piedimontelaw.com
Website: http://www.jpiedimontelaw.com