Top Divorce Lawyers in Columbia | 6 available

Kayla Welch is a long-time resident of Columbia and attended Stephens College, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in Psychology and later graduating summa cum laude with a second degree in Criminal Justice from Indiana Wesleyan University. Kayla joined Columbia Family Law Group as a law clerk in 2019 and began working as an attorney after graduating from the University of Missouri, Columbia School of Law. Kayla joined Van Matre Law Firm in January 2024. While in law school, Kayla participated in the Innocence Project Clinic working to investigate appellate criminal cases on the grounds of actual innocence, served as an Associate Managing Editor on the Journal of Dispute Resolution, and published her article: Restorative Justice: An Alternative Dispute Resolution Approach to Criminal Behavior.. While completing her education, Kayla spent more than five years honing her advocacy skills in Juvenile Court while volunteering as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children. This experience allowed her to work with other family law attorneys, Guardians ad Litem, juvenile officers, and social workers to learn how to effectively pursue the best interests of children in various cases.. As an adoptee herself, Kayla understands the personal and significant impact on individual family members when a family case is filed and has a passion for helping her clients obtain the best outcome for their families. During her time working in the legal field, Kayla has gained experience preparing financial agreements and settlements, child custody and support agreements, and adoption filings. Now, she works to help clients on matters involving Divorce, Modification, Child Custody, Child Support, Guardianships, Adoptions, and Juvenile cases.

Family law attorney with over twenty years of experience representing clients from all walks of life including business owners, professionals, stay at home parents, late life divorcing couples, unmarried couples with custody disputes, same sex couples, grandparents seeking visitation with their grandchildren, engaged couples with prenuptial agreements, and stepparents.. My practice also includes family law mediations related to divorce, custody and child support as well as special education law disputes through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, mediations for the Citizens Police Review Board, Human Rights Commission, land disputes, and other mediations related to various topics.. Proud advocate for the LGBTQ+ community representing children and adults with respect to name and gender changes.