Kristen Thurmond is the owner of Thurmond Law Firm LLC. She started a practice with the goal of helping individuals with family and animal matters.
Dealing with a family law case is often a confusing time for people. Kristen helps her clients through the legal process while addressing the issues that arise while family dynamics are changing. This includes establishing custody and support orders through a divorce or paternity action, as well as changes or modifications to existing orders or parenting plans. Kristen practices in Platte, Clay, Cass, and Jackson Counties for all types of domestic and family law issues. Kristen has also started assisting Legal Aid of Western Missouri with cases in Buchanan County.
Animal related matters are an area of law that is growing. There is not one area of law that covers animal matters. Sometimes, pet owners find themselves facing fines and possible jail time for city tickets or charges. Her passion for animal related matters helps her guide clients through legal problems to keep pets safe, healthy, and out of legal trouble. If you're a pet owner and find yourself in that situation, Kristen can help. Additionally, Kristen has helped many animal related business owners with legal disputes and contracts, as well as assisting buyers and sellers when purchasing contracts are breached.
Lastly, Kristen assists parents and children in the Jackson County Family Court. Having been a GAL for children in Family Court for several years, Kristen has been able to learn the process for reuniting families. She turned her focus on helping parents and children with charges to make sure they are getting the help they need and that they are being heard during the difficult process. She is accepting cases as substitute counsel for attorneys appointed in Jackson County.
- University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law
- J.D. (2014) | Law
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- Activities: National Adoption and Child Welfare Moot Court Team; Animal Law Society, President 2013; UMKC Child and Family Services Clinic
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- William Jewell College
- B.A. (2011) | English, History
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- Honors: Rick-Pinkerton Scholarship for Dedication to the English Department
- Activities: WJC's Online Radio Station (Manager 2008-2011); International English Honors Society; International History Honors Society; Alpha Gamma Delta
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- Contract Attorney
- Legal Aid of Western Missouri
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- Assist as needed with clients who are approved for representation through Legal Aid in Buchanan County.
- Trial Attorney and Of Counsel
- B L Harrison Law LLC
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- Handles trial matters for contested matters on behalf of the firm and other minor matters as needed.
- Attorney and Owner
- Thurmond Law Firm LLC
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- Diligent and reliable representation for all practice areas. Firm has been open since 2015 and was rebranded in 2018. The attorney continues to operate her firm while working as trial attorney and of counsel.
- Attorney
- The Law Offices of Creagar & Thurmond, LLC
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- Intern/Law Clerk
- Whitsitt & Whitsitt, LLC
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- Student Attorney
- UMKC Child and Family Services Clinic
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- Volunteer Attorney, Ask-a-Lawyer Telethon, KCMBA Headquarters
- Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Assocation
- Answered calls from Kansas City area individuals to provide legal guidance and sources to find legal assistance.
- Volunteer Attorney, Ask-a-Lawyer Telethon, KCMBA Headquarters
- KCMBA and Fox
- Local news stations ran stories directing citizens to call in for free legal help. If there was not an attorney there to help, they directed the person to a local directory to find an attorney in that area of law.
- Top 20 Family Lawyers in Kansas City
- Expertise
- Chosen from over 250+ attorneys in Kansas City, Missouri
- Selected for Top 40 Under 40 for Family Law
- American Institute of Trial Lawyers
- Nominated as Top 40 Young Lawyer
- National Alliance of Women in Law
- Selected for Top 40 Under 40 for Criminal Defense
- National Trial Lawyers
- Selected as Top 40 Under 40 for Family Law
- American Academy of Attorneys
- The Missouri Bar # 67783
- Member
- Current
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- Young Professional Board of PRCKC
- Member
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- Activities: Focused on supporting PRCKC through fundraising and awareness of their services to keep pets with their families.
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- Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Assocation
- Member
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- Pet Resource Center of Kansas City (f/k/a Spay and Neuter KC)
- Volunteer
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- Activities: Volunteers assist with wellness care clinics, outreach programs, and community education opportunities. The goal of SNKC is to keep families together with their pets by providing low cost vaccinations, spays, and neuters and try to help families in need of supplies.
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- Missouri
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Credit Cards Accepted
We accept Visa and MasterCard. -
Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
We charge an initial consult fee that is applied to your first invoice if you hire us. Ask us about our payment options, which include flat fees or payment plans. We also offer limited representation by way of preparing documents for you to use in court if you cannot afford full representation or have an amicable resolution pending.
- Family Law
- Adoption, Child Custody, Child Support, Father's Rights, Guardianship & Conservatorship, Paternity, Prenups & Marital Agreements, Restraining Orders, Same Sex Family Law
- Divorce
- Contested Divorce, Military Divorce, Property Division, Same Sex Divorce, Spousal Support & Alimony, Uncontested Divorce
- Juvenile Law
- Animal & Dog Law
- English: Spoken, Written
- Q. I have had a restraining order against my ex husband for the last 2 years, he keeps violating it
- A: You cannot get a restraining order in MO for a child when there is a divorce decree with custody determinations in place because the divorce judgment has higher authority than an order of protection (what is referred to as a restraining order). You will need to register your divorce judgment in MO and then move to modify the judgment, including a motion for restraining order while the motion to modify is pending. Find a local lawyer to help with a modification as soon as possible! If you have serious concerns about your safety, look into the Safe at Home address confidentiality program through the MO Secretary of State website to see if you qualify. Reach out to local Legal Aid to see if they can assist or call around to find an attorney you can afford.
- Q. Already legally separated since 2019. We both are in agreement we would like the final divorce. How do we proceed?
- A: You state you are legally separated. If that means you have a judgment stating you are legally separated, then you simply need to file a motion to convert to a dissolution of marriage. You can have an attorney assist you or try to find forms on the self-representation portion of the Missouri courts website. If you have only been living separately and agreed on how to divide all your assets and debts, then you can choose to use the self-representation forms to file for a divorce or hire an attorney to assist preparing paperwork for you to file or to prepare and file for you. Most attorneys will do uncontested divorces for a flat fee instead of hourly.
- Q. A friend is in state custody (foster home) she’ll be 18 in March. They are wanting to move her again and she’s tired of
- A: First, your friend should have an attorney appointed to them that they can talk to about this. Second, this is really going to depend on the county involved. She needs to be participating at court and taking advantage of all the programs and services available to older kids/young adults in state custody. These can be everything from driving lessons, cooking classes, manages finances, getting jobs, and, mostly importantly, housing. However, not every county is capable of providing these services and/or your friend has to show she's capable of making some informed decisions and dedicated to completing her high school degree or GED equivalent. In short, be a supportive friend and let them vent to you. Encourage her to talk with the caseworker and attorney. More than likely, there is more going on than you're aware or she's willing to share if she has to move.
Consults with an Attorney - Stay at Home Edition