About Us

Learn What Makes Us Kansas City’s Best Family Law Office

About Us

Learn What Makes Us Kansas City’s Best Family Law Office

Our Mission

At our office, we have a set of values that we live and practice by. Our values include providing quality communication with our clients. We believe communication is the key to our success. Our mission is to relieve as much stress from our clients as possible while they’re going through their legal proceedings. We always put our client’s, and their child’s best interest first. We help our clients rebuild their lives after divorce, provide effective advocacy, and offer convenient services for our clients. We do this through our variety of service options, and our reasonable rates. 

We give our clients peace of mind knowing they don’t need to worry. We work hard so that you don’t have to.

Why Choose Us?

 

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Convenient

We provide a variety of services, including a la carte services. We also provide phone consultations.

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peace of mind

We make our process as stress-free as possible and are willing to go to trial if necessary.

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Supportive

We are much more than just a law office. We offer support during and after divorce for our clients.

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Effective advocacy

We have the knowledge and experience necessary to handle all of your family law needs. Our client’s best interest is our priority.

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We put your children first

We have a passion for providing the best life possible for children. We will put their needs first in all of our legal proceedings.

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cost effective

We understand that not every financial situation is ideal. That’s why we work with our clients and offer them convenient payment plans for our services.

About Kristen

 

Kristen Buzzelli is the founding attorney of Buzzelli Law. Kristen found her passion for family law while attending Michigan State University, where she graduated with Honors with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work with a minor in child welfare. Kristen’s experience in social work not only gave her a unique insight to a variety of family situations, but also instilled a sense of compassion and dedication to families in need, which in turn led her to further pursue her law degree at The University of Kansas. Kristen graduated with her Law Degree with a certificate in Trial Advocacy from The University of Kansas in 2010. Kristen is a licensed attorney in both Missouri and Kansas. Kristen is a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Eastern Jackson County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Missouri Bar Family Law Section.

Kristen uses a solution-focused approach to help her clients make sense of their life changes and ensure them the best possible outcome for their case. Kristen is personally familiar with the life changes that divorce can have on a family, having come from a blended family herself. She uses her personal experiences and education to guide her clients through the legal process and onto the next chapter of their lives.

When Kristen is not diligently working on behalf of her clients, she enjoys donating to and volunteering with the rescue dogs at various animal shelters within the Kansas City area. She has adopted three rescue dogs with severe behavioral issues, Luigi, a Pomeranian, Jackie, an Australian Shepard, and Dean, a Boxer mix.

About Our Staff

 

Danyiel B.

After college, Danyiel got a job as a legal receptionist for an Environmental Law attorney. From there, she worked in an office with several attorneys practicing multiple areas of law. It was here that she found a strong passion for domestic litigation.
In 2012 she began as a paralegal to a Family Law attorney and has been in this area of law ever since. She joined the Law Office of Kristen Buzzelli in December of 2018.

With eleven years of experience in the legal field she hopes to provide you with a sense of ease knowing that you can trust her work on your case. She understands how difficult these circumstances can be and her job is to make the process a little less stressful for you.

On a personal level, she is a married mother of one son, two cats, two dogs, a fish and a turtle. She lives in a zoo, basically. In her spare time, she enjoys crafting, Nerf gun fights and sipping on wine while binge watching her favorite shows on Netflix.

Lacey

Lacey started with Buzzelli Law in July of 2019 as a legal assistant. Lacey presents an approachable, helpful, and supportive demeanor as she helps our clients throughout the case. Lacey often acts as an additional liaison between our clients and Kristen by answering our phones and responding in a timely manner to emails. She also helps Kristen and our office staff by keeping our client’s files organized, scheduling appointments, and assisting with various administrative needs. Lacey is a licensed notary in Jackson County, Missouri and with over ten years of customer service experience, she is a real asset to our team.

 

Lacey is active parent to three children and enjoys spending her time outside of work hanging out with her family. She is also a proud pet mom to an eighty-pound Pitbull mix, an albino rat, and a five-foot long ball python.

FAQs

Get in Touch

Can Divorce Be Easy?

Divorce can be easy if both parties to the divorce want it to be easy and are willing to be reasonable. Divorce is typically not going to be easy if custody is contested, if spousal support is requested, or if one party wants an unequal division of assets. Divorce is a loss and one of the most stressful life events that anyone can go through. Divorce is usually easier when both people have had the time and space to process their grief.

Can Divorce Be Canceled or Reversed?

If the divorce process is not finalized it can be canceled. If only one person has filed court pleadings, then that person just has to request to dismiss the case. If both people have filed pleadings, then they have to jointly request to dismiss the case. If the Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage has been issued and more than 30 days have passed, then the parties would have to marry one another again.

Can Divorce Be Cheap?

There are several ways to reduce your overall attorney’s fees and save money during the divorce process. First it is important to bulk all of your questions together and ask them at one time. Attorney’s bill by the amount of time they spend on the case. If you ask one question every five days you will have spent a half hour of attorney time. However if you bulk your questions together and ask them all at the end of the week then you may have only taken up a few minutes of time. Over time that will save you a substantial amount of money. Second, when information is requested by the attorney, provide your response in a timely manner. It is a waste of money if your attorney has to hunt you down for something simple like paystubs. Third is it is important to be reasonable in your case. You do not want two attorneys to argue for four hours over a sweater that is only worth $20. A good attorney knows the judge and what they are likely to do with your case. Come to a resolution that is similar to the outcome you would get with the Judge and you will save money.

How Does Divorce Affect Credit?

Divorce itself has no negative impact on credit. What does affect credit is one party failing to make payments on marital bills. When debts are in the name of both parties to the marriage, both are negatively affected when payments are not made. Often poor choices made during the divorce process result in negative impacts on credit that may take years to repair. As your attorney I will do my best to insure that your credit is protected and help with any credit repair needed after divorce.

How Does Divorce Affect Finances?

Divorce typically has a negative impact on finances. The same amount of income now needs to support two separate households. Both parties to the divorce will probably need to change their lifestyle somewhat. As your attorney I will assist you with creating a new budget and determining financial support.

What Divorce Papers Do I Need?

The documents required for divorce vary by county and state. That is why it is important to have an attorney assist you with the process. Generally you need a divorce petition and a case filing information sheet to get the process started.

What Divorce Papers Do I Need to Remarry?

In Missouri you need a Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage and in Kansas you need a Decree and Journal Entry of Divorce. In both states you will have to wait at least thirty (30) days after your divorce is final before remarrying.

When is Divorce Started and When is Divorce Final?

The divorce process is started by one party signing a Petition, filing with the court, and paying the filing fee. The divorce process is final when a Judge signs a final judgment or journal entry.

Why is Divorce so Expensive?

Here are some common issues that can make divorce expensive:
1. One side is refusing to take a reasonable stance
2. One side is accusing the other of abuse
3. One side is accusing the other side of hiding funds
4. One side is hiding funds
5. One side has kidnapped the child
6. The client is utilizing the attorney as a therapist
7. One side has unrealistic expectations

Our Location

529 SE 2nd St, Suite A
Lees Summit, MO 64063

Contact Us

Call Us: 816-581-2020

Email: [email protected]

Office Location
529 SE 2nd St, STE A
Lees Summit, MO 64063

 

Address

529 SE 2nd St,
Suite A
Lee's Summit, MO 64063

Our Address

529 SE 2nd St, STE A
Lee's Summit, MO 64063

Office Phone

(816) 581-2020

Office Phone

(816) 581-2020

Hours

Monday - Thursday
8:30am - 4:30pm
Fri: By Appt. Only
Sat & Sun: Closed
Holiday office closures: 11/25, 11/26, 12/23, 12/24, 12/31
Attorney unavailable dates: 10/5, 10/12-10/18, 11/4, 12/15/-12/17, 12/21-12/26

Hours

Mon - Thurs:
8:30am-4:30pm
Fri: By Appt. Only
Sat & Sun: Closed
Holiday office closures: 11/25, 11/26, 12/23, 12/24, 12/31
Attorney unavailable dates: 10/5, 10/12-10/18, 11/4, 12/15/-12/17, 12/21-12/26

Email

*applications must be submitted online for consideration.

Email

*applications must be submitted online for consideration.

Fax

(816) 581-2020

Fax

(816) 581-2020