About Kara
Kara provides competent, affordable unbundled legal services and representation to help clients survive their toughest days, turn the corner, and live the truism that things will get better. Unfortunately, things are often messy and difficult before getting better. Kara helps clients navigate these tough transitional periods by providing strong, capable, solution-driven legal services. Kara can help you find that light at the end of the tunnel.
With a background deep in public interest law and government service, Kara is a longtime family advocate - from children to elderly people and everyone in between. This focus on family advocacy links Kara’s work as a staff attorney at Indian Pueblo Legal Services, a Special Assistant Attorney General for New Mexico Child Support, a Domestic Violence Program Director at Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center, and an estate planning and probate law attorney. Kara also served as county and district court magistrate in the 18th Judicial District for 4.5 years, presiding over domestic relations, child support, county court civil, and county court criminal dockets. Her commitment to serving clients based on their legal needs, rather than their finances, has continued throughout her career.
Kara’s legal background and life experience are far-reaching, helping Kara address issues that often become intertwined in family law cases. Kara understands the often complex interplay between family law, probate, child welfare, and criminal court systems. In addition to years on the bench as an 18th Judicial District magistrate, Kara also served the Colorado Judicial Branch by managing the statewide domestic relations program on behalf of the State Court Administrator’s Office, including all aspects of Child and Family Investigator credentialing, training, complaint investigation, and oversight, and delivery of education to judicial officers, family court facilitators, and self-represented litigant coordinators. Kara also oversaw the statewide adult diversion and mental health diversion programs. Kara’s personal experiences as a member of the sandwich generation, as a foster/adopt parent, and as a family member of and advocate for those affected by childhood trauma, domestic violence, eating disorders, substance use disorders and addiction, mental health challenges, learning challenges, and neurodivergence inform her advocacy for clients and their loved ones who face these challenges.
Licensure and Education
Licensed to practice law since 1996 in New Mexico and 2004 in Colorado, Kara obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1992 from the University of Texas at Austin and her Juris Doctorate in 1996 from the Indiana University School of Law. Kara is licensed to practice law in Colorado and maintains a New Mexico license on inactive status. Kara has been admitted to practice in the federal district courts of Colorado and New Mexico, as well as Acoma and Laguna Tribal Courts.
Volunteer Work and Committee Involvement
Kara’s law-related volunteer work includes Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Colorado Lawyers Committee, Lawline9, and high school mock trial judging. Kara also served on the Jail-Based Behavioral Services Steering Committee, Supreme Court Judicial Education Subcommittee on Mental Health, Family Law Institute Planning Committee, Denver Metro Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee, Domestic Violence and Legal Issues Committee, and Colorado Commission on Child Support. In the community, Kara has enjoyed volunteering as a baseball and dance parent, PTCO school board observer, helper of newcomer families, Project Angel Heart and Food Bank of the Rockies volunteer, Destination Imagination co-manager, CASA Legacy Program mentor, Colorado Fund for People with Disabilities board member, and Outpaws Sweet Home Sanctuary volunteer.
Speaking, Training, and Presenting
Over the course of her career, Kara has presented to judicial, lay, and legislative audiences on topics ranging from criminal diversion programs to family law matters (e.g., child and family investigators, parenting with diminished capacity, Sorensen, child interviewing, contempt of court, medical marijuana and parenting time, child support problem-solving courts, imputing income, split/shared parenting time, post-decree modification standards and removal cases, and jurisdictional conflicts in Indian Country). Kara has trained scores of volunteers to represent the best interests of children in civil protection order cases and has guest lectured at DU’s Sturm College of Law.
