Anne Virginia Kiske | Kansas City | Divorce & Family Lawyer | Missouri

• MARCH Mediation Board Member
• American Family and Conciliatory Courts
• Missouri Bar

• American Jurisprudence Award for Administrative Law | American Jurisprudence
• American Institute of Family Law Award for Client Satisfaction

There have been several cases in which we have made a big difference. The first was a juvenile delinquency case where our child client was charged with sexually abusing a younger child. Our child client was not mature enough or developed enough to even understand what sex was, much less how to sexually abuse someone. We had to litigate this through to the appellate court, but as a result of our efforts, our child client was eventually cleared and he did not have to register as a sexual offender. The second that comes to mind was a divorce case that involved a pet dog. There was a bitter fight over the dog, but after the trial, and an appeal, we were able to secure "custody" of the dog for our client. The third case is a little more tragic, but we made a difference because we believed in our client. Our client's child was removed from his custody for abuse. We secured testimony of an expert who told the court that it was not abuse. Despite that, the court kept the child in state custody. The fact that we believed in our client and fought hard for him (and continue to fight for him) helped him cope with this tragic situation. And a fourth one was a run of the mill divorce case but the emotional toll on the client was huge - it had been a long marriage and a surprise divorce. The client was near suicide when he hired us, but we worked for him and supported him and talked to him. He stops by often to tell us we saved his life.

How did you build a successful practice? We really focus on our clients. We talk to them, email them. We let them know what is going on, what to expect. I would say we care about our clients.

What should clients look for in a lawyer? You need to pay attention to whether the lawyer is going to allow you to control the case, or if the lawyer is going to want to control the case. Lawyers can escalate conflict. That is often not what the client wants. The client needs to be able to put the brakes on the lawyer and keep the conflict in the case in check. This will also keep the attorney fees in check.

How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases? Each case is different. Each judge is different. It's important to know what the judge's notions are, and it's important therefore to get in to talk to the judge about their notions. When you know what the judges will do, you can more effectively resolve the cases.

What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? Phone consultations are limited to potential clients who live outside of the Kansas City metropolitan area and cannot travel to us. In the phone consultation, we provide the full 30 minute consultation you get in person in our office. We also have a mobile lawyer service for appropriate cases when a potential client is homebound in the Kansas City area.

What information do you need in a free phone consultation? If the potential client lives outside of the Kansas City metropolitan area, they will complete our intake process. We have an intake form for all potential clients that the potential client is to complete prior to meeting with the attorney.

What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? We take challenging cases that other lawyers won't necessarily take. We also don't fight just to fight - we fight for a goal. Fighting just for the fight runs up attorney bills, so we talk with our clients a lot about goals and possible realistic outcomes.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? We enjoy providing quality legal services at affordable prices.

What are your other interests in addition to law? I play flute, my children both play instruments. I love music.

Are you involved in your community? Yes, I currently play in the community band.