Areas of Practice

Divorce and Custody

The decision to end a marriage is not an easy decision to make; nor is it one to be made in haste or ignorance. The ramifications of divorce are serious and permanent. Nevertheless, for those in an unhappy marriage, divorce may provide a light at the end of a very dark tunnel. For folks seeking to terminate a relationship, three options are possible in Kansas…Read more

Family Law

Today’s family lawyer faces exciting challenges. The nature of the family is changing and the law is changing to meet the evolving needs of new family structures. The Law Office of David J. Brown, LC, strives to meet the legal needs of families at every stage of their development And, when we talk about families, we use a broad definition. We include married and unmarried couples; single parents; multi-generational family units; polyamorous families, and, families with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and gender queer (LGBTQ) members…Read more

Nontraditional Families

We celebrate our clients’ diversity and work to meet their unconventional needs. Our clients include heterosexuals, grandparents, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and gender queer (LGBTQ) persons. Our goal is to help establish the legal rights for our clients that all family members want, expect and deserve. In many instances this is challenging because Kansas laws are not evolving as quickly as those in other states. We recognize that in many instances laws designed to protect traditional married couples actually penalize those who by choice, or by law, are not married. Nevertheless, we strive to find creative methods to use existing laws to protect our clients and to enforce their rights…Read More

Adoptions

The Law Office of David J. Brown, LC, has been honored to have represented various clients at each stage of their own adoption journey. We have represented birth mothers, birth fathers, teens and adults, adopting mothers or fathers, or both. We have been involved in adoptions in situations where all parties lived in Lawrence, Kansas. We have represented people in inter-state adoptions; and, we have represented people in international adoptions. In fact, David J. Brown and his wife adopted their children in Costa Rica in 1993…Read more

Premarital and Cohabitation Agreement

You can call them prenups, or antenups, antenuptials, prenuptials, or some other type of pre-marriage agreements or contracts designed to govern control and ownership of property during marriage. But in Kansas, such agreements are now properly referred to as premarital agreements. A premarital agreement is simply “an agreement between prospective spouses” made prior to marriage. Unlike regular contracts that are effective upon signing, the premarital agreement may not become effective until marriage is finalized….Read more

Estate Planning

The purpose of estate planning is to protect your financial goals in the event you suffer some catastrophic health emergency or die. With proper planning, you can make certain that your intentions are followed, even though you may no longer be able to make your own decisions. Generally, there are four basic tools that you will use for this purpose:…Read more

Wills and Trusts

Simply, a will is the document that you use to determine who should take your property upon your death. If someone dies without a will in Kansas, the State of Kansas decides who should get the deceased person’s property. In a worst-case scenario, the State of Kansas will take that property. Everyone needs a will. A will is a means to take control over things that will happen after your death. First, who will take your property? But there are so many other matters that you can control by properly executing a will…Read more

Guardianships/Conservatorships

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Appellate Practice