Kirk C. Stange

Top Family Law Attorney in Clayton, Missouri
Stange Law Firm, PC

120 S. Central Ave., Suite 450
Clayton, MO 63105

When you’re faced with a family law matter and need help, you need an attorney that will always have your best interests in mind. Kirk Stange fights for his clients in every step of their family law case. Kirk uses his vast experience and knowledge of family law in your case. You can trust that Kirk will tell you what you need to know and listen when you need someone to listen. Kirk has years of experience in family law as well as being a trained mediator, collaborative attorney and guardian ad litem. Using these skills, Kirk can guide you through any family law matter.

In 2007, Kirk founded Stange Law Firm, PC with his wife Paola and has worked diligently to grow the firm to what it is today. In addition to practicing law, Kirk spends time educating attorneys and other law professionals at CLE Seminars through the Missouri Bar, myLawCLE, the National Business Institute and other organizations. Kirk even presented at the Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference in Omaha, Nebraska in 2014 on social media evidence for lawyers and judges.

In 2017, Kirk was recognized by the Missouri Bar for his substantial contributions to the continuing legal education of Missouri’s attorneys:

“Stange has served as a recurrent speaker for MoBarCLE’s Annual Law Update. He has also presented at the Annual Family Law Conference, CLE by the Sea, Family Law Essentials, and How to Build and Manage Firm Success seminars … For all of his service on behalf of the legal community, please join The Missouri Bar in thanking Kirk C. Stange!”

Kirk has also served as a Mentor to other attorneys through the Missouri Bar Mentoring Program. In that role, the Missouri Bar assigned Kirk attorneys to mentor.

Kirk is a member of the Law Society at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. Further, Kirk is an adjunct professor at Emory University School of Law where he has served as a trial school instructor at the Kessler-Eidson Program for Trial Techniques. Kirk is also the President of the Missouri Collaborative Institute. The Missouri Collaborative Institute is a practice group of professionals dedicated to promoting collaborative practice as an alternative dispute resolution method for those who are going through divorce and family law matters.

Kirk earned his Juris Doctor form the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law. Kirk was one of ten in his law school class selected as a member of the Order of the Barristers for his courtroom advocacy skills. Kirk furthered his education by graduating from the ABA Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute. He is now licensed to practice in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Through his dedication to clients and their family law cases, Kirk has been recognized for numerous awards including:

Super Lawyers – Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers for Family Law, 2015 to Present ( The final published list represents no more than 5 percent of the lawyers in the state.)
Super Lawyers – Missouri & Kansas Rising Stars for Family Law, 2013 and 2014
Family Lawyer Magazine Recommended, 2019 – Present
Kirk has written on family law topics. For example, Kirk authored a chapter in a book through Thomson Reuters (Aspatore Publishing) in 2012 titled: Strategies for Military Family Law: Leading Lawyers on Navigating Family Law in the Armed Forces (Inside the Minds). Kirk published a full-length book through Thomson Reuters (Aspatore Publishing) in 2014 titled: Prenuptial Agreements Line by Line. Further, in 2015, Kirk authored another chapter in a book through Thomson Reuters (Aspatore Published) titled: Strategies for Illinois Family Law: Leading Lawyers on Leveraging Alternative Dispute Resolution, Negotiating Alimony and Child Support, and Managing Client Expectations (Inside the Minds).

In 2019, Kirk was asked to co-author two chapters in the 2019 Cumulative Supplement to Chapter 13 “Adult Protection Orders and Child Protection Orders” and the 2019 Cumulative Supplement to Chapter 29 “Rights of the Unwed,” in Missouri Family Law (7th ed.) published by The Missouri Bar. This desk book, which is used by attorneys around the state, gives information to family law attorneys on the latest developments in family law.

Kirk also enjoys spending time volunteering for the community. At Maryville University, Kirk is on the National Leadership Council and the Advisory Council for Kids Rock Cancer. For his service to the community, Kirk, along with his wife, Paola, received the 2015 Making a Difference Award from Old Newsboys and the 2016 Golden Plate Award. Old Newsboys is a non-profit organization that has raised millions of dollars for hundreds of area children’s charities.

When he is not at work, Kirk enjoys spending time with his wife/partner, Paola, and their children. Kirk also attends church, and is a member, at The Journey Tower Grove. In his free time, Kirk also enjoys riding his boat on Carlyle Lake, playing indoor soccer, watching Cardinals’ baseball, St. Louis Blues’ hockey or St. Louis FC and Ambush soccer. Additionally, Kirk enjoys listening to Americana music (rock merged with folk, country and blues) and plays various musical instruments, including bass guitar and violin, and used to play in several local bands.

The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Neither the Supreme Court of Missouri/Illinois nor The Missouri/Illinois Bar reviews or approves certifying organizations or specialist designations. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established. Past results afford no guarantee of future results and every case is different and must be judged on its own merits.

Bar Admissions:

  • Missouri
  • Kansas
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri
  • Illinois
Education:
  • University of Missouri Columbia School of Law, Columbia, Missouri
    • Juris Doctorate - 2000
      • Honors: National Member, Order of the Barristers -- A National Honors Society
      • Honors: Regional Moot Court Team
      • Honors: Finalist, Fall Moot Court Competition
      • Honors: Board of Advocates, Executive Officer
  • Fontbonne University
    • B.A. - 1997
      • Honors: Dean's List, Member of the Pi Lambda Theta Honors Society
      • Honors: Secondary/Middle School Certification in Social Studies
      • Honors: Finalist, Fontbonne University Student Leader of the Year Award
Memberships:
  • Family Law Section, Missouri Bar
  • Family Law Section, American Bar Association, Member
  • Mediator
  • Guardian ad Litem
  • American Bar Association Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute, Graduate, 2006
  • Collaborative Family Law Attorney
  • Adjunct Professor, Emory University School of Law, 2016 - Present
  • Global Collaborative Law Council, Associate Member, 2016 - Present
  • Maryville University National Leadership Council, Ambassador, 2017 - Present
  • Missouri Collaborative Institute, President, 2017 - Present
  • FindLaw, Innovation Board, 2017 - Present
  • Kids Rock Cancer at Maryville University, Advisory Council, 2013 - Present
  • Member, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals CEU/CLE Subcommittee of the IACP Forum’s Local Host Committee, 2019
  • Member, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
  • Wildwood Chapter of Business Network International, President, 2003 – 2004
Honors and Achievements:
  • Super Lawyers - 2015 to 2019 - Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers for Family Law
  • Super Lawyers - 2013 and 2014 - Missouri & Kansas Rising Stars for Family Law
  • The American Society of Legal Advocates (ASLA) - 2014 Top 40 under 40 Missouri Lawyers for Family Law
  • AVVO Superb 10.0/10.0 Rating
  • Lead Counsel Rated For Divorce/Family Law, Lead Counsel, 2014 - Present
  • Top 10 Family Law Attorney in Missouri, National Academy of Family Law Attorneys (NAFLA), 2014 - Present
  • The National Trial Lawyers - Top 100 Trial Lawyers, 2014 - Present
  • 10 Best Family Law Attorneys in Missouri for Client Satisfaction, American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, 2014-Present
  • Top Ranked U.S. Executives, National Council of American Executives, 2014
  • The American Society of Legal Advocates (ASLA) - Top 100 Family Lawyers in Missouri, 2015 - Present
  • National Academy of Jurisprudence - Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for Missouri, 2015 - Present
  • The National Advocates - Top 100 Lawyers, Matrimonial and Family Law, 2015-Present
  • Rue Ratings' - Best Attorneys of America, Lifetime Charter Member
  • The American Legal Institute - America's Top Attorneys, 2016
  • American Jurist Institute - 2016 Top 10 Family Law Attorneys in Missouri, 2016
  • Top American Lawyers - Lifetime Charter Member
  • The Lawyers of Distinction, 2016 - Present
  • Top One Percent, The National Association of Distinguished Counsel, 2015-Present
  • 10 Best Family Law Attorneys in Illinois for Client Satisfaction - American Institute of Family Law Attorneys - 2016, 2018
  • Attorney & Practice Magazine - Top 10 Attorney in Missouri for Family Law - 2018
  • America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators, 2018
  • 10 Best Family Law Attorneys in Illinois for Client Satisfaction, American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, 2018
  • Distinguished Justice Advocates, Lifetime Charter Membership
  • Family Lawyer Magazine Recommended, 2019 - Present
Speaking Engagements:
  • Advanced Family Law (Non-Traditional Family Structures & Paternity Disputes, Contempt & Military Divorce, National Business Institute (3/11/11)
  • Handling Divorce Cases From Start To Finish (Exploring Custody, Visitation and Support Issues and Ethical Perils in Divorce Practice , National Business Institute (5/17/12)
  • Annual Law Update - Family Law, Missouri Bar (6/28/12 in St. Charles)
  • Divorce Law Guide from A to Z, National Business Institute (6/25/13) and (4/21/16)
  • Annual Law Update - Family Law, Missouri Bar (5/23/13 in St. Louis and 6/27/13 in St. Charles)
  • NBI National Webcast: Discovery Evidence and Divorce , National Business Institute (10/10/13, 6/10/14 and 2/4/16)
  • Advanced Family Law, National Business Institute (12/6/13)
  • NBI National Webcast: Juvenile Law, National Business Institute (4/22/14)
  • NBI National Audio Webcast: Smart Phone and Social Media Evidence in Divorce Litigation , National Business Institute (6/4/14)
  • Managing the Discovery Process: A Paralegal's Guide - Paralegal National Webcast, Institute for Paralegal Education (6/26/14 and 8/11/15)
  • Family Law Essentials: Negotiating and Drafting Settlement Agreements , Missouri Bar (3/14/14)
  • Discovery of Social Media Use and Other Electronic Evidence in Divorce: A Paralegal's Guide, Institute for Paralegal Education (6/23/14)
  • Annual Law Update - Family Law (5/22/14 in St. Louis and 06/27/14 in St. Charles), Missouri Bar
  • Smart Phone and Social Media Evidence for Lawyers and Judges, Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference in Omaha, Nebraska (8/7/14)
  • Discovery and Admission of Social Media and Electronic Evidence, Missouri Bar Family Law Conference (8/2/14)
  • NBI National Teleconference: Pre-Nuptial Agreements: Drafting, Negotiations, Disputes, National Business Institute (10/23/14)
  • NBI National Webcast: Dividing Trust Assets in Divorce, National Business Institute (9/22/14)
  • NBI National Teleconference: Smart Phone and Social Media Evidence in Divorce Litigation, National Business Institute (6/4/14, 12/2/14, 6/16/15, 1/26/16 and 7/12/16)
  • The Paralegals Guide to Managing E-Discovery, Institute for Paralegal Education (11/20/14)
  • Family Law Essentials: Negotiating and Drafting Settlement Agreements, Missouri Bar (3/13/15)
  • NBI National Webcast: Advanced issues in Divorce, National Business Institute (3/20/15)
  • IPE National Webcast: Out of State Discovery for Paralegals, Institute for Paralegal Education (4/7/15)
  • NBI National Webcast: Divorce Law from A to Z, National Business Institute (6/16/15)
  • Telephone Seminar: Adoptions and Name Changes, Missouri Bar (4/15/15)
  • Annual Law Update - Family Law, Missouri Bar (5/21/15 in St. Louis)
  • NBI National Teleconference: The Family Attorneys' Guide to DAPTs, National Business Institute (7/22/15)
  • Divorce Property Division and Trust Assets: Strategies for Attacking or Defending Trusts, Strafford Publications Webinar (6/17/15)
  • Social Media & Electronic Evidence: Discovery & Admission, Missouri Bar Solo and Small Firm Conference (6/13/15)
  • Annual Law Update - Family Law, Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (6/26/15 in St. Louis)
  • Handling Ethical Issues in Family Law Practice for Paralegals, Half Moon Education (9/18/15)
  • Pre-Nuptial Agreements: Drafting, Negotiations and Enforcement Disputes, Missouri Bar Family Law Conference (8/8/15)
  • A Paralegal's Guide: Divorce Cases from Start to Finish, Institute for Paralegal Education (11/5/2015 in St. Louis)
  • NBI National Webcast: Advanced Discovery in Divorce, National Business Institute (10/30/15)
  • NBI National Webcast: Family Law Boot Camp, National Business Institute (12/9/15 and 12/10/15)
  • Missouri Bar lex | Port Tech Ex: Social Media Evidence & Discovery and Admission, Missouri Bar (10/27/15)
  • NBI National Webcast: Handling Complex Family Law Issues (10/20/15 and 10/19/16)
  • Kessler-Eidson Program for Trial Techniques- Trial Skills Instructor, Emory University School of Law, 2016 - 2017
  • NBI Live Teleconference: Email Evidence in Divorce Litigation, National Business Institute (4/4/16)
  • Family Law Conference: Facebook Evidence in Divorce, Missouri Bar (8/4/16-8/6/16 in Branson, MO)
  • NBI National Teleconference: Dividing Businesses in Divorce, National Business Institute (4/25/16)
  • NBI National Teleconference: Family Law Litigation, National Business Institute (5/24/16)
  • NBI National Audio Webcast: Divorce Law: Top 5 Challenges, National Business Institute (5/17/16)
  • NBI National Webcast: Discovery and Evidence in Divorce, National Business Institute (2/4/16)
  • NBI National Webcast: Advanced Divorce Law, National Business Institute (2/23/16)
  • Annual Law Update - Family Law, Missouri Bar (5/26/16 in St. Louis and 6/24/16 in St. Charles)
  • Family Law Essentials: Negotiating and Drafting Settlement Agreements, Missouri Bar (4/1/16)
  • NBI National Webcast: Challenging Experts in Divorce, National Business Institute (4/14/16)
  • Family Law Practice Webinar Series on Property Division, Half Moon Education (8/25/16)
  • Law Practice Management Series, Telephone Seminar: How to Build and Manage Success, Missouri Bar (6/28/16)
  • Family Law and Same-Sex Marriages: Divorce, Custody, Support & Embryos ? Where It Stops ? Nobody Knows , Missouri Bar (1/11/17-1/13/17)
  • Live Video Broadcast: Smart Phone, E-Mail, Social Media and Electronic Evidence in Family Law Litigation, MyLawCLE (6/8/16)
  • NBI National Teleconference: Business Valuation in Divorce, National Business Institute (9/1/2016)
  • Divorce Property Division and Trust Assets: Strategies for Attacking or Defending Trusts, Strafford Publications (11/2/16)
  • Business Interests in Divorce Litigation, My Law CLE (10/06/16)
  • Smartphone, Text and Social Media Evidence in Family Law, National Business Institute (2/15/17)
  • Family Law: Navigating the Fundamentals, National Business Institute (10/28/16)
  • Email and Computer Evidence in Divorce, National Business Institute (3/09/17)
  • Divorce Property Division and Trust Assets, Clear Law Institute (2/21/17)
  • Prenuptial Agreements & Domestic Asset Protection Trusts: A General Overview of Both & the Differences, My Law CLE (2/3/17)
  • Deposition Strategies in Divorce and Custody Cases: Taking and Defending Depositions of Parties, Lay Witnesses and Experts , Strafford Publications (2/23/17)
  • Family Law Section - 2017 Annual Law Update, Missouri Bar (5/25/17 & 6/23/17)
  • Motions in Divorce , National Business Institute (7/25/17), July 25, 2017
  • Investigating Claims in the Digital Age, Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (6/24/17)
  • Social Media and Electronic Evidence in Family Law , Clear Law Institute , August 22, 2017 - Present
  • Family Law From Start to Finish , National Business Institute , May 22, 2017 - Present
  • The Scales of Justice: Investigating Claims in a Digital Age, Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys , June 22, 2017 - June 25, 2017
  • Text Message Evidence in Divorce Litigation, National Business Institute (Teleconference) , January 18, 2018 - Present
  • Business Valuations in Divorce Law, Clear Law Institute, November 21, 2017 - Present
  • A Paralegal's Guide to Out of State Discovery, myLawCLE (9/19/17)
  • Discovery & Use of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Email and Smartphone Evidence: The Ultimate Guide, myLawCLE (9/19/17)
  • Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) in Divorce Cases: An Overview in Child Custody Litigation, myLawCLE (9/20/17)
  • A Paralegal's Guide to Handling Custody & Support Issues, myLawCLE (9/20/17)
  • The Ethics of Social Media and Electronic Discovery, CLE by the SEA (3/8/18)
  • Case Management Tips & Keys to Managing Financial Information, National Business Institute (6/8/2017), June 8, 2017 - Present
  • Drafting Family Law Agreements, National Business Institute (2/1/18)
  • The Ethics of Social Media Media and Electronic Discovery, Missouri Bar (3/8/18)
  • Advanced Divorce Law, National Business Institute (06/22/18)
  • Smart Phone, Electronic and Social Media Evidence in Divorce and Family Litigation (12/1/17), West LegalEdcenter
  • Dividing Property in Divorce: What Lawyers Need to Know about Double Dipping, myLawCLE (1/16/18)
  • Dividing Property in Divorce: What Lawyers Need to Know about Double Dipping, Federal Bar Association (1/16/18)
  • Dividing Property in Divorce: What Lawyers Need to Know about Double Dipping, Palm Beach County Bar Association (1/16/18)
  • Paperless Office for Paralegals & Attorneys, myLawCLE (1/15/18)
  • 2018 Annual Law Update CLE, St. Louis, The Missouri Bar (05/24/18)
  • 2018 Annual Law Update CLE, St. Charles, The Missouri Bar (06/15/18)
  • Social Media as Investigative Research , 2018 Solo & Small Firm Conference (6/09/18)
  • Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email and Smartphone Evidence: The Ultimate Guide, National Business Institute (6/27/18)
  • Discovering Hidden Assets in Divorce, National Business Institute (12/19/18)
  • Pre-nup Agreements: Avoiding the Top Mistakes, National Business Institute (01/30/19)
  • Social Media in Divorce , National Business Institute (02/13/19)
  • Deposition Strategies in Divorce, National Business Institute (02/21/19)
  • E-Discovery: Apps & Emerging Technology You Need to Know About, MOBarCLE (10/26/18)
  • E-mail & Text Message Evidence in Litigation, MOBarCLE (10/26/18)
  • 50 Tech Tips, Sites & Gadgets, MOBarCLE (10/26/18)
  • Collaborative Divorce Process, myLawCLE (02/18/19)
  • The Trial of a Divorce Case, myLawCLE (02/20/19)
  • 2019 Annual Law Update, St. Louis, The Missouri Bar, Family Law Section (05/23/19)
  • Top Challenges in Family Law, National Business Institute (06/12/19)
  • E-mail & Text Message Evidence in Divorce & Family Litigation, MOBarCLE, (08/02/19)
  • 2019 Annual Law Update, St. Charles, The Missouri Bar, Family Law Section (06/14/19)
  • Expert Testimony in Divorce Litigation: Discovery Depositions and Trial, Strafford Publications (9/11/19)
  • Dividing Stock Options in Divorce, National Business Institute (10/29/19)
  • Tax Reform: It's Impact on Divorce, National Business Institute (11/18/19)
  • Discovering Hidden Assets in Divorce, National Business Institute (12/03/19)
  • Strategically Handling Parental Alienation in Custody Cases, National Business Institute (12/11/19)
Publications:
  • Strategies for Military Family Law: Leading Lawyers on Navigating Family Law in the Armed Forces (Inside the Minds), Thomson Reuters (Aspatore Publishing), 2012
  • Prenuptial Agreements Line by Line, Thomson Reuters (Aspatore Publishing), 2014
  • Strategies for Family Law in Illinois: Leading Lawyers on Leveraging Alternative Dispute Resolution, Negotiating Alimony and Child Support, and Managing Client
  • Expectations (Inside the Minds), Thomson Reuters (Aspatore Publishing), 2015
  • Cumulative Supplement to Chapter 13 "Adult Protection Orders and Child Protection Orders" - Missouri Family Law (7th ed.) published by The Missouri Bar, 2019
  • Cumulative Supplement to Chapter 29 "Rights of the Unwed" - Missouri Family Law (7th ed.) published by The Missouri Bar, 2019
  • Is It Legal Too...A Missouri Bar Podcast titled: "Love and Marriage."
  • Social Media Advertising: The New Frontier, Family Lawyer Magazine (December 21, 2018)
South Central Avenue 120
Clayton 63105 MO US
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