As an Oklahoma City family law attorney, Shannon has built a reputation of providing compassionate guidance and representation for adoption, guardianship, probate/estate administration, estate planning and other family law matters. The combination of her life experiences, work history, and education have given her a unique perspective and genuine understanding of the complexities of her clients’ needs.

Shannon is committed to serving the LGBTQ+ community, with an emphasis on adoption and estate planning to ensure LGBTQ+ families’ legal rights and responsibilities are secure in this time of political uncertainty.

Shannon focuses on helping clients navigate their legal situations with compassion, empathy, and attentiveness. When appropriate, she favors mediation, negotiation, collaborative law, and other dispute resolution techniques to help clients swiftly and amicably resolve their legal matters. However, when warranted, she is also a willing and capable advocate in the courtroom.

A native Oklahoman, Shannon has lived most of her life in Oklahoma City. After graduating from Putnam City West High School, she attended Oklahoma City University on a Bishop’s Scholarship, majoring in religion. She left OCU to explore life, got married, and had two children. Shannon returned to OCU, and graduated in 1998. She earned her Juris Doctorate at OCU School of Law in 2005. While in law school, Shannon worked as a full-time legal assistant, and later, as a Licensed Legal Intern. Shannon was admitted to the Oklahoma Bar in 2005.

Shannon’s experience working in various law office positions prior to and during law school provided her with a wealth of knowledge and practical experience that would prepare her for the practice of law. She enjoyed solo practice for six years, then spent a year researching and writing for a small firm. She returned to solo practice in 2018. Shannon is also a mediator, certified by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 2005, and enjoys serving as a Guardian ad Litem for children and incapacitated adults.

Shannon enjoys spending time with her family, cycling, rowing, gardening, and being outdoors. She attributes much of her success to the help of her parents and children, as well as her children’s father and his wife.

Areas of Practice

  • Adoption (open, closed, step-parent, private, agency managed, or through the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, for ALL families). Shannon has a significant amount of experience navigating the requirements of the Interstate Compact for Placement of Children (ICPC) in adoptions where the adoptive family and children reside in different states, as well as the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) when adoptions involve Native American children and families.
  • Guardianships (adults and children)
  • Probate and Estate Administration (representation of the Personal Representative / Administrator or heirs, surviving spouse, or other persons in contested or uncontested probate matters)
  • Paternity (representing fathers or mothers in establishing parentage and related rights and responsibilities)
  • Mediation
  • Estate Planning (wills, trusts, deeds, powers of attorney and ancillary documents)
  • Property disputes and transfers

Education

  • Oklahoma City University School of Law, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

J.D. – 2005

Honors: CALI Award in Juvenile Law

  • Undergraduate, Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

B.A. – 1998

Major: Humanities

Bar Admissions

  • Oklahoma, 2005
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Oklahoma, 2005

 

Areas of Practice

  • Adoption (private, agency managed, and adoptions through the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, for your matched family)
  • Guardianships (adults and children)
  • Guardian ad Litem
  • Probate and Estate Administration
  • Estate Planning (wills, trusts, deeds, powers of attorney, and ancillary documents)
  • Mediation
  • Parentage/Paternity

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Member, 2011 – Present
  • Oklahoma Bar Association Section Membership
    • Adoption
    • Family Law
    • Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Section
  • Oklahoma Bar Association Committees:
    • Diversity
    • Work/Life Balance
    • Lawyers Helping Lawyers
  • Oklahoma County Bar Association
  • Oklahoma Lawyers for Children, 2005 – Present
  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
  • National LGBT Bar Association
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Rated