Prior to opening Gondring Law, Kelley was a partner at a well-respected firm in Winston-Salem.  While there she litigated complex family law matters and saw first-hand how litigation increased spouses’ animosity towards each other, which poured down onto their children and emptied their bank accounts. 

Convinced that there had to be less destructive way to help families transition from one roof to two, Kelley began looking for other divorce options.  When she learned about the Collaborative Process, she thought perhaps it was too good to be true.  Perhaps you are thinking that, too. 

But after years of practicing Collaborative Divorce and Mediating, Kelley has found that it is possible for separating spouses – including those with significant disagreement – to wind down their marriages and find solutions that work for their unique family situation. Regardless of the process her clients choose, Kelley’s goal is to empower her clients to find solutions that will meet their needs and interests.

Kelley grew up in a small town just west of Winston-Salem.  Her parents would say she and her brother fought a lot.  Kelley would say she had not yet honed her dispute resolution skills. Kelley graduated summa cum laude from N.C. State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and minors in Business and Spanish. She earned her law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where she was a member of the North Carolina Law Review and co-President of Lambda Law.

Kelley married her high school prom date, and they have two daughters at Arts Based School whose infectious laughter bring her profound joy.  She loves her friends, early-morning spirited bike rides that end with espresso + homemade croissants, and adventurous traveling.  The most stimulating place she’s traveled is Varanasi, India; the hottest, Kyoto, Japan; the most beautiful, Patagonia, Chile. Kelley is thrilled to once again be hosting fancy dinner parties that end with fancy French pastries + decaf espresso.

Kelley was featured on the Human Lawyer Blog, which you can find here.