Claire Havelda Kauffman

Family Attorney | Serving Fort Collins, CO

Not yet reviewed

Write a Review

Family

Claim your profile

Claire Havelda Kauffman

Family Attorney | Serving Fort Collins, CO

Not yet reviewed

Write a Review

Family

Claim your profile

Biography

Raised in Kentucky, I attended Indiana University earning a B.A. degree with honors in English. After graduating I served as an AmeriCorps V.I.S.T.A. (domestic PeaceCorps) in Austin, Texas at American YouthWorks Charter School. I learned an immense amount from the dedicated staff at this school about empowering people to succeed through creative approaches to learning and conflict resolution.

From Austin, I moved to Denver where I worked as a Youth Treatment Counselor at the Denver Children’s Home (Colorado’s first nonprofit). It was here, working with these phenomenally resilient, but incredibly vulnerable children, that I made the decision to attend law school. All of the little boys I worked with at the Denver Children’s Home were involved with the courts in some manner, and it became abundantly clear to me how imperative excellent legal representation for children and families was.

While attending the University of Colorado Law School, I gained as much practical experience as possible. I interned at the Colorado Office of the Attorney General, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Boulder County Juvenile Court, and represented clients seeking asylum through Colorado University’s Immigration Clinic.

After law school, I had the privilege of being selected as a law clerk for the Honorable Jack W. Berryhill in Jefferson County District Court, and the Honorable Diana L. Terry and the Honorable M. Terry Fox at the Colorado Court of Appeals. Without question, I was mentored by some of the best and brightest minds of the Colorado legal community.

After the birth of my first child, I split my time between being a stay-at-home mother and working as a Guardian Ad-Litem representing children in Dependency and Neglect cases in Kentucky. While I loved this work and being close to my side of the family, ultimately, Colorado is where my husband and I wanted to raise our family. We returned to Colorado and are thrilled to be making our home in Fort Collins.

I believe family lawyers must be skilled negotiators, litigators, and strategists. As an attorney, I am passionate about helping families navigate the emotionally charged environment of family law with dignity and integrity. I never lose sight of the fact that people’s lives are forever changed by these cases and their outcomes. I view it as both a great privilege, and an immense responsibility to practice in this area of the law.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and children, trail running, reading, and competing in triathlons. While I would like to say that my biggest accomplishment this year was completing the Boulder Half Ironman, if I am honest, my biggest accomplishment to date has been convincing my children to sleep past 5:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings . . . there really should be a medal for that.