Rachel D. Anderson, Esq.

Rachel D. Anderson believes that every family deserves to walk through major and often unexpected transitions with dignity, fairness, and peace. Her passion for peacemaking and minimizing the harmful effects of familial conflict on children inspires Rachel to assist families in problem-solving and collaborative outcomes that focus on the children and encourage the constructive transformation of relationships beyond the current conflict.

Rachel is a highly-skilled attorney with experience in all types of family law matters including high-conflict and complex cases of divorce / dissolution, allocation of parental responsibilities, paternity, relocations, child support, spousal support, property division, modifications, and post-decree matters. Prior to co-founding Anderson Allen LLC, Rachel practiced at the largest domestic litigation firm in the country. 

After over a decade of providing passionate and zealous representation to clients in extensive family law litigation and trial advocacy, Rachel currently focuses her practice on compassionate, long-term solutions for families in conflict via Child and Family Investigation appointments in several metro-area judicial districts, for which she provides insightful and precise child-focused recommendations, and representation to individuals pursuing settlement outside of court via the Collaborative Divorce process..

Rachel actively pursues ongoing education and inspiration to better serve the needs of families in transition through active involvement in various local professional organizations. She and Shannon are also long-standing passionate supporters of the Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Center, as business impact partners, partnering in their mission to provide free legal services to members of the community struggling with poverty and oppression.

Rachel is a fifth-generation Coloradan who loves traveling, the outdoors, and spending time with family. 

Bar Admissions

• State of Colorado, 2009

• U.S. District Court District of Colorado, 2010

Education

• University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, Denver, Colorado

  • Juris Doctor

• Regis University, Regis College, Denver, CO

  • Bachelors of Arts - Sociology, Criminal Justice

  • Honors: Cum Laude

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Colorado Collaborative Divorce Professionals

• Metro Denver Interdisciplinary Committee

• Colorado Bar Association

• Jefferson County Bar Association

• Christian Legal Society of Metro Denver

• CBA Family Law Section

• CBA Alternative Dispute Resolution Section

Shannon A. R. Allen, Esq.

After over a decade of successfully practicing family law, Shannon A. R. Allen has become one of Colorado’s most well-respected mediators. As a full-time mediator, Shannon brings her extensive experience—as an attorney, a Child and Family Investigator, and a ODR mediator—to her mediation sessions. She is based in both Golden and Buena Vista, and she also conducts mediations virtually.

Shannon trains attorneys and mediators across Colorado regarding peacemaking in legal disputes and effective communication strategies, directional listening, and motivational interviewing techniques in mediation. Shannon also educates counselors in Colorado regarding the legal process and opportunities for settling cases amicably.

Shannon received her Bachelor of the Arts from Pepperdine University, where she graduated magna cum laude, and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado Law, where she graduated on the dean’s list, and she also completed the Institute for Global Law and Policy’s workshop at Harvard University. Shannon is a devoted academic and a critical thinker with a passion for peacemaking.

After clerking for a Colorado District Court Judge and researching for the Colorado Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel, Shannon narrowed her practice to exclusively family law in 2012, where she combined her aptitude for academic research and writing with her passion for people to advocate and excellently represent clients in the family law courts. In 2014, Shannon also became a Child and Family Investigator (CFI), and since that time she has been appointed by judicial officers across the state in dozens of cases to investigate, report, and make final recommendations to the court regarding child-related domestic disputes.  

Shannon began extensive training and education for formal peacemaking and mediation in 2014. She has completed foundational and advanced mediation training in both the legal and Christian educational fora. By 2020, Shannon’s legal expertise and passion for peacemaking had culminated in Shannon mediating full-time.

Shannon has been rated by Colorado Super Lawyers seven years in a row, a distinction awarded to fewer than 2.5% of her colleagues. Shannon is a professional-level member of the Mediation Association of Colorado, as well as the Colorado Bar Association (as well as the CBA Family Law Section, CBA Alternate Dispute Resolution Section, and CBA Modern Law Practice Initiative Section), the Metropolitan Denver Interdisciplinary Committee, and the Heart of the Rockies Bar Association.

Shannon and Rachel are impact partners with the Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Center (JAMLAC), seeking justice for those struggling with poverty and oppression.

Shannon spends most of her spare time hanging out with her husband, Matt, and her three sons, Jude, Seth, and Abe, cycling, skiing, rafting, river surfing, traveling, gardening, and eating delicious food.