Sara Vanden Brook
Attorney/Shareholder
Contact Sara:
svandenbrook@lawcenterwisconsin.com
(608) 821-8213
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Meet Sara
Sara has long been a strong advocate for children. Before attending law school, she was a case manager for the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare. Now as an experienced attorney, recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021, Sara helps families involved in divorce and paternity proceedings, grandparent and foster parent rights cases, and in complicated CHIPS and termination of parental rights matters. She also serves as a mediator, as well as a guardian ad litem, representing the best interest of children. In all cases, Sara seeks creative solutions that work for families and protect children’s rights.
Practice Areas
- Divorce
- Cooperative and Collaborative Divorce
- Child Custody, Placement, and Support
- Paternity
- International Family Law
- LGBTQ+ Family Law
- Marital Property and Cohabitation Agreements
- Mediation
- Parent Coordination
- Appeals
- Guardian ad litem Appointments
- CHIPS
- Guardianships
- Grandparent Rights
- Foster Parent Rights
- Adoption (Contested and Uncontested)
- Assisted Reproduction
- Surrogacy
Education
Sara graduated with distinction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies & Psychology. She earned her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2008.
While in law school, Sara was a leader in the Children’s Justice Project. She was also active in the Wisconsin Journal of Law, Gender & Society, and Law Students for Reproductive Justice. She interned for the Honorable David Flanagan, Dane County Circuit Court, and was a student attorney with both the Rock County Public Defender’s Office and the Family Law & Restorative Justice Project of the Frank J. Remington Center.
Community And Professional Activities
Sara serves as a member of the Collaborative Family Law Council of Wisconsin, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, the Dane County Bar Association, the Legal Association for Women, and Capital Connections. Sara also served on the Board of the Children and the Law Section of the State Bar from 2017-2020, an elected position.
Sara volunteers with the Dane County Family Law Assistance Center and the Dane County Case Mediation Program. She has been a coach for Dane County Girls on the Run, and while she has traded in her running shoes for a yoga mat, Sara is proud to have completed numerous charity runs, including a Madison Marathon and several half marathons across the country.
Personal
Sara and her husband are the proud parents of their two young children. Sara is an avid fan of the Badgers, Packers, and Brewers. She and her family love to travel, especially to tropical destinations, and they also regularly enjoy local trips to the zoo, parks, and the Farmer’s Market.