Call Now To Take the First Step:
Free Initial Case Assessment.
231.538.2109

Shelley A. Kester

Founder & CEO

Practice Area
Family Law
Bar Admissions
1992
Court Admissions
  • Supreme Court, State of MI
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
  • All Michigan State Courts
  • Tribal Court
Education
  • Michigan State University (Bachelor’s) – 1986
  • Cambridge University – Lent Term in Residence 1984
  • McGeorge School of Law (Juris Doctor) -1989, Law Review
  • Trained Facilitative Mediator, Zena Zumetta
  • Trained Collaborative Divorce Attorney
  • Family Law Certificate Program, ICLE 2009

About Shelley A. Kester

Shelley Kester, ranked one of Michigan’s best female divorce lawyers, is an award-winning attorney and dedicated family law practitioner who has spent her career advocating for the protection of children and the empowerment of the individual.

As Founder and CEO of Wilson Kester the Empowered Divorce Source, Shelley has spent her career doing two things with equal conviction: protecting children and empowering the individuals who love them. Her work is not just legal representation. It is advocacy in the deepest sense of the word.

Ranked among Michigan's best female divorce lawyers, Shelley brings a depth of experience to every case that is genuinely rare. She was the first attorney from Northern Michigan to serve as Chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. She has presented for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, served on the Advisory Committee to SCAO's Friend of the Court Bureau, and played a direct role in updating Michigan's Parenting Time Guidelines for the first time in twenty years.

Shelley's commitment to public service is equally deep. She has received two Governor appointments to the Children's Trust Fund Board, served as Mayor Pro Tem of Traverse City, and dedicated years of advocacy to the State Bar of Michigan's Domestic Violence Committee. Her work on behalf of clients facing domestic violence extends far beyond the courtroom. It is personal, persistent, and unwavering.

She is a published author in the State Bar of Michigan's Family Law Journal, a longtime contributor to the Practice Management Committee, and the recipient of the Amelia Schaub Pioneer Award from the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, Tip of the Mitt Region, an honor given to those who lead by example and open doors for those who follow.

What sets Shelley apart is not only what she has accomplished. It is how she shows up for the person sitting across from her. She has spent countless hours helping clients find their strength, reclaim their voice, and build a life they are proud of on the other side of one of the hardest seasons they will ever face.

That is the standard she founded Wilson Kester the Empowered Divorce Source on. And it is the standard she holds every single day.

One of Michigan’s Best Female Divorce Lawyers

Shelley was named one of TC Business News’ 50 women leaders in business and is founding Board Chair of the Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center; an organization Shelley joins with in the fight against child sexual abuse. A frequent recipient of the AVVO top attorney award and AVVO client top choice award, Shelley’s calling is to empower the individual through her legal work and leadership of Wilson Kester the Empowered Divorce Source, recognized as among the 500 fastest growing law firms in the nation in 2022. Shelley’s mission is to help clients achieve a better life.

Contact us Today to Speak with Shelley A. Kester
info@wilsonkester.com 231-538-2109

Honors & Recognitions

  • Chair – Family Law Section, State Bar of Michigan 2022-2023
  • Amelia Schaub Pioneer Award – WLAM 2022
  • TC Business News Top 50 Women in Business