Kara Bellew

Kara has been a partner of Rower LLC since its start in 2017 and has been practicing exclusively in the field of matrimonial and family law since 2005. As both a seasoned litigator and a trained mediator, Kara is uniquely suited to help clients resolve their divorces in a way that is right for them. 

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Prior to joining Rower LLC, Kara was an associate at Miller Zeiderman Wiederkehr & Schwarz LLP, where she gained valuable litigation experience in both Westchester and Manhattan and deepened her understanding of complex financial cases. Kara began her legal career in family law at Sanctuary for Families, Center for Battered Women’s Legal Services. During her ten-year tenure there, Kara managed a high volume of contested matrimonial and family law cases that required her to appear before the judges of New York and Kings County on matters including orders of protection, custody/visitation, and contested divorce. Kara’s experience at Sanctuary for Families not only taught her about the complex nature of domestic violence, but also shaped her commitment to client-centered advocacy. While Kara believes clients often achieve the best outcome when they can reach a settlement, she does not hesitate to engage the court system when necessary. Kara is a skilled and tenacious litigator, having tried numerous custody and financial cases in the Supreme and Family Courts of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Westchester. She has also argued before the Appellate Division of the First Department. In May of 2017 and again in May 2022, Kara attended the National Family Law Trial Institute, an intensive eight-day trial skills training course, in Houston, Texas.   

 

Kara recognizes that certain clients may benefit from a less adversarial process, one that is grounded in collaboration and conducted outside of a courtroom. As a mediator, Kara works with couples by helping to facilitate their communication in an effective manner and assisting them in reaching an agreement that feels fair to both of them. Kara trained in mediation at the Center for Understanding in Conflict where she participated in the intensive forty hour Working Creatively with Conflict training.