Kyli L. Willis is Of Counsel at Buchanan & Bruggenschmidt., where she focuses her practice exclusively on family law matters, including divorce, child custody and parenting time, child support, adoptions, guardianships, and DCS matters. Kyli is a trained Collaborative Practitioner, Parenting Coordinator, Guardian ad Litem, and a Registered Domestic Mediator.
Kyli earned her undergraduate degree from Ball State University, graduating summa cum laude from the Honors College with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology and minors in Psychology and Political Science. She earned her Juris Doctor magna cum laude from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2010.
Prior to attending law school, Kyli was a counselor and a social worker for the Department of Correction and the Department of Child Services. During law school, she participated in the Criminal Defense Clinic, working with the Juvenile Division of the Marion County Public Defender Agency representing delinquent children. She also completed an externship with the Marion County Juvenile Court and volunteered as a Guardian ad Litem for delinquent children. Additionally, Kyli was a Note Editor for the Indiana Law Review and has had her work published in the University of California-Davis Journal on Juvenile Law and Policy.
Kyli began her formal legal career with the Department of Child Services as a staff attorney in Marion County, then shifted to private practice in 2013. She is particularly passionate about advocating for children and the LGBTQ+ community and helping families in transition navigate complicated legal issues. Kyli promotes effective communication with her clients and works tirelessly to achieve favorable outcomes for their families.
Kyli currently participates in the Hamilton County Guardian ad Litem program and provides direct representation for children through Kids Voice. Additionally, she collaborates with the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence to serve victims of domestic violence. She has previously volunteered as a CASA for Child Advocates and for the Pro Bono Hospice Program through the Indianapolis Bar Association. Kyli is on the Executive Committee for the Family Section of the Indianapolis Bar Association and a member of the Family and Juvenile Law Section of the Indiana State Bar Association. Kyli was recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star from 2018-2021 and as a Super Lawyer in 2022 and 2023.
In her free time, Kyli volunteers for the Indiana Bulldog Rescue and is the proud owner of a rescued English Bulldog, a mutt rescued from the Hamilton County Humane Society, and a Siberian Husky rescued from the Love Pet Project in Zionsville.
