OUR PHILOSOPHY

We practice with the philosophy that knowledge brings the power clients need to make informed decisions for themselves and their families.  You can be confident that, with decades of personal and professional experience, and with leaders in the legal profession by your side, educating you about the process as we go, you will have representation you can trust to guide you to a future you choose.

Kelly m. Forst, ESQ.

foundING MEMBER

Kelly Forst has been an attorney in New York since 2000. Since that time, she has helped hundreds of clients navigate their separations and marriage dissolutions, and has also represented hundreds of children in divorce, custody and other matters. Over the last two decades, her practice's core principles in family law have been peacemaking and problem solving.  She was the Chair of the Family Law Section of the Monroe County Bar Association (MCBA)  from 2012–2014 and has served on numerous Boards and Committees of various professional organizations, including the MCBA, CLARA (Collaborative Law Association of the Rochester Area) and the New York Chapter of AFCC (Association of Family & Conciliation Courts). 

Ms. Forst was admitted to practice law in Virginia in 2016 and was trained in tax preparation and planning in 2015. Ms. Forst prepares individual state and federal income tax returns, and her ability to recognize and understand the tax implications of a variety of issues in divorce adds value to her services.  
In April of 2018, Ms. Forst was admitted to the practice of law in the State of Florida, and now maintains practices in the Orlando area (Celebration)  and  in Rochester, NY.  In 2019, her leadership and dedication to Collaborative Practice was recognized when she was selected by the Collaborative Law Association of Central Florida to represent the organization at the statewide Leadership Institute. She is an agent for Old Republic National Title Insurance Company through the Lawyer’s Fund in Florida and has nearly 30 years of experience as a real estate professional, including five years as a real estate agent, ten years as a real estate paralegal and over twenty years representing clients in the purchase and sale of real property and in real estate litigation matters. 

ALEXIS SMITH

OFFICE MANAGER, FLORIDA

Alexis Smith is a recent Florida transplant, hailing from Oregon, by way of New York City; where she received her Masters degree from CUNY Brooklyn College. While obtaining her Bachelor of Arts from Oregon State University, Smith maintained high marks across the board as she balanced part time work and extra curricular activities. Specifically, Alexis found use for her strong work ethic in the office of her campus’s residence halls. There, she nurtured her love for helping people, while she provided excellent service for her fellow students within an administrative environment. During the time between her respective higher education studies, Smith worked at a local credit union, merging her clerical background into the financial industry. It was there that she truly found the value to the importance of building relationships within a community. Alexis is thrilled to join the team at Forst Law Firm, where she is looking forward to furthering her passion of helping people.

rICHELLE BARR

PARALEGAL, New York