Our Team

I grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa, having graduated from Valley High School. I received my bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Iowa and my law degree from Drake University Law School. I was admitted to practice law in Iowa in 2009, and embarked on a career dedicated to helping families in transition/crisis.

Tollakson Law is committed to reclaiming the practice of law as a healing profession. We use innovative legal techniques, such as collaborative law, mediation, and negotiation, so we can help you dissolve your marriage with respect and dignity — with courtroom resolution only as a last resort. I am extremely passionate about helping families transition peacefully and launching them successfully post-divorce. I am a certified family law mediator and parenting coordinator and am an adjunct professor at Drake University.

I reside in Des Moines with my husband TJ, son Theo, daughters Drew and Frankie and dog, Murphy. Outside of my family and work, my other true love is running. Although I would like to say that I “just run for fun,” the truth is I am extremely competitive and love pushing myself to new personal bests. I have competed in more than seven marathons and hold a personal best time of 2:44:06 for the 26.2-mile distance. My proudest running accomplishment to date is having qualified for and competed in the 2012 Olympic Marathon Team Trials. Toeing the line with the best women marathon runners in the United States was an experience I will always cherish.

I’m a native Iowan. I thought I would live forever in Northeast Iowa until life brought me to Des Moines for law school in 2013. I also thought I’d forever be an only child until my mother remarried and I became the youngest sister to two older sisters and an older brother (we decided from the beginning there are no “steps” in our family). On Christmas Day 2015, I gained my proudest title to date: Aunt. My niece has become the centerpiece of our blended family and has shifted my focus toward more family-oriented activities and gatherings in my free time. While I no longer live in Cedar Rapids, you can usually find me there at our family cabin, or with my dad who, after 27 years, still enthusiastically obliges when I ask him to teach me his talent — playing guitar.

I graduated from Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids with an associate of arts degree and a paralegal certificate, then from the University of Iowa in Iowa City with my bachelor of science in political science, then from Drake University Law School in Des Moines with my juris doctorate. I was admitted to practice law in Iowa in 2017. My dedication to the legal profession is nearly a decade old and my commitment to helping others has been lifelong.

I worked in law firms while obtaining my undergraduate and graduate education. During that time, I helped those who were hurting, gave advice from a place of true compassion and celebrated the successes clients who became the best version of themselves while striving to overcome their hardships. I want you to know I will sit with you and listen. I will offer you support and sound advice, and I will be there to celebrate your successes.