Denise N. Gabel

Denise Gabel came to private family law practice after twenty years in the legal profession, including fourteen years with the Missouri Attorney General's Office. That is not a background most family law attorneys have. Before representing clients in divorce and custody matters in St. Louis, she was handling cases across the state of Missouri in a government law office, eventually serving as Deputy Chief Counsel with leadership responsibilities in both the Child Support Unit and the Government Affairs Section. She began her legal career as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Phelps County.

What that background produced is an attorney who understands procedure, evidence, and the rules of practice in Missouri courts at a level that comes only from years of actually litigating in them. Denise knows how judges think, how opposing counsel operates, and how a case that looks manageable at the outset can become complicated quickly. She pays close attention to deadlines, details, and the small procedural decisions that can have real consequences later in a case.

Since entering private practice in 2021, she has focused exclusively on family law — handling divorce, child custody, child support, property division, spousal maintenance, and post-decree modifications. Clients consistently describe her as someone who explains what is happening in plain language, makes an unfamiliar process feel manageable, and remains genuinely present throughout a case rather than handing matters off and disappearing.

Denise has served on the Supreme Court of Missouri's Committee on Access to Family Courts since 2012, working alongside judges and attorneys to address how families experience Missouri's court system. That perspective informs how she thinks about her clients' cases and the human realities behind them.

She has been recognized as a Super Lawyer in 2024 and 2025 and as a Best Lawyers in America honoree in 2025. She earned two Missouri Attorney General awards during her public service career — one for Excellence in Administration and Management, one for Client Service.

Denise is admitted to practice in Missouri. She holds a J.D. and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri.