Amanda Vanderhorst

Amanda Vanderhorst is the managing partner at Kates & Barlow, PC, in Boston, Massachusetts, where she practices exclusively in the area of family law. She represents individuals in divorce, custody, guardianships, adoptions, removals, modifications, contempt proceedings, and the negotiation of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.

Ms. Vanderhorst is both an accomplished litigator and skilled negotiator, guiding clients through complex personal and financial disputes. Her work often involves business valuations, executive compensation, closely held corporations and the treatment of trust property within marital estates. She represents clients across the commonwealth in probate and family courts, including Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex, Plymouth, Bristol, Barnstable, Dukes and Suffolk counties.

In addition to litigation, Ms. Vanderhorst is experienced in alternative dispute resolution. She is certified by the American Academy for Certified Financial Litigators, trained in mediation and an active member of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation. She frequently works with guardians ad litem and parenting coordinators to resolve challenging custody cases.

Ms. Vanderhorst’s dedication extends to advocacy for children. She volunteers with the Attorney Representing Children (ARC) Program in Middlesex probate and family court, providing representation in high-conflict custody disputes. She previously served on the Committee for Public Counsel Services, representing children in care and protection matters.

Ms. Vanderhorst is a frequent lecturer for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) and was appointed by the chief justice of the probate and family court to serve on the Child Support Task Force in 2020 and 2021. Her professional achievements have been widely recognized. She was honored by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a Top Women of Law in 2024, named to Best Lawyers in America and selected as a Boston Magazine Top Lawyer.

Graduating summa cum laude, Ms. Vanderhorst earned her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School and her B.A. from Boston University. She is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and remains active in the Boston Bar Association and Attorneys Representing Children.