Practice areas: Family Law; view more
Licensed in Wisconsin since: 2015
Education: University of Wisconsin Law School
Selected to Rising Stars: 2020 - 2025 Call today:
262-257-9110
Burbach & Stansbury S.C.
11270 W. Park PlaceSuite 220
Milwaukee, WI 53224 Visit website
At Burbach & Stansbury S.C. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, attorney Colin A. Drayton guides individuals through the complexities of divorce with a keen understanding of financial matters like property division, child support, maintenance and children's issues. His impressive portfolio includes crafting and negotiating over 140 pre- and postnuptial agreements, alongside several published works on these subjects.
Mr. Drayton is also skilled in navigating family-law appeals, having drafted briefs for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and the Wisconsin Supreme Court. His notable achievements include co-counseling a successful appeal in Siech v. Schwab, which the Wisconsin Supreme Court published on June 22, 2021.
After graduating summa cum laude from Carthage College, Mr. Drayton pursued his legal education at the University of Wisconsin Law School, earning his Juris Doctor in 2015. That same year, he was licensed to practice law in Wisconsin. Since then, he has been active in the legal community, sharing his insights through publications and presentations on family law and prenuptial agreements. His contributions include articles in the Wisconsin Journal of Family Law and the American Journal of Family Law, as well as a co-authored chapter on Wisconsin prenuptial agreement law published by Wolters Kluwer.
A respected presence in the legal arena, Mr. Drayton is affiliated with the State Bar of Wisconsin – Family Law Section, the Leander J. Foley, Jr. Society of Family Lawyers, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, and the Waukesha County Bar Association. His commitment to improving family law is evident through his participation in a task force that revised Milwaukee County Family Court rules. Recognized for his excellence in family law, he was named to the Top 10 Under 40 by the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys in 2022.
Practice areas
Family LawFocus areas
Adoption, Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Custody & Visitation, Dissolution, Divorce, Domestic Violence, Father's Rights, Juvenile Law, Marital Property, Mediation & Collaborative Law, Name Change, Paternity, Prenuptial Agreements, Same Sex Family Law
- 100% Family Law
First Admitted: 2015, Wisconsin
Professional Webpage: https://www.burbach-stansbury.com/attorney/drayton-colin-a/
Bar / Professional Activity
- Association of Family Conciliation Courts, Wisconsin Chapter, Member
- Waukesha Bar Association - Member
- Society of Family Lawyers/Inns - Member
- State Bar of Wisconsin Family Law Section - Member
- Association of Family Conciliation Courts - Member
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- Rust v. Rust, 2023-AP-974 (Court of Appeals, January 22, 2025)
- Kearns v. Kearns, Appeal No. 16-AP-1407 (Court of Appeals, March 22, 2017) (Petition for Review to Wisconsin Supreme Court denied)
- Siech v. Schwab, 2020 WI App. 40, Appeal No. 19-AP-1200 (Court of Appeals, May 5, 2020)
- Bernhard v. Bernhard, Appeal No. 20-AP-194 (Court of Appeals, December 3, 2020)
- Quartana v. Quartana, Appeal No. 20-AP-1168 (Court of Appeals, August 3, 2022)
- Siech v. Schwab (Wisconsin Supreme Court) (Published June 22, 2021)
- Buck v. Buck, 2023-AP-1569 (Court of Appeals, July 3, 2024) (Petition for Review to Wisconsin Supreme Court denied)
- Danielson v. Danielson, 2024 WI 57 (Court of Appeals, September 11, 2024) (Published decision)
Honors
- Elder Law and Estate Planning Society, University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, Wisconsin
- Awards for highest performance: Constitutional Law Seminar; Labor Law, University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, Wisconsin
Educational Background
- Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin, Bachelor of Arts, Honors: summa cum laude, Major: History with honors
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- An Overview of “Parental Separation of Overnight Care of Young Children”, prepared for the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Wisconsin Chapter, 2017 Annual Education Event, Milwaukee, March 2017.
- Caselaw Update: Junion v. Junion, Appeal. No. 19-AF-844 (Court of Appeals, June 16, 2020)
- Presentation co-author: “Divide All Stock Options If-As-When? Not So Fast”, prepared for the American Association of Matrimonial Law-Wisconsin Chapter October 24, 2020 meeting.
- Article: Carlton D. Stansbury & Colin A. Drayton, Increasing the Likelihood of Enforcing a Prenup, 33 American Journal of Family Law 221 (Spring 2019)
- Article: Colin A. Drayton, Crime Doesn’t Pay: The Impact of Criminal Acts During Divorce, 36 Wisconsin Journal of Family Law 89 (November 2019)
- Article: Colin A. Drayton, Junion and the Enforceability of Prenuptial Agreements. 38 Wisconsin Journal of Family Law 6 (January 2021)
- This article describes recent caselaw development invalidating a prenuptial agreement on several grounds and discusses best practices for drafters to consider as part of the negotiation and drafting process. , Author, Junion and the Enforceability of Prenuptial Agreements, Wisconsin Journal of Family Law, 2021
- Article: “Stimulate Your Value with Stimulus Language,” 38 Wisconsin Journal of Family Law 62 (July 2021).
- Article: “Not Empty Promises: Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Divorce Agreement Integrity,” 38 Wisconsin Journal of Family Law 73 (October 2021)
- Article: “Views from the Mediator’s Bench: Making Mediation More Effective,” 40 Wisconsin Journal of Family Law 9 (January 2023)
- Article: “Where did all the published cases go?” Wisconsin Journal of Family Law (April 2025)
- Co-Presenter, Between Shirking and Earning Capacity: An Analysis of Caselaw, Wisconsin Judicial College, January 2018
- Contributor to case studies, “Divorce Wisconsin Style: Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers,” Judges Panel, 2019-2025
- This article explores best practices for helping mediators prepare for mediation, using tips gleaned from mediators from around Wisconsin. , Author, Views from the Mediator’s Bench: Making Mediation More Effective, Wisconsin Journal of Family Law, 2023
- This article discusses the nature of stimulus payments to families and language that could be utilized to address this issue. , Co-author, Stimulate Your Value with Stimulus Language, Wisconsin Journal of Family Law, 2021
- This article describes the Wisconsin Supreme Court's decision in Schwab v. Schwab, 2021 WI 67, addressing the intersection between the statute of repose and a judgment of divorce. , Co-author, Not Empty Promises: Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Divorce Agreement Integrity, Wisconsin Journal of Family Law, 2021
- This chapter provides a comprehensive review of Wisconsin law for marital property agreements and offers detailed suggestions on increasing the likelihood that such agreements are and remain enforceable, Co-author, Wisconsin: Prenuptial Law published in Drafting Prenuptial Agreements, Wolters Kluwer, 2021
- This article addresses Wisconsin's "no fault" divorce law, specifically statutes for maintenance and property division, and the ability of the court to examine relevant criminal conduct between the spouses, Author, Crime Doesn’t Pay: The Impact of Criminal Acts During Divorce, Wisconsin Journal of Family Law, 2019
- Articles Editor for the Wisconsin Law Review, University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, Wisconsin
- An Overview of “Parental Separation of Overnight Care of Young Children”, prepared for the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Wisconsin Chapter, 2017 Annual Education Event, Milwaukee, March 2017
- Carlton D. Stansbury and Colin A. Drayton, Wisconsin: Prenuptial Law published in Drafting Prenuptial Agreements, Skoloff, Singer, Jr. and Brown (Wolters Kluwer 1994; supp 2021)
- This article addresses tips from the perspective of a drafter of a prenuptial agreement to aid in ensuring the document is enforceable in future litigation, Co-author, Increasing the Likelihood of Enforcing a Prenup, Journal of Family Law, 2019
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Rising Star nominee
Office location for Colin A. Drayton
11270 W. Park Place
Suite 220
Milwaukee, WI 53224
Phone: 262-257-9110
Selections
- Rising Stars: 2020 - 2025
