Legal Services
At Kraft Sheley Law, I provide legal guidance designed to protect your rights, help you pursue justice, and ensure you feel confident and prepared. Whether you're planning your birth, seeking accountability after mistreatment, or working as a midwife or doula, my goal is to make sure you're legally supported every step of the way.
Advance Planning for Birth
Legal Support for Birth, Grounded in Respect and Empowerment
Planning your birth is more than just deciding where or how you want to give birth. It's about understanding your rights, making informed decisions, and creating a plan that protects your autonomy in a medical system that often overlooks it.
I offer 90-minute legal consultations for birthing people who want to approach their birth with clarity and confidence. During our time together, we’ll talk through your goals, walk through common challenges that arise in hospital and out-of-hospital settings, and create a plan that reflects your values.
​
You’ll leave with practical tools for informed consent, strategies for self-advocacy, and a better understanding of how to protect your rights during labor and delivery.
​
This service may be a good fit if:
​
-
You want to know your legal rights when it comes to giving or refusing consent
-
You're planning a hospital or home birth and want to be proactive
-
You’ve had a past birth experience that raised concerns and want to take a different approach this time
​
You deserve respectful, empowering care. Planning ahead gives you a stronger foundation for protecting it.
Pushing Back on Mistreatment and Obstetric Violence
Accountability Matters. You Deserve to Be Treated with Dignity.
If your rights were violated during your birth, you are not alone. Too many people are denied critical information, pressured into care they never consented to, or mistreated by those who were supposed to care for them.
​
This kind of mistreatment is often called obstetric violence. It is real, and it has legal consequences. You may have grounds to take legal action if:
​
-
You were denied the right to give or refuse consent
-
You were misled about your options or pressured into a provider’s preferred plan
-
You were yelled at, ignored, neglected, or physically forced into a position or procedure you did not agree to
​
At Kraft Sheley Law, I can help you understand your options and decide what accountability looks like for you. That may include filing a formal complaint, exploring legal action, or simply getting clarity about what happened and what can be done about it. You do not have to navigate this alone.
​
Request an appointment to talk about your experience and next steps.
Supporting Midwives, Doulas, and Birth Workers
Legal Support for the People Who Support Birth
If you are a midwife, doula, or birth advocate working to make birth safer and more respectful in Missouri or Illinois, I am here to support your work.
​
Whether you have witnessed mistreatment and want to file a complaint, or you are building your practice and want to make sure your legal needs are covered, Kraft Sheley Law is here to help. I understand the unique roles that birth workers play and the care you bring to your clients.
​
My goal is to help you stay protected so that you can continue providing the vital, rights-respecting care your clients need.
Services for birth professionals may include:
​
-
Contract drafting and review
-
Guidance around professional complaints and documentation
-
Legal education on liability, scope of practice, and informed consent
-
Consultations to support your practice as it grows
​