Susan W. Keener

Susan Keener is an experienced family law attorney whose practice focuses on collaborative divorce, mediation, and domestic relations litigation. With over four decades in private practice, she is widely recognized for her commitment to helping clients navigate family transitions in a more thoughtful, constructive, and client-centered manner.

Sue’s work emphasizes collaborative practice and alternative dispute resolution, reflecting her belief that traditional litigation does not always address the human and emotional dimensions of divorce and family disputes. Through mediation and collaborative divorce processes, she works to help clients resolve matters in a way that aligns with their long-term goals and personal values while minimizing unnecessary conflict. She also continues to represent clients in domestic relations litigation as a settlement attorney.

Over the course of her career, Sue has become deeply involved in leadership and professional education within the family law and alternative dispute resolution communities. She has served as a trainer in Collaborative Divorce through the Collaborative Practice Institute of Michigan and is a founding member of the Collaborative Divorce Professionals of West Michigan. She is also a member of the Collaborative Practice Institute of Michigan and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. In addition, she has regularly lectured on family law and domestic mediation topics and has been selected multiple times.

Sue recently received the Hero of ADR award in 2025 from the Alternative Dispute Resolution section of the State Bar of Michigan. She also previously served as Chair of the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Michigan and is a former President of the Grand Rapids Bar Association, where she also chaired the Family Law and ADR sections.

Sue earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Indiana University School of Law in 1984. She received her undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from DePauw University, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. After many years in private practice, she founded Keener Law Offices, PLC in 2005.