Carol's Story

My family law practice opened in Bellevue, WA in 2001. Since then, I have assisted hundreds of couples with family transitions. In my first twelve years, I represented clients at court hearings and trials but my preference was always to encourage settlement. The truth is litigation never felt like a right fit for me. Since 2013, my practice has been focused on helping people who want to stay out of court and negotiate resolutions to their family law matters.

I am a divorced parent and I could see how my interactions with my daughter’s dad registered with her. She wanted us to get along. I was aware that our interactions were teaching her something about how grown-ups solve problems. We certainly had conflict but we learned to separate our issues with each other from our role as parents. My daughter is now a happy, well-adjusted young adult with pretty impressive communication skills.

My experience with litigation is that it is more about winning and less about needs. I learned that the system pits parties against each other. Rather than supporting the parties to focus on a common problem, it personalizes their issues and tends to be polarizing. In 2007 I heard about Collaborative Law which had just started to catch on in Washington. I began my training in this new approach to helping people uncouple. My education started when I learned interest-based mediation techniques and continued with Collaborative Process training which focused on the team approach to conflict resolution.

I bring a holistic approach to the practice of law by blending practical ideas with legal solutions to produce enduring results. Every parent wants their separation to have minimal impact on their children. Numerous studies have shown that ongoing, unresolved conflict is the thing that damages children most. I want to support your efforts to manage conflict in a way that helps you and your children thrive.

Good communication is equally important when people are beginning or continuing relationships. Family law isn’t only about divorce and separation. I also work with clients on co-habitation, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements. Parties can clarify their intentions and expectations regarding management of finances and property ownership using these contracts. I believe that discussions about the elements of these contracts can lay a foundation for effective communication as the relationship grows.

My practice goal is simple – to change the world one thoughtful decision at a time.