Essentially, I take every case and I reflect what I get. If I have a case where we can cooperatively work out the details of a settlement, I simply take a cooperative attitude towards the case that’s, frankly, the most financially and emotionally expedient and efficient way to handle a case.

In cases where despite our best efforts there’s just no way to settle or move things along in an amicable fashion then where further litigation happens, we try not to, and especially myself try not to do anything that would be interpreted as let’s say a bulldog litigator is a term that people use. But nevertheless, when circumstances call for it we have to litigate and if necessary we have to do so aggressively.

I tell my clients that essentially, they have to keep in mind that divorce has consequences. Any family law action for that matter has consequences. And in a divorce specifically, this means understand that the economics of your life are going to change. Understand that your situation vis a vis your children is going to change. You may not see them as often as you like. Now sometimes people feel that that’s a very dim or negative view, which is why the other part of what I tell my clients is, you know, the process starts with a tunnel that gets dark but it gets light at the end of it. Which is we make it so that your life is better if we do our job properly.

I previously served on the executive committee of the family law section of the state of Washington. I’m currently the president of DRAW, which is an acronym for Domestic Relations Attorneys of Washington. This is a approximately 600 member firm consisting of all family law attorneys the purpose of which is to both put on continuing legal education seminars for attorneys to frankly, improve the practice. As well as at times to give advice to members of the state legislature when they’re considering an enacting statutes or laws that affect the area of family law in general.