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04 Oct, 2024 by Zach gustafson
24 Jan, 2024 by Young k
Family-law case, unsatisfied out-come and advisory service including how the way admin staffing handling the case and irregular communication channels other than requested and time charges. They care and focuse on your money not you.
Very softy and admin focused handlining.
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06 Jun, 2023 by Ann nalley
Explained the issue and paid $$$, for a consultation just for the Lawyer to tell me they couldn't help because this is Kitsap county and we needed Pierce County. I feel that would have been nice to know when I explained the situation prior to making the appointment for the phone consult. Maked me feel they just wanted to get an extra $$$.
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24 Apr, 2024 by Ava
Heather and her team were wonderful to work with. Very helpful and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend her.
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14 May, 2019 by Alina
I hired Compass Legal Services in 2017 to help me with a legal separation. Because my case involved not only complex financial matters but also a complicated situation regarding medical insurance I depend on but stood to lose in a divorce, I experienced terrible anxiety about the whole process. Heather and the staff at Compass Legal Services became like family to me during the many months it took to settle my case. Heather was able to help me ensure that I would be able to keep my medical insurance and have the resources I need to start over after twenty four years of marriage. They have continued to help me wrap up loose ends and red tape issues. I hope I never have to go through a situation like this again in my life, but if I ever did I would not hesitate to reach out to Heather and her staff for help. Heather is a smart and methodical divorce lawyer and I can attest that her strategic ability is exceptional and I highly recommend Compass Legal Services to absolutely anyone in Kitsap County who needs a divorce lawyer.
Thank you,
Alina
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17 Jun, 2017 by Chris
You are a godsend, lady.
Better than that: thanks for spending years in law school, practicing and gaining the experience to keep me from effing this up.
Heather provides fair-minded proactive advice, guidance and services. Her integrity, temperance, forbearance and quick response makes her the best attorney in Silverdale that I know of. If you need help, check with her right away; she's honest about what she can do for you, follows through and is an amazing person.
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14 Mar, 2024 by Craig diviney
I was a trial lawyer for 30 years but never thought I would need one myself, until I was injured in a dog attack. After careful research I retained Bill Broughton to represent me. He and his legal assistant Kelly were terrific, and they procured a settlement well beyond what I thought was possible. Bill was diligent, tenacious, caring, and thoroughly professional, and the deft touch with which he negotiated with the insurance adjustor was a thing of beauty. He and Kelly are consummate professionals and kind, decent people. Highest possible recommendation.
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28 Feb, 2024 by Consumer reviews
As a business owner, consumer, politically and socially independent and non-partisan activist, I have hired many attorneys over a period of 50 years. I have sued but never been sued, and I have avoided many situations that could end in legal trouble, such as estate issues, divorce, guardianship, contracts, real estate, by being careful about the law and lawyers. Most lawyers stink, but I hold my nose and consult with them because seemingly everything has connections to law in one way or another. Here is my take on 50 years of damned lawyers:
1. 20% of attorneys are excellent, but most range from mediocre to bad. Most are not good case managers because they are detail-constipated; they pick through the legal wording and have chronic and serious trouble seeing the forest for the trees. One real estate attorney I hired spent months exchanging letters with another attorney, picking endlessly over every letter of every word, and at $500 per letter.
2. Most attorneys slip easily into being rude, contentious, domineering and abrupt, and not infrequently abusive outright. They don't teach respect or courtesy in law school, and the field attracts many bullies, greedy, ill-mannered and argumentative misfits. Unless your case has a fat pay-day for them, like big accident/injury cases, your business won't motivate them to treat you even 1/10 as well as you are treated at a reputable retailer.
3. Law school costs a fortune so, even if they wanted to, they have to charge a lot of money. This is why only the well off can afford lawyers and pursue their interests. Aa for life for the majority, you are well advised to always carry a jar of K-Y, stay out of the big city, and stay home after dark.
4. Most lawyers are cynical and, behind your back or in your face, sneer, discount, or dismiss outright the average person's sense of fair play, integrity or justice.
3. Many lawyers are ignorant. The usual case is like this: Well, Mr. Smith, I will have to research this issue and it will take X-hours. Have another question for your lawyer and that means more hours on your bill. This is usually the case even when they specialize in the area of law your want guidance on. Imagine you go to a car mechanic and he says, well, I will have to study the problem, at $350 an hour for a number of hours--and then decide on a course of action to repair your car. An attorney who claimed to be a HOA expert, a Phil Havers of Silverdale, charged me hundreds of dollars to research whether it was legal for equal members of an HOA to pay different dues. Well, it was right there in the law, plain as day according to another attorney. Havers never did figure it out.
4. Many lawyers are foggy headed drunks who love drinking their lunches. In a law magazine I read, 18% of attorneys admitted to drinking too much. That is triple the rate in the general population.
5. Some attorneys are crooks. When my brother died, his attorney churned and milked his account for YEARS. He knew one of my brother's wills was not legal because it was not witnessed, but he went on robbing from it. His name was Bruce Gardiner of Kirkland. When we got on Bruce, he actually hired another crooked attorney to help him, an Eric Jeppesen of Bellevue.
In conclusion, I found this law firm to be the just more of the same rude, money-wasting, and ill-informed. I found its snooty representative to be as "pleasant" to talk with as I would some guy laying on a sidewalk in Seattle. Trust me, you can do better, although better as a rule means going to the high quality guys in the high-rises in Seattle.
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16 Jan, 2024 by B allen
Constantly forgets to send you paperwork, puts you behind on all proceedings. He always said "My paralegal never sent that to you?" when asked and than would get the documents 2-3 days later still. He was always on "travel", hard to reach. Simply by the book and willing to give as much to the other person and will do bare bones to support you.
Overall wish I would of hired one that actually cared and would inform me of things.
I had to wait 30 days to even get paperwork that the court case was done and that is cause I asked for them. I was never going to be told or sent any documents on it otherwise.
EDIT: Before he comments. Please take note. I am not the first person to complain about it. It is a business he will claim it doesn't represent fair review. Others said same as i did above.
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16 May, 2022 by Mike & michele s
Great attorney- Very knowledgeable and thorough. Highly recommended!
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18 May, 2021 by Andrea parkin
15 Apr, 2021 by Elana voigt
Came highly recommended through a lawyer friend, I was not disappointed. Very calm and capable in the face of difficulty, balanced the need to do enough to win with keeping billed hours as low as possible. Made good recommendations on cost saving measures like buying my own scanner printer combo to save tons of billable hours (and driving hours) by scanning my own documents at home rather than driving them to her office and paying her staff to scan them. Not the cheapest but very good value. Listen to her suggestions, they're good.
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05 Mar, 2021 by Susan
Diane is simply the best. My ex-husband filed a lousy lawsuit against me over the holidays, and Diane was recommended to me, and it was the best recommendation I have ever had. Diane accepted that lousy case and took it very seriously. She did a ton of research and even asked for sanctions for me, which we won. Be honest with her, and she will be straight up with you. She will advocate harder for you than you can imagine. She knows her stuff, and she knows it well. If you come to her with a case, and she tells you it is not worth trying, believe her. She is looking out for your best interest and does not want you to waste your money or time. She is professional, reputable, smart, yet also caring and empathetic.
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07 Nov, 2015 by Anonymous
I went to Diane for a dissolution and custody was a major issue. Her office staff was professional and always gave me notice of fees. I was notified when calling for an appoinment that there was a consultation fee (and how it was broken into tenths of an hour so I was only charged for the time that I actually spoke with her) and retainer fees would be discussed at the consultation. I was given a client fee agreement that spelled out all fees and obligations.
Diane was compassionate and ethical. She made time out of her schedule when I really needed her assistance.
She was always prompt to court, meeting me outside the courtroom and going over what would be happening that day, and I always received notice of any court dates and copies of all legal papers that were filed with the court.
She was professional, kind, and to the point (she is not an attorney to waste time in order to charge her clients-) she always let me know where the law stood on issues in a compassionate manner.
I truly appreciated her assistance in my matter and am glad that I had her on my side.
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24 Nov, 2014 by Anonymous
Diane was referred to me by a friend whom I trust. Diane represented me in a variety of family-related matters including custody and child support. We lost both times, despite insurmountable evidence that we should win, including her 75% certainty we would win. She was late to court. She failed to notify me to appear, so we had to request to do one appearance over the phone. I spent 25,000 with her, and as a result my ex-wife receives the maximum allowed by Washington state child support, and I see my kids twice a year. RUN AWAY from Diane Russell. She has no apathy, a cold and bitterness about her, and charges WAY TOO MUCH to lose so hard. My kids have suffered as a result of her services. She won't lose sleep over it, though - she's touring wine country in Europe thanks to my fees.
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16 May, 2022 by Mike & michele s
Great attorney- Very knowledgeable and thorough. Highly recommended!
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18 May, 2021 by Andrea parkin
15 Apr, 2021 by Elana voigt
Came highly recommended through a lawyer friend, I was not disappointed. Very calm and capable in the face of difficulty, balanced the need to do enough to win with keeping billed hours as low as possible. Made good recommendations on cost saving measures like buying my own scanner printer combo to save tons of billable hours (and driving hours) by scanning my own documents at home rather than driving them to her office and paying her staff to scan them. Not the cheapest but very good value. Listen to her suggestions, they're good.
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18 Jan, 2019 by Ryan
He didn’t seem to have his stuff together and all I had asked for was for him to prepare divorce documents for me...which needed corrections(not a big deal!).... what was a big deal was after I received services, I paid on the way out and as far as I knew it was a transaction that had been completed.... later I was billed a different number... when I asked about it he accused me of constant whining and harassment.... I emailed him and it continued to the tune of being told I got a good deal and he actually worked an hour longer than he originally billed me... I asked for the dates and times he charged me and he told me our business was done and that unless I was going to pay, to stop the harassment of him and his employees and the insane emails... insane? I asked for dates and times he had billed me.... my credit score isn’t 790 because I fail to pay what is owed!! Look elsewhere!!
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07 Mar, 2011 by Anonymous
I felt like I had to basically plan my whole case - I also feft like he was more interested in making deals with the opposing council that he was with fighting for my needs. Paperwork that was supposed to be submitted to the Judge (bench copies) were a problem not once but twice..I felt this was a HUGE problem in both my "temporary orders" and during trial!
The good news is he does respond in a timely manner.
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28 Aug, 2009 by Jennifer
Craig has been an exceptional attorney for us! He is hard working, doesn't take to intimidation tactics of other attorney, agencies, etc. and very compassionate with his clients. The first thing I noticed about Craig is he has a genuine concern for his clients; when he sees they are being "wronged" he is right there to go to the mat for you. He is experienced and it shows! He always seems to be ahead of the game and knows when someone is pulling some to be blunt BS. He is VERY clear about his expectations of honesty and conduct and so long as you are up front with him and your motives are good he is 150% there for you. He is an amazing attorney who we can not thank enough for the help he has provided so far. I would HIGHLY recommend him to anyone seeking an attorney who will get the job done AND do it with compassion! We are still working with Craig and we couldn't be happier with him.
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14 Mar, 2024 by Craig diviney
I was a trial lawyer for 30 years but never thought I would need one myself, until I was injured in a dog attack. After careful research I retained Bill Broughton to represent me. He and his legal assistant Kelly were terrific, and they procured a settlement well beyond what I thought was possible. Bill was diligent, tenacious, caring, and thoroughly professional, and the deft touch with which he negotiated with the insurance adjustor was a thing of beauty. He and Kelly are consummate professionals and kind, decent people. Highest possible recommendation.
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28 Feb, 2024 by Consumer reviews
As a business owner, consumer, politically and socially independent and non-partisan activist, I have hired many attorneys over a period of 50 years. I have sued but never been sued, and I have avoided many situations that could end in legal trouble, such as estate issues, divorce, guardianship, contracts, real estate, by being careful about the law and lawyers. Most lawyers stink, but I hold my nose and consult with them because seemingly everything has connections to law in one way or another. Here is my take on 50 years of damned lawyers:
1. 20% of attorneys are excellent, but most range from mediocre to bad. Most are not good case managers because they are detail-constipated; they pick through the legal wording and have chronic and serious trouble seeing the forest for the trees. One real estate attorney I hired spent months exchanging letters with another attorney, picking endlessly over every letter of every word, and at $500 per letter.
2. Most attorneys slip easily into being rude, contentious, domineering and abrupt, and not infrequently abusive outright. They don't teach respect or courtesy in law school, and the field attracts many bullies, greedy, ill-mannered and argumentative misfits. Unless your case has a fat pay-day for them, like big accident/injury cases, your business won't motivate them to treat you even 1/10 as well as you are treated at a reputable retailer.
3. Law school costs a fortune so, even if they wanted to, they have to charge a lot of money. This is why only the well off can afford lawyers and pursue their interests. Aa for life for the majority, you are well advised to always carry a jar of K-Y, stay out of the big city, and stay home after dark.
4. Most lawyers are cynical and, behind your back or in your face, sneer, discount, or dismiss outright the average person's sense of fair play, integrity or justice.
3. Many lawyers are ignorant. The usual case is like this: Well, Mr. Smith, I will have to research this issue and it will take X-hours. Have another question for your lawyer and that means more hours on your bill. This is usually the case even when they specialize in the area of law your want guidance on. Imagine you go to a car mechanic and he says, well, I will have to study the problem, at $350 an hour for a number of hours--and then decide on a course of action to repair your car. An attorney who claimed to be a HOA expert, a Phil Havers of Silverdale, charged me hundreds of dollars to research whether it was legal for equal members of an HOA to pay different dues. Well, it was right there in the law, plain as day according to another attorney. Havers never did figure it out.
4. Many lawyers are foggy headed drunks who love drinking their lunches. In a law magazine I read, 18% of attorneys admitted to drinking too much. That is triple the rate in the general population.
5. Some attorneys are crooks. When my brother died, his attorney churned and milked his account for YEARS. He knew one of my brother's wills was not legal because it was not witnessed, but he went on robbing from it. His name was Bruce Gardiner of Kirkland. When we got on Bruce, he actually hired another crooked attorney to help him, an Eric Jeppesen of Bellevue.
In conclusion, I found this law firm to be the just more of the same rude, money-wasting, and ill-informed. I found its snooty representative to be as "pleasant" to talk with as I would some guy laying on a sidewalk in Seattle. Trust me, you can do better, although better as a rule means going to the high quality guys in the high-rises in Seattle.
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26 Feb, 2024 by Joel
My experience with Tom Brennan was absolutely awful. I hired him after being wrongfully terminated after 17 years of employment at Zion Lutheran school. He did not listen to me nor fight for my rights to a safe work environment. I was whistleblowing Covid concerns and had developed a heart condition from exposure to the virus, despite insistent, upon following masking rules as was mandated in Snohomish county. He deliberately undermined my case by telling me not to submit my complaints to labor and industries, and would not listen to me when I communicated with him regarding my status, as a “called“ worker, rather than an “at Will“ employee. He did not care to protect my rights, was regularly condescending, and ultimately forced me into signing away my rights for a very weak severance of one half of an annual salary. His poor performance has caused me significant grief, and his bad advice regarding the EEOC left me with no Avenue for accountability. Do not hire Thomas Brennan, I warn you.
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14 Mar, 2024 by Craig diviney
I was a trial lawyer for 30 years but never thought I would need one myself, until I was injured in a dog attack. After careful research I retained Bill Broughton to represent me. He and his legal assistant Kelly were terrific, and they procured a settlement well beyond what I thought was possible. Bill was diligent, tenacious, caring, and thoroughly professional, and the deft touch with which he negotiated with the insurance adjustor was a thing of beauty. He and Kelly are consummate professionals and kind, decent people. Highest possible recommendation.
Read more
28 Feb, 2024 by Consumer reviews
As a business owner, consumer, politically and socially independent and non-partisan activist, I have hired many attorneys over a period of 50 years. I have sued but never been sued, and I have avoided many situations that could end in legal trouble, such as estate issues, divorce, guardianship, contracts, real estate, by being careful about the law and lawyers. Most lawyers stink, but I hold my nose and consult with them because seemingly everything has connections to law in one way or another. Here is my take on 50 years of damned lawyers:
1. 20% of attorneys are excellent, but most range from mediocre to bad. Most are not good case managers because they are detail-constipated; they pick through the legal wording and have chronic and serious trouble seeing the forest for the trees. One real estate attorney I hired spent months exchanging letters with another attorney, picking endlessly over every letter of every word, and at $500 per letter.
2. Most attorneys slip easily into being rude, contentious, domineering and abrupt, and not infrequently abusive outright. They don't teach respect or courtesy in law school, and the field attracts many bullies, greedy, ill-mannered and argumentative misfits. Unless your case has a fat pay-day for them, like big accident/injury cases, your business won't motivate them to treat you even 1/10 as well as you are treated at a reputable retailer.
3. Law school costs a fortune so, even if they wanted to, they have to charge a lot of money. This is why only the well off can afford lawyers and pursue their interests. Aa for life for the majority, you are well advised to always carry a jar of K-Y, stay out of the big city, and stay home after dark.
4. Most lawyers are cynical and, behind your back or in your face, sneer, discount, or dismiss outright the average person's sense of fair play, integrity or justice.
3. Many lawyers are ignorant. The usual case is like this: Well, Mr. Smith, I will have to research this issue and it will take X-hours. Have another question for your lawyer and that means more hours on your bill. This is usually the case even when they specialize in the area of law your want guidance on. Imagine you go to a car mechanic and he says, well, I will have to study the problem, at $350 an hour for a number of hours--and then decide on a course of action to repair your car. An attorney who claimed to be a HOA expert, a Phil Havers of Silverdale, charged me hundreds of dollars to research whether it was legal for equal members of an HOA to pay different dues. Well, it was right there in the law, plain as day according to another attorney. Havers never did figure it out.
4. Many lawyers are foggy headed drunks who love drinking their lunches. In a law magazine I read, 18% of attorneys admitted to drinking too much. That is triple the rate in the general population.
5. Some attorneys are crooks. When my brother died, his attorney churned and milked his account for YEARS. He knew one of my brother's wills was not legal because it was not witnessed, but he went on robbing from it. His name was Bruce Gardiner of Kirkland. When we got on Bruce, he actually hired another crooked attorney to help him, an Eric Jeppesen of Bellevue.
In conclusion, I found this law firm to be the just more of the same rude, money-wasting, and ill-informed. I found its snooty representative to be as "pleasant" to talk with as I would some guy laying on a sidewalk in Seattle. Trust me, you can do better, although better as a rule means going to the high quality guys in the high-rises in Seattle.
Read more
08 Feb, 2024 by Bryan
Constantly forgets to send you paperwork, puts you behind on all proceedings. He always said "My paralegal never sent that to you?" when asked and than would get the documents 2-3 days later still. He was always on "travel", hard to reach. Simply by the book and willing to give as much to the other person and will do bare bones to support you.
Overall wish I would of hired one that actually cared and would inform me of things.
I had to wait 30 days to even get paperwork that the court case was done and that is cause I asked for them. I was never going to be told or sent any documents on it otherwise.
EDIT: Before he comments. Please take note. I am not the first person to complain about it. It is a business he will claim it doesn't represent fair review. Others said same as i did above.
Read more
30 Aug, 2022 by King
Asking a monkey to take care of your case would be better than this individual. No responses to any form of communication while hiding behind the receptionist. Don't waste time. money or your effort on this tool.
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07 Mar, 2013 by Anonymous
I hired Angela L Olsen to do my Divorce. It has been a year, and I had to get another attorney to take the case. She did nothing on my case, except collect money from me. She did not keep me inform, she charged for my emails, but would not reply to them. While the case was in her hands it almost got dismissed from the county due to inactivity! She is not on top of her game! If you hire this lawyer you might as well walk into your bathroom and flush your money down the toilet!!
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11 Jul, 2011 by Jeff
Angela Olsen mishandled our case so badly that we were compelled to file a complaint with the Washington State Bar. She was uncaring and unprepared and, as a result, served a contempt motion on the wrong party, and then failed to insist that a waiver be granted because the opposing attorney asked for service on behalf of her client. Any experienced attorney should have known better. In addition she was unable, because of her lack of preparation, to argue the case with the opposing attorney or direct the judge. She bungled the facts badly, and had no case law to support her limited attempts at rebuttal.
Angela Olsen failed/refused to maintain communications with us, claiming that her caseload and personal matters, such as a field trip with her daughter, and a vacation, were more important than the lives and future of our grandchildren, which hung in the balance.
Angela never disclosed to us that her caseload was such that she could not competently handle the case, which was brought before the court as an urgent matter. As a family law attorney she has a moral imperative to protect innocent children who are helpless, and have no other advocate, which was the reason she and her firm were retained.
Further, Angela Olsen failed to file a motion for reconsideration, when the judge refused to appoint a guardian ad litem. This was negligent
and irresponsible, given that there are health issues and child molestation involved. Ms. Olsen also ignored the urgency of the matter to go on vacation and then had the audacity to tell us more than 10 days later that she was too busy to respond to our telephone calls and
e-mail inquiries because "we were not her only client." When I criticized her handling of the case by e-mail her partner responded within 5 minutes, advising us that his firm was withdrawing -- never addressing the issues. As matters now stand Angela Olsen may have completely destroyed our son-in-law's only remaining chance to get his children and our grandchildren out of harm's way.
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Disciplinary Record:
Look up any history of disciplinary actions or complaints through the state bar association. -
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