Reviews

Monica is the essence of the term “Legal Advocate”; knowledgeable, impeccable integrity, and dedicated. She worked long hours on my case, even working from home on a few occasions. She was very supportive and always kept me informed about my case. She obviously has a great relationship with the court staff. She was able to get me a great deal on my case. She also handled my case like it was the only one on her plate. Monica has always performed with exceptional professionalism, diligence and honesty. I highly recommend her for your legal matters. She is trustworthy and works above and beyond to earn it. If you have the opportunity to bring her on as your legal advocate, do so. It will make all the difference later.

My divorce was after a 9 years marriage. There were more than a few assets and real estate, but my husband and I wished for an amicable division and I was assigned to the task. I chose a lawyer as I felt it important that all the asset divisions were recorded correctly and all the "t's" crossed and "i's" dotted, to avoid future bad surprises. Initially, I called Ms. Onu for information a couple times and she patiently and calmly educated me without trying to sell anything. Imagine, a lawyer actually answering a phone in person! I liked her very calm demeanor and she was very knowledgeable. After a period of time, I went in for a free consultation. She gently made me aware of what my rights were with WA State law, she accepted my comfort level of splitting assets. (after-all, she was representing me). That day, I retained her services. I could tell that she could handle the most complicated of divorces, but she never balked at my $1700 divorce and commented that it is refreshing sometimes to see people get along. She quickly worked with contacting my ex-to-be and thoroughly accounted for all assets and properly divided everything in accordance with the law. Ms. Onu was very professional, thorough, efficient, reachable and was always quite prepared for each meeting and also in front of the judge. She prepared for multiple, anticipated outcomes and thought of things I did not consider. Ms. Onu really knows her stuff! I securely feel this chapter of my life is buttoned-up without anything to worry about in the future to haunt me. This is a good feeling. And I can move on with my life with peace of mind.

English is not my first language and I was not familiar with the US legal system. Virginia is trustworthy and can be relied on. She worked efficiently and effectively. With her assistance, I went through my divorce process easier than I thought and I am pleased with the result. I am glad she was my attorney.

I'm a father who fought for primary custody in the state of Washington. It's been no picnic facing down the subtle but dangerous stereotypes. But with Monica's help, I got what was best for the kids. Virginia (Monica) Onu quickly found what to focus our energies on in my dispute, and from then on she kept me positioned accordingly. She knew what my soon-to-be ex-spouse was going to do before my ex-spouse even thought of it. She prepared the documents for the judges to reflect me well with great supporting documentation. She fought to protect my kids from physical harm. She didn't let me wiggle out of things that made me disturb the dynamics of my relationship's status quo. And when my wife tried to immediately slack on the court's orders, Monica swiftly made it into a very aversive experience. My ex no longer thinks the rules are just guidelines that she can reinvent according to her whims. I chose Monica because she's got a lot of criminal work in her background that, to me, compliments her years in family law. I wanted an attorney who's home court IS court. I'd read her reviews, and knew she doesn't go into negotiations ready to sell you down the river to avoid court. She's the opposite of that, and only avoids court to help you save money. She really comes alive negotiating with difficult people on the opposing team, and doesn't capitulate by giving away what's all-important. She has no interest in anything but the truth, which keeps you on strong footing with the judges, and tends to look better and better the more the opposition attacks it. I have little emotional problem with this divorce. However, staying emotionally sturdy through the child custody battle side of it, has been a different matter. The thought of failing to protect my kids, and losing my ability the provide them with what they need to succeed in life has been incredibly exhausting. Monica has successfully kept me putting one foot in front of the other through what turned into a long battle because my ex wanted a 50/50 parenting plan so she could get out of paying any kind of support. Clearly, I believe this would have been very bad for the kids. Monica protected my kids with every tool in her arsenal and it's made a huge difference. I suggest you give her a call like I did.

I am an attorney, and in June 2009, I found myself in desperate need of an excellent family law attorney. My ex-husband, who had moved out of state, called to inform me that he was going to stop paying child support. My two boys were 18 and 16, and both were headed to college. I contacted my probate attorney for a referral to a good family law attorney, and she strongly recommended Ms. Virginia (Monica) Onu. We met the next day and Monica had my motions filed, my ex-husband served and court dates within a matter of weeks. Not only did she do an incredible job of getting a favorable ruling on the child support and college expenses, but, at no cost to me, she quickly and easily walked me through the process of collecting over $50,000 in back child support that I had long since given up on collecting. Within 60 days of meeting Monica, I had a judgment for the entire amount and his wages were being garnished by the State of Washington. I cannot recommend Ms. Onu highly enough. She is thorough, thoughtful and efficient. My attorney fees were extremely reasonable and well within the amounts she estimated at the outset. Given the outcome of my case, she was worth every single penny and more! I am confident you will be thankful for having retained her services. She is an excellent family law attorney.

Virginia was my first experience with a lawyer( at age 55). I came to Virginia to file for divorce. I'm not a business woman, nor was I very involved in our household finances. Virginia explained all my options in a way I throughly understood. she also explained everything, every step of the way. Virginia is extremely thorough! expecially in requesting documentation from the respondent. Virginia basically held my hand through the whole thing. at one point she sensed I was becoming frustrated with the paperwork from the respondent. She went over each question with me and we answered them together. This was a huge load off my back and totally worth the money. I found her rates were extremely fair. Her bills were meticulously documented. I also found she was more of a low to moderate time biller, rather then someone who watches every minute and bills you for it. I found Virginia was honest, well educated and well informed. She was on top of any situation that arose. Anytime I emailed her, She got back to me within 24 hours.( Usually the same day) I'm very pleased with the outcome of our case. The settlement was fair to both parties.( Although the respondent Did not want to be fair at first). I would highly recommend Virginia to any one of my friends, or anyone reading this. she had my best interests in mind. both parties. ( Although the respondent Did not want to be there at first

I have just enduring a hideous divorce where I was the reasonable party against an aggressive ex that constantly lied, fabricated, and filed meaningless motions. All we could do is hold our ground until we got to the very end -- thanks for that legal system. I ended up with an incredibly favorable parenting plan, and we received an arbitration decision where "it was a total bloodbath where ex lost on nearly every conceivable issue". It was a very expensive and stressful period of time, but it was totally worth it in the end. The ultimate result I received exceeded my expectations. My legal fees were less than 2/3rds of the ex and I also feel that if my ex would have been reasonable, and we didn't litigate so much, the net result would have been the same after considering the legal fee costs. Monica has a strong, no-nonsense, straightforward attitude. There were times I was going off the rails, and she would always ground me. She didn't always agree with what I wanted to do, but she was always right, and I always trusted her. Only 10% of cases go to trial, such as ours, and the direct, cross-examinations, and redirects were utterly one-sided. Granted, we were fighting a lying lunatic, so our job was a lot easier. Her skill in boxing in my ex was a real sight for sore eyes. We caught her in so many lies and contradictions, it almost made the pain of litigation worth it. I was forced the entire time to defensively litigate. We prevailed against a fake separation date, a fake prenup, allegations of spousal and child abuse, a temporarily restraining order attempt, a favorable outcome on a parental evaluation, 2 full days of mediation, and 3 days of arbitration. You name it we litigated it. Divorce can be a really frustrating experience. The options of what you can do during the 1-year divorce schedule are limited. Any motions presented before judges before your actual trial get a 5 minute treatment and it's clear judges heavily deter mid-stream litigation where everyone walks away unhappy without hearing all the facts or taking the time to understand what is going on. It wasn't until the very end that I got my first and overwhelming experience of vindication. Monica is a great lawyer, and she exceeded my expectations and I highly recommend her.

The best word that describes her is efficient, fair, smart as hell, aggressive, realistic, hard working, smart as hell, strong, supportive, funny, caring and did I mention smart as hell.

Virginia is an excellent attorney with a firm command of the law and awesome trial skills. She is thorough, practical, aggressive and committed to her client's needs. She gives advice that is rooted in a firm grasp of the law and the reality of divorce and family dynamics. She is prepared, committed and pleasant to deal with in very stressful situations. She is straightforward and skillful and has the goods to back up everything she says. I would place my interests in her hands and would recommend her to my closest friends and family.

Virginia was very caring and always made me feel she was on my side. She was also able to tell me when I was not following through. And when she gleaned that I was having a tough time in information gathering, she and her assistant jumped in and held my hand through the processes that I was not familiar with. I have a lot more confidence in my ability to be independent. She's also a very creative and passionate person.

Ms. Onu well exceeded expectations on every level. She is efficient, effective and works with focused determination. I knew she would fight for my children and me even when I felt overwhelmed by my case and family health issues. It was a comfort to know she was working on my behalf. I would not hesitate to hire Ms Onu again and giver her an A+.

Monica is friendly, knowledgeable and highly competent. Her work was excellent and she really strives to do the highest quality legal work. She can be aggressive if needed.