Reviews

Before filing for divorce, I spoke with about a dozen attorneys in the area. I felt like some said what they thought I wanted to hear, while others seemed almost disinterested. After narrowing it down to a few, I chose Michelle because I felt like she was an excellent listener, and gave me her unbiased thoughts instead of saying things to land a new client. My case was complex, not for the finances/assets, but because of a parental rights dispute. Michelle and her team gave me excellent representation. While I no doubt am bias because of our success, I'd like to think that even if we had been less successful, that I would still appreciate her efforts and high-quality work. Besides that, Michelle was great at managing someone (me) who was dealing with a difficult situation. She was kind and professional. Her communications were excellent; she responded quickly to my inquiries and promptly passed on information from the courts and opposing counsel. I myself am a licensed attorney, and while I am not an expert in family law, I felt that her work could not have been better. I think that there are many types of family law attorneys out there. There are some who will guide you and make decisions for you (with your consent) if you are not in a good state of mind to decide. There are others who will do what you ask even when that may not be in your best interest. Michelle is someone who will tell you what she thinks, and will discuss the options with you. She is willing to make recommendations as well, but ultimately, she will inform you as best she can then will leave it up to you to decide. That is exactly what I was looking for, and if it is what you need, you may want to consider talking to her. I could not recommend her more highly.

Michelle represented me in my divorce. I came to her scared and confused about what to do. Michelle is extremely knowledgeable about the law and helps ensure you are not only thinking about the now, the future for you and your children. She is a straight-shooter with empathy. What I appreciated the most was that Michelle made me aware of all possible scenarios (good and bad), brought solutions to the table, and walked me through what was in the best interest of me and my kids. There were times I was scared, and she educated me patiently. During this stressful time, I had someone looking out for me. Michelle doesn't treat you as a number. I can't recommend her enough if you want someone who I would consider an expert in the divorce/family law field who will treat you with compassion as well as consider you and your family's best long-term interest.

I just wrapped my divorce process and worked with Janel Ostrem at Seattle Divorce Services for it. I am incredibly pleased with the outcome, the representation I received, and the entire process along the way. We settled via mediation, and Janel was able to flex on both collaborative style and, when it was needed, being litigious. She was incredibly efficient, which was great in that it kept my costs down. Best, though, she was able to get me and keep me focused on the right 'bigger picture' issues, which at times was a challenge for me in getting caught up in the moment and the immediate issue or argument at hand. In the end, that was critical in getting me to a positive, cost-effective settlement. I highly recommend Janel and SDS and would be happy to share more of my experiences if it would be helpful to anyone evaluating and choosing a divorce lawyer.

I'm an attorney, practicing in business law, estate planning and probate. When I got divorced, I thought it was important to obtain quality legal representation for two reasons. First, I do not practice family law. Second, I do not think it's wise for an attorney to represent herself. I know many family law attorneys in Seattle. I chose to work with Mike Fancher at Seattle Divorce Services. I received excellent representation, good customer service, and high quality legal advice. I highly recommend this firm.

My attorney made me feel comfortable and determined in her office while I breastfed my newborn, whom I was fighting for from August-November in 2013, but I felt she did not adequately search for information and evidence that supported my case. The attorney also skipped key elements to my argument while she spoke for me in court, but adamantly stifled me from speaking on my own behalf, to correct her, in front of the judge which the opposing council did for her which ultimately cost me. While I don't entirely blame the attorney, as I was made to feel pressured by my cases' third-party-payor to have an attorney, she was only one step above a paralegal in the way of coming into court with me and standing in on my behalf when proceedings were done. In the end she excused herself from my case as she assumed the case was far from over but my third-party-payor was falling behind on replenishing the retainer, (which he's still paying off to this day in 2017) Ultimately I wish I had stuck with the paralegal I sought advice from in the beginning before everything went south. Had I done things my way instead of how my attorney at SEATTLE DIVORCE SERVICES and third-party-payor, the case would have been open and shut within two months. The only thing I'm grateful for is not having to retrieve my own docs, fill them out, and file them with the court myself.

I started my divorce in October. I thought that a firm or agency that specialized would be very effective so I presented myself at SDS and asked to be represented. My wife had her own house but she chose to stay in mine against my will. The SDS lawyer had one good idea and that was to create a separation agreement which had my wife sign the agreement, would have ended the ordeal. But, my wife didn't sign and that in my opinion, was the last useful thing the lawyer did except for removing herself from the case after I had spent 9 painful months while forced to live with my wife. Of course, during this period SDS continued to bill me every time I emailed a question to the lawyer. Sometimes I was billed for just asking them if they had received a document from the court. In my opinion, the worst part of getting divorced is finding a lawyer that you trust and who defends you. My recommendation is to not just to assume that a specialized firm will represent you well. Ask anybody who has any experience with divorce who from their experience that you might hire for the best results and I think you will have much better results than just assuming a specialist will represent you well.

I worked with Mark Alexander on my divorce. I hired him as my pro se attorney while doing most of the paperwork and legwork myself. His calm demeanor and knowledge about maneuvering the legal system and not allowing me to give up my rights and desires was invaluable. He was especially helpful guiding me through the online court system for submissions and locating progress reports. Mark was so professional and retained a personal touch throughout this painful journey.

Seattle Divorce Services made me comfortable by giving me a clear understanding of the process I was going to enter. Knowing the steps made for a better experience. Mark was personable and gave very fast responses to my questions and opposing council.

This is a great group. I worked with Mimi Buescher, who is a phenomenal lawyer. Her support staff is also excellent. When I found myself in the process of a divorce, I was so shell-shocked that I couldn't process any information. Ms. Buescher was amazing--she told me exactly what to do, gave me excellent advice, and redirected me appropriately when I got off track. She worked like a maniac for me, and responded immediately when I needed her. I felt completely protected and supported. Her passion for her job is contagious, and she was a terrific role model for me throughout the divorce process. She has a great understanding of people, and because of her calm and reassuring approach, she was able to diffuse some very difficult issues that came up in my case.