I got divorced before I was an attorney, and even though it was mostly amicable, it was hard. I didn’t have an attorney and had no idea what I was doing. I started practicing family law because I wanted to help people like me who didn’t know where to begin. I did family law litigation for two years and realized that for most families, the court system did more harm than good. I thought there had to be a better way.

I met my mentor, the late Kevin Scudder, at the very moment when I was about to give up hope and look for another practice area. He hired me at the Seattle Collaborative Law Center and gave me the tools and foundation to be a dedicated non-litigation-focused attorney. What that means is that I will never go to court. I practice Collaborative Law, cooperative law, and provide mediation support, but I will never file unnecessary motions or do anything to increase conflict. In Kevin’s memory, being a peacemaker in family law is important to me.

I attended Seattle University School of Law as a non-traditional adult student. While there, I also completed a degree from the Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry in Transformational Leadership. The focus of that program left me uniquely qualified to practice family law in new ways since so much of that second degree was about working with people where they are. My passion is working with all families and helping them navigate this challenging period with grace and kindness. I especially welcome non-traditional families to reach out.

When I am not working, I sing with Resounding Love Interfaith Gospel Choir (which is an interfaith, inter-racial, LGBTQ+ affirming choir), write short stories and poetry, and enjoy life with my spouse, our three dogs, and our two cats on our micro-farm in Renton.