Laurie G. Robertson, Washington Family Law Group, PLLC

Attorney Laurie G. Robertson

Laurie Robertson has been practicing family law since 1996. As a seasoned and aggressive divorce lawyer, she is extremely familiar with Washington state's complicated laws. She is a compassionate and caring attorney driven by results, and she knows her way around the court room.

Attorney Robertson's extensive experience and legal knowledge allow her to serve a range of client needs. Laurie earned her B.A in psychology at Rutgers University, New Jersey. She earned her J.D. at New York Law School in New York City. After law school, she relocated to Atlanta, Georgia and worked for a firm which focused on family law.

The firm had a contract with the state of Georgia, and Laurie represented both child support enforcement and child protective services county agencies as well as private clients. In late 2001, lured by family and the beautiful Pacific Northwest scenery, Laurie moved to the Seattle area, and in 2002 she was admitted to the WA State Bar.

For nearly three years, Attorney Robertson worked as a special project lawyer for Preston, Gates & Ellis. In 2006, Laurie joined Lutz Law Offices which focused primarily on family law. Laurie is a trained collaborative law attorney and experienced mediator. She has the resources and the experience to handle any type of divorce case, regardless of the complexity of the situation or the assets that may be involved.

Laurie has handled cases including divorce, child custody, adoption, child support, paternity, pre-nuptial agreements, parenting plans, modifying / enforcing orders, and more. She has represented clients in King County, Pierce County, Kitsap County, Thurston County, and Snohomish County. Laurie has experience in high conflict custody battles and complex asset distribution. Attorney Robertson truly understands the trauma that all clients face even in during divorce cases that may seem quite simple. She is committed to guiding her clients through these difficult and emotionally trying times.

Laurie enjoys spending time with her husband and son. She enjoys gardening, hiking, and baking. Laurie and her husband volunteer annually for fund raisers and other events to support hope worldwide. Laurie also volunteers as a mediator for Pierce County Center for dispute resolution.

Jurisdictions:

• Washington

Admitted To The Bar:

• 2002

Education:

• New York Law School
  • J.D.
• Rutgers University
  • B.A.

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• Washington State Bar Association

Attorney Sarah Elizabeth Hovland

Sarah is a person (who happens to also be an attorney) fueled by compassion, curiosity, and the desire to see justice prevail. She started her path towards the legal profession at age 7 when she negotiated her first deal: to stay up past her bedtime. She did not win. Several decades later, she applied this and many other life lessons to the practice of law. In her spare time, you can find Sarah at the local dog park trying and failing to get her dog to fetch a tennis ball, playing on the water, listening to music, travelling around this beautiful state of ours, and sleeping.

Jurisdictions:

• Washington

Admitted To The Bar:

• Washington, 2010
• United States District Court, Western District of Washington, 2014

Education:

• University of Warwick School of Law, England, 2009
  • L.L.M.
  • Graduated with Distinction, Masters of Law in International Development Law
• Gonzaga University School of Law, 2008
  • J.D
  • Dean’s Academic Honors List, 2008
  • Vice President, International Law Society, 2007-2008
  • Legal Internship, Irish Business and Employer’s Confederation, Dublin, Ireland, 2007
  • Study Abroad, International Media Law Program, London, England, 2006

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• Washington State Bar Association
• King, Snohomish, Pierce and Thurston County Bar Associations

Pro Bono Activities and Awards:

• Pro Bono award: 2012 and 2013, pro bono award, Washington State Bar Association
• Outstanding Volunteer: named Outstanding Volunteer, Unemployment Law Project, 2011

Attorney Michael Robert Rivers

Jurisdictions:

• Washington
• Kentucky
• New York

Admitted To The Bar:

• Washington State, 2017
• Kentucky State, 2002
• New York State, 2000

Education:

• University of Dayton School of Law
  • J.D.
  • Delta Phi Legal Honor Fraternity, Member and Treasurer
• State University of New York at Buffalo
  • B.A. Dual Major: Accounting and Financial Analysis
  • Cum Laude
  • National Golden Key Society
  • University of Buffalo Accounting Association

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• Washington State Bar Association
• King County Bar Association
• New York Bar Association

Legal and Community Engagement:

• Housing Justice Project, 2017 - Present
  • Assisted low-income individuals in danger of losing their residences
• Genesee County Legal Assistance Corporation, 2016 - 2017
  • Administered multi-attorney assignment program to represent clients when the county public defender's office had a conflict
• Regional Mock Trial Competition, 2015 - 2017
  • Presided as Judge for the regional preliminary and final rounds of competition
• Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, 2012 - 2017
  • Chairman Secretary
  • Participated in hiring committee in interviewing and hiring new president for the Chamber of Commerce after a national search
  • Provided guidance as the Chamber transitioned from renting office space to purchasing and renovating new offices and visitor's center
• Richmond Memorial Library Board of Trustees, 2013 - 2017
  • Served as President, Vice President, and Deputy Treasurer
  • Hired new library director who has expanded and modernized the library's offerings
  • Supported library director in reviewing and honing the budget based on current offerings and expected requests of patrons
  • Assisted grounds committee to remodel and enhance parking for safety of children and handicapped library users
• United Way of Genesee County Board of Directors, 2014 - 2017
  • Served as President and Vice President
  • Supported director in altering local United Way's funding of charities of last resort to programs more focused on prevention and education
  • Interviewed local charities and allocated funds to best serve the needs of the community based on updated long-term mission
• Rotary Club of Batavia Board of Directors, 2010 - 2017
• Genesee Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors, 2010 - 2014

Laurie is an incredible divorce lawyer! She did an amazing job with my divorce, and it was a real dog fight the whole way. She is a true fighter. And you can tell that she really cares about her family law clients and the results that she achieves for them. My ex was a vindictive nightmare who cared more about hurting me than her own children. Laurie tirelessly fought on my behalf. And, when my ex refused to even be remotely reasonable at trial, we just pushed forward to trial. Laurie did an absolutely Amazing job at trial. I felt like we were way better prepared and fought smarter at every turn. The end result? I basically got everything that was really important to me at trial. I am truly thrilled with the job that Laurie did and cannot say enough about her or her team. Highly recommended!!!!!

- John

Sarah has been guiding me through my divorce process and has done an excellent job. She demonstrated that she has a deep knowledge of the law and was well prepared during the entire process. She helped me to remain calm and provided good advice for most of my lengthy divorce even when the other party had absurd demands. It is refreshing to see a lawyer that cares about what is best for her client. Great lawyer and a good person.

- Juan

We came to Laurie after hiring another attorney that we were very unsatisfied with. He would not answer our emails, calls or make time to communicate at all! He had rave reviews at first glance, but if you starting digging in you could see others complain about his communication issues. Be careful when looking for an attorney it is scary out there. Anyway, I don’t know where to begin! When we hired Laurie she stepped right in and within days made great strides in our case. We are so pleased with Laurie I wish we could give her more than five stars! Laurie answered all of our questions clearly, completely, and demonstrated complete knowledge of the case. She truly reads everything you bring her and absolutely understands all the intricacies that are involved. She is truly fantastic! I can’t say enough good things about Laurie. She is respectful, kind and understanding. Laurie is always prompt in her communication and thorough with her explanations. She has taken a big weight off of our shoulders. I don’t think there are many out there but we know that we finally found a great attorney. I love her she is awesome! My family loves her also because I am not so stressed out anymore. Thank you Laurie for all you do! You do make a difference and we are happy and relieved when we see you!

- Cindy

Sarah helped guide and advise me through one of the most difficult chapters of my life. She is very firm and no nonsense. In these situations, that's what's called for. She helped me escape a bad situation. I have a life again. My life. I have nothing but a positive future to continue building. It was a long and hard journey. I am so thankful to be on the other side. Thank you for helping me through!

- Roz

Laurie has worked on my very challenging and contentious divorce and I could not have asked for a better family law attorney. She was able to handle all of the twists and turns of my case with ease. I highly recommend Laurie to anyone looking for an excellent, ethical and hard working counselor.

- Chandler

My lawyer guided me through a very challenging time in my life when I was going through my divorce. She worked hard and explained every step of the way what was going on so I could understand the process. I was very happy with her work.

- Barbel

I found Sarah via a google search of which she had already come highly recommended. After our initial consultation I knew she was the lawyer I wanted to work with. Sarah is extremely knowledgeable and very seasoned in the court room. Although my case lasted longer than what I preferred she delivered the exact end results I was trying to accomplish. I would definitely recommend Sarah and use her myself again in the future as needed! She is an amazing lawyer who kept me filled in throughout the entire process.

- Annie

After having a really bad experience working with another lawyer on my child custody case, I was happy to have found Sarah. From our initial consultation, it was clear that she was knowledgeable, organized, and most importantly, easy to talk to. It was also clear that she was an advocate for me and my child. She did an exceptional job helping me understand the entire process and was working hard to make my case as strong as possible: two things that my previous lawyer was not doing. Throughout the entire process, which took much longer than any of us anticipated, she remained positive yet realistic. I appreciated her honesty and counsel on difficult matters. In the event I need a lawyer in the future, I would without a doubt choose Sarah again.

- Daniel

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