$ 300-350 per hour
Victoria J. Smith
also known as Victoria J. Drake
About Victoria
Biography
As the oldest of five children with parents who went through a lengthy, contentious divorce, I developed an interest in family law. I started out my education with a Bachelors in Psychology with minors in Sociology, Education, and Marketing. Upon reaching graduation, I decided that I wanted to pursue law. My friends and family always came to me with their problems, and I seemed to have a knack for helping them resolve said problems.
I attended law school and became involved with The Student Ambassadors (with the Admissions office), Alternative Dispute Resolution Club, and the Student Bar Association (Transfer/LLM Chair). I graduated Cum Laude and moved to Michigan to start my practice.
My goal as an attorney is to help individuals in the community obtain legal assistance at an affordable rate. I believe in keeping the client informed and making the legal process as stress-free and painless as possible. I pride myself on my ability to communicate with my clients in a timely manner and I welcome feedback from my clients to improve my practice.
Another interest of mine is mediation. It provides clients an opportunity to have more say in the outcome of their case(s) and promotes effective communication between the parties. I hope to make mediation a big part of my practice and offer my services to attorneys and individuals within the community.
Practice Areas
3
Practice Areas
Fees and Rates
Cost
Hourly Rates
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Credit Card
Looking for an attorney? Avvo can help.
Search our directory
Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.
Avvo's live chat agents can help coordinate a consultation with a local attorney.
Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.
Chat withLicenses
Licensed in Michigan for 11 years
State: Michigan
Acquired: 2014
No misconduct found
Location
Bolhouse, Hofstee & McLean P.C.
3996 Chicago Drive SW, Grandville, MI, 49418
Ad
Transform legal challenges into solutions.
Connect now to review your situation.
Victoria J. Smith's Reviews
Avvo Review Score
26 Client Reviews
Filter Avvo Reviews (26)
Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.
Practice Areas
Showing 1 - 4 of 4 reviews | Child Custody
Posted by Cynthia | March 01, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody
Lawyer
Attorney Smith adequately defended my custody rights and prevailed: from 50-50 to 100% legal and physical custody of my children. My contentious divorce did not intimidate her and her strategy to adhere to best interest factors was crucial. Highly recommend her services to you.
Posted by anonymous | June 06, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody
Professional, Personal, and Prompt
Through my divorce and custody battle, Victoria helped me to stay grounded and make reasonable decisions I was comfortable with. She was great to work with and I would recommend her to others.
Posted by Brandee | June 02, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody
Caring courteous and a shark all in one!
Victoria has been my lawyer for a year! She has assisted and guided me through custody and any additional family matters! Her attentiveness and assertiveness is far beyond anyone's services I've had! She is honest caring and keeps things as simple as they can be! Which creates an inviting feeling for...
Posted by Samantha | August 19, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody
True professional
Victoria and I worked together for about 7 months and she was nothing but the best. I was not an ounce disappointed in her work in representing me. I was dealing with divorce and custody issues with a very complicated person and she made it go as smooth as possible. I would, and have, recommended her...
Victoria J. Smith's Lawyer Endorsements
"I have had the pleasure of knowing Victoria since we were in law school together. She is detail-oriented and a great communicator. I know that Victoria takes a personal interest in all of her cases and uses that as her motivation to ensure the best outcome for the client. I highly recommend Victoria."
"Victoria J. Smith is a great family law attorney. I had the distinct pleasure of seeing her legal expertise in action and I would not hesitate to recommend this lawyer to any client in need."
"I endorse this lawyer. I have had the pleasure of working with Victoria on several cases. Victoria is professional, trustworthy, and courteous to her colleagues. Victoria treats her clients with respect and dignity, and is willing to go the extra mile for them. Victoria is an attorney who can think outside the box, to generate alternative resolutions to litigation. I would recommend Victoria without reservation."
"Victoria is on top of her work, hard-working, and a genuinely great person!"
"Victoria and I worked together on several occasions in the past. I can only say that she is diligent, committed and a shrewd negotiator. I recommend her without reservation."
"I endorse this lawyer. Victoria is a passionate and honest person. She looks out for the best interest of her clients and is always readily available."
"Victoria is very energetic and hard-working on her cases. She takes her role of representing her clients to the best of her ability very seriously and does not do anything that is not in her clients' best interests. She is also great to work with and is very helpful when I have an issue in a case that just needs to be discussed and bounced off other attorneys."
Erin Eurenius
Estate planning lawyer
Laurie Schmitt
Family lawyer
Christine Cameron
Unknown lawyer
Michael Bartish
Criminal defense lawyer
Callista Gloss
Criminal defense lawyer
Matthew Burns
Family lawyer
Melissa Powell
Family lawyer
Experience
Honors
2017
Top 40 Under 40 Family Lawyers in the State of Michigan, American Society of Legal Advocates
Work Experience
2019 - Present
Associate Attorney, Bolhouse, Hofstee & McLean, P.C.
2018 - 2019
Contract Attorney, OPEN Legal Services of West Michigan
2016 - 2019
Attorney, The Law Office of Victoria J. Smith, PLLC
2015 - 2018
Attorney, The OWL Resource Group d/b/a OWL Legal Services
2014 - 2015
Attorney, DAWN Legal Services
2011 - 2012
Law Clerk/Paralegal, Andrew Hilton Attorneys
Associations
2014 - Present
Grand Rapids Bar AssociationAttorney Member
2014 - Present
Grand Rapids Bar Association, Family Law SectionAttorney Member
2014 - Present
Grand Rapids Bar Association, Young Lawyers SectionAttorney Member
2014 - Present
Grand Rapids Bar Association, Alternate Dispute Resolution SectionAttorney Member
2016 - 2016
Grand Rapids Young Lawyers SectionBoard Member - Community Outreach
2015 - 2018
Habitat for Humanity Young ProfessionalsBoard Member
Education
2012
State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law
JD - Juris Doctor
2008
State University of New York at Buffalo
BA - Bachelor of Arts
Publications
2015
The OWL Resource Group Blog
The Benefits of Mediation in Divorce Cases
2011
Law Student Publication; Children's Legal Center
Knowledge of Child Development in Custody Cases: The Proper Weight of the Child’s Preference and Model Interview Techniques
Languages
English
Activity
Legal Answers