Licensed for 13 years

State WI

Acquired 2010

Status
Good Standing No misconduct found

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

Megan Phillips

Family Attorney at Madison, WI

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An amazing attorney

Megan first represented me back in 2015 to assist me with child support issues and handled it very well, she advised and told me all options and I never felt like she offered false hope (for lack of a better description). When she communicates you will understand her and know with confidence what is going on and what to expect. I was so amazed how Megan handled all the different situations out side of court and inside she became the only person I trusted when dealing with the family courts. Now around April 2016 My youngest son of three kids wanted to live with me for his High school years, the Short story is the mom wasn't going to let it happen without a fight. Now before all this I went though seven different attorneys over the years before and each one typically advised to keep your head down and out of court because you will lose every single time. Megan was the first to say and I quote "Hell no you can win". Honestly deep down I didn't believe her (it was a defensive thing and I was used to getting beat up all the time in court) but I wanted to fight for what my son wanted and he wanted to be with dad. I asked Megan please do whatever it takes and let me know what you need. Megan always offered options to save money any time she thought I could do something but in my case it was best I had zero interaction with my ex wife. Megan quickly caught on to the... characteristics of my ex and handled things again amazingly well. Now even though It was my name on all the court papers the reality was she was fighting on behalf of my son and what he wanted so she won that for him. The little guy is not so little anymore and will joining the Marines in just a few months of this review, I missed out on his elementary and middle school years but thanks to Megan and her team's efforts I was able to have the last four years with him. Nothing is a guarantee in life and Megan was always very real about this with me so I never once felt like she offered me false hope to just make me feel better. I'm really not good at this and doubt I am doing her justice here but I am now at the light at the end of the tunnel (June 9th, 2020) and I will finally be free of family courts and it feels damn good. Here is what I believe the secret is, when you hire on some one like Megan you must understand she is the expert, let her do what she is good at and fight for you. Your job is to always be 100% honest with her, give her all the ammunition you can AND LET HER DECIDE WHAT TO USE. Be as responsive and helpful as you can and help her help you and again you must be 100% honest. Seriously do you want to be that person where your champion is fighting for you and they get blindsided by something you should have informed them about? I hope not because she deserves better clients than that. With all that said she will always be considered a friend of the family and anyone needing to work with the family courts can not go wrong being represented by Megan. God forbid my sons ever go thought what I went through but if... I know who to call.

Outstanding Attorney and a Great Person

I quickly discovered there is nothing “good” about the legal process for a contested divorce … except finishing it. I’m grateful that I had Megan’s legal support, guidance, and expertise throughout my divorce process. I researched Avvo, received referrals for divorce attorneys, and I interviewed several lawyers. My first contact with Megan was different than the other lawyers. She quickly assessed my situation, walked through some potential scenarios, and I could sense she would be invested in my case. I had a teenage daughter and her mother was an alcoholic. My spouse was considered a “difficult client” by her attorney’s so trying to reach a compromise was challenging. Megan was able to help guide us through a creative solution involving co-parenting and a “safety net” for our daughter. Megan is very skillful in the legal side of the divorce process but she also understands the emotional side and making sure my daughter was protected was a priority. Using her connections and resources, we were able to develop a child custody and financial settlement that worked. I think very highly of Megan, she is extremely bright, talented, strong, and one of the hardest working individuals I’ve met. Throughout my divorce process, Megan was professional, prompt, available, and always practical. She is well connected and highly regarded in the legal community. The divorce process is difficult … it’s emotionally and financially draining but in the end, I was able to find peace and balance thanks to Megan.

About Megan

Learn Megan’s areas of practice.

Practice areas

Family

30%

13 years
Divorce and separation

20%
Licensing

15%

I help licensed professionals (doctors, dentists, nurses, veterinarians, etc.) defend against licensing complaints through the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services.

13 years
Litigation

15%

13 years
LGBT+ Law

10%
Marriage and prenuptials

10%

PERSONAL ATTENTION, ADVOCACY WITH PASSION, REMARKABLE RESULTS.

Megan is a founding partner and owner at Richter & Phillips in Madison, focusing on family law, business litigation and appellate work. She also defends licensed professionals in disciplinary actions before the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. For the last 10 years, Megan has taught various courses at the University of Wisconsin Law School, including negotiation, mediation and arbitration. She has also been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star for 8 consecutive years. Megan is a board member for The Rape Crisis Center of Dane County and also volunteers on the Membership Committee of the Collaborative Family Law Counsel of Wisconsin. She contributes to various publications, including the Wisconsin Law Journal, The Verdict and Forbes Magazine.

Awards

Client's Choice

2020 2015 2014 + 1 ...

Contact Megan

Richter & Phillips LLP

(608) 535-5067 Office

121 South Pinckney Street, Suite 525

Madison, WI, 53703

www.richter-phillips.com

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Reviews

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5.0 / 5.0

40 customer reviews

5 Star

100%

4 Star

3 Star

2 Star

1 Star

Client's Choice

Client's Choice is an Avvo award granted to attorneys with a significant number of client reviews over 4 stars in a given year.

Posted by Joseph | May 1, 2020

An amazing attorney

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Response from Megan Phillips May 18, 2020

Great to hear from you, Joseph. I enjoyed working with you so much and am delighted to hear your “big guy” is doing so wonderfully.

Posted by Male Client | May 17, 2020

Outstanding Attorney and a Great Person

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Response from Megan Phillips May 18, 2020

Thank you for the kind words. Your case was a tricky one but we made it through as a strong team. Thanks for being a great client.

Posted by Jessica | January 2, 2017

Trust the process, and Megan

When you have to hire a lawyer it's usually not under the best circumstances and there's a lot of stress and emotions involved. The first time I spoke with Megan on the phone I knew she was the perfect lawyer to represent me. She's a good listener and excellent at sorting out the facts from the emotions. When we started litigation, the other party tried to throw all kinds of irrelevant information into the case, and Megan was amazing at keeping my case on track and and to the point. There's SO much that goes on in the legal process and it can be very confusing, but Megan was good at explaining next steps and timelines. A lot of our work together was waiting for the paperwork between the lawyers, courts, and judicial system to run its course, so be patient, but know Megan is on top of it all and working hard to get you the results you want.

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Response from Megan Phillips May 18, 2020

Your trust means everything to me, Jessica. It was an honor to work with you.

Posted by Heather | November 26, 2015

A Brilliant Balance

Attorney Megan Phillips is that perfect mixture of intelligence, brains and common sense that you could only hope to encounter in the trying situations that divorce brings with it. She is calming at the most tense and trying of times, and makes careful and fiscally sensitive plans so that schedules and budgets are met. Where other attorneys would have balked at the fundamental elements of my case, involving complex jurisdictional and multi-state law, Megan welcomed the complexity when it was necessary and otherwise streamlined the process to include me rather than overwhelm me with decisions as they presented themselves. I highly recommend Megan to those who want to get it done right the first time, and walk out of the process with their head held high.

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Response from Megan Phillips May 18, 2020

I am so grateful for your review, and will certainly never forget your challenging case! You are one of my all time favorite clients because you were so brave and so optimistic the entire time we fought our hearts out!

Posted by Jon | February 11, 2015

A 55555five star attorney in my book!

Megan has helped me with my case in every way possible. She has kept me well informed and updated on how my case is progressing. All of my questions have been answered completely and in a very prompt manner. She has demonstrated knowledge with my type of case and I am completely satisfied with her advice and direction. I have no doubt I am well represented by Megan.

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Response from Megan Phillips May 18, 2020

Thank you for these high compliments. We couldn’t have gotten the great result we did without working as a team, and you were a wonderful client every step of the way. Thank you Jon!

Posted by anonymous | August 2, 2013

A bulldog in my corner

Megan was recommended to me and I contacted her out of the blue. From our first communications I found her level of preparedness unique; initially exemplified when she, unlike any other attorney I'd ever worked with, presented an agenda to me at our first meeting. Throughout the course of handling my case she regularly impressed me with her thorough yet timely responses to evolving events and she was always willing to explain the legal issues and outcomes in detail. Megan at all times took the high road, displaying a high level of professionalism while pointedly presenting our arguments and ably "persuading" the other side of the error of their ways. In the end I was extremely satisfied with the outcome of my case and look forward to working again with Megan if the need arises.

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Response from Megan Phillips November 18, 2020

Thank you for such a thoughtful and detailed review!

Posted by Sarah | December 9, 2020

Excellent--Constructive and Steadfast!

I consulted with a few different attorneys for assistance with a family/custody/placement issues and I chose to work with Megan Phillips. She not only took the time to listen to my situation and circumstances, but I found her to be transparent, understanding and realistic with her communications and analysis of options. Ultimately I hired Megan to help with a few different issues. First, she negotiated with my children's absentee father when we did not have an existing court order in place. She also then represented me during paternity and custody proceedings. Throughout those months she was communicative, transparent, fair in presenting risk and opportunities to me, and steadfast in her commitment to the positive outcomes for myself and my children. She was also constructive yet firm with my children's father (who is a lawyer, representing himself) and worked to properly educate him on the proceedings and best case scenarios for moving forward. With Megan's engagement and persistence I was able to reach a stipulated agreement without having to go through more invasive processes. However, I felt confident with Megan's preparation should that have been necessitated. She helped me set and achieve realistic goals and at no time did I ever feel I was simply "a number" or being funneled through a one size fits all model. I'm genuinely appreciative of the Megan's experience, her guidance and commitment to lasting positive outcomes for my children. I would also like to add that I found Megan's firm, Richter & Phillips, to be just as reliable as Megan. Communicating with her office, whether on billing items, paperwork, signatures, etc., was clear and concise and her entire team properly managed all processes and expectations. I highly recommend them.

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Posted by Ashley | September 28, 2020

I highly recommend Megan as a divorce attorney

I found Megan by searching for "best divorce lawyers in Madison". I knew Megan was the lawyer for my case the minute I talked to her. She is very up to date on current laws and different techniques that she has had success with, practicing family law. I have told Megan this and I will put it here as well: I didn't always like what Megan told me (there was a time or two that she had to put me back in my place) but after I had time to reflect on the situation, I knew she was right and thanked her for having the tough conversations with me. Megan is very straight forward and transparent and I highly respect her for that!! Megan also has a great team that I worked with in the office. Communication was always very prompt and professional. If you are looking for a lawyer that truly has your back as well as you and your kids best interest in mind, I highly recommend giving Megan a call.

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Posted by Tiger Mama | June 25, 2020

Best Attorney, Hands Down

I can vividly remember my first conversation with Megan Phillips. I was sitting in my car after my shift ended feeling incredibly hopeless, scared and in need of guidance. I contacted her initially to help with my child’s custody litigation. She spoke to me with such confidence and strength - the exact thing I knew I lacked in that moment, almost like she could hear the worry and fear in my voice as a parent. I explained my concerns and reasoning for the call and instead of turning me away or referring me to someone else, she related to my concerns and made me feel heard for the first time since dealing with the court system and past legal counsel. She told me everything would be ok, that she would help me navigate this scary process - so I put my world (my child’s well-being/safety) in this woman’s hands to keep safe, and that’s exactly what she did. I never had the chance to meet with Megan in person, but I think that it speaks volumes when an attorney can leave such a grand impression on a client without ever meeting that person face to face. I worked with Megan as my legal counsel for about a year and in that time, she was always on top of any questions, concerns or issues I had – she gave great advice and feedback and was not afraid to advise against something when she knew it could hinder my case and always kept the ‘end game’ in realistic view. I respect Megan greatly, not only for the amazing work she did in my case but also for the amazing and true person she is. She’s friendly, relatable and most importantly, she is real with you no matter what. I was never given a sense of false hope, even when emotions and anxieties ran high. Megan always kept a level head and knew which direction she needed to take in the case. She reassured me, always. I cannot express how much that first conversation with Megan meant to me and how a simple ‘thank you’ will never be enough to express how grateful I am for her work and expertise in the field. She’s worth it.

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Posted by Chrystal | November 18, 2020

A great friend

Megan was understanding that this was a difficult decision for me and something I was not sure about. Yet through everything she treated me with respect and caring. I had many questions about the situation and process that were answered efficiently and I never felt there were too many questions asked. Even years after it was finalized she is there for me and I feel as if I'm still a priority. So grateful for everything Megan has done for me, strongly recommend her.

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Posted by Jonathan | July 17, 2020

Grateful

Megan was my attorney, advocate, and coach during a very contentious divorce process. From our first phone call I knew she was the right attorney to represent me. She was direct, intelligent, honest, tough, compassionate, and confident. I was caught off guard with how well she understood my story but reassured she knew how to manage such a case. Having her wealth of experience and compassion was exactly what I needed. Throughout the process she kept me informed of my options, what the next steps were, and how to prepare for them. She understood the disadvantages I faced and how to navigate them. She had cordial and respectful interactions with the other professionals we worked with and was tenacious when she needed to be. Her staff provided professional and moral support throughout the process and were great to work with. I am grateful to have had Megan as my advocate and highly recommend her.

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Posted by Brian | May 24, 2020

Easy to work with

I hired Megan as my attorney for probably over a year or so in a divorce case. She was easy to work with, always timely, etc.. And the whole process turned out decently in the end.

Posted by anonymous | May 19, 2020

Pleasure Working with Megan

Megan and I worked on my divorce case in 2018-2019. Hiring an attorney was one of the first major decisions to make all by myself once divorce was filed and needless to say it was a very scary and intimidating task. If anyone who is reading this review feels the same way and overwhelmed by choices, I highly encourage reaching out to Megan without any hesitation. In addition to being experienced and highly skillful, Megan is both caring and genuine. She made sure all of my concerns were heard and understood. She never made me feel judged even when I acted out of sheer panic or was ready to surrender just to avoid any confrontations with my ex. Instead she was patient and available whenever I needed her guidance. She persuaded me to stay strong and made sure to stand for what’s best for me. I was able to trust her judgement completely. Since my divorce case did not involve child custody, we took the course of divorce mediation. Megan offers a solid team of experts such as financial advisors and counselors who are ready to assist in navigating through the highly stressful situations. With all their help, I felt that I was no longer in this (divorce) alone. I felt supported. Instead of dealing with nitty-gritty of divorce, I was able to prioritize taking care of myself like rebuilding self-esteem and looking for housing and job opportunities. For that, I am especially grateful. At the end of the final hearing, I felt at peace rather than feeling drained. I was able to look forward to my future instead of becoming bitter. I attribute Megan and her team for the positive outcome. These feelings are priceless and are one of the greatest gifts I’ve received. I highly recommend Megan for anyone who needs an advocate for themselves. She will be the light to guide you through the toughest time.

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