Mark O Cottle

In my observation, Mark Cottle’s approach as an attorney in high-conflict situations was concerning. I would expect a legal professional to encourage resolution and de-escalate tension. Instead, his tactics appeared to escalate conflict unnecessarily, making an already challenging situation even more... difficult to navigate. While I was not Mr. Cottle’s direct client, my observations are based on his role in a case I was directly involved in. The impact of an attorney’s approach extends beyond their client, particularly in high-conflict family matters where their decisions can significantly influence the process and outcomes for everyone involved. For those navigating complex legal challenges, I would encourage seeking someone who prioritizes constructive outcomes and fair advocacy. Unfortunately, I did not see these qualities reflected in his work. Additionally, it’s worth noting that Mr. Cottle has faced disciplinary actions in Oregon, including: 2013 Suspension: Temporarily losing his license to practice law. 2015 Suspension Stayed with Probation: His license was at risk, but the suspension was held while his conduct was monitored.

We hired Mark Cottle to help us with our child custody case. He reassured us and sounded like he was going to fight for us and get things taken care. We retained him and could not reach him for weeks. Then after weeks of not being able to contact him- his assistant contacted us saying Mark was sick w...ith Covid. We understood but he didn’t push our court hearings back because of that so instead just didn’t show up to our court hearings as our representative for our case. Because of that we lost by failure to show and lost 30,000$. He used my exact email to email the other sides attorney, didn’t change one word so I might as well have been representing myself. He did absolutely nothing for us at all and was so hard to get in contact with. We had to settlement because he wasn’t fighting for us in anyway or giving any legal advice or helping our situation at all. I do not recommend him at all. Theirs way better family law attorneys who actually care and will fight for you like they’re being payed to do.

I was sold a case during the consultation that dissipated as soon as the contract was signed. No, it turns out he couldn't get me the things he said he could. In the end, I believe I could have done everything myself and saved thousands. You will probably have to ask questions several times (via ema...il) to get an answer. You get to pay for each email regardless. Additionally, you will have to answer the same questions multiple times because he will not remember or note your answers. You'll get to pay for that too. You get the privilege of either paying a fee to use your credit/debit card, paying an interest rate higher than most credit cards (about 24%), or pay him in cash. You probably won't get regular statements showing how your payments are allocated. You very well might have to request them EVERY MONTH even though his contract says otherwise. If you get a statement, its the most disorganized presentation of bookkeeping you've ever seen. Save yourself the hassle, find someone honest, organized, and truly helpful.

I have used many lawyers in business and for personal issued and I found Mr. Cottle to be the best I have dealt with. He is honest, sharp, and very knowledgeable. He was always quick to respond and deal with my issues and did not waist a lot of time dealing with things that did not affect my case... so that my costs came in under what I expected. I will definitely use him again and would strongly recommend him to my friends.

Do not use this lawyer for family law! Constantly ignores messages, will not return calls, took several payments and did not apply them to my bill, speaking with other attorneys they found that multiple things were missed or not done, including several basic and standard parts of a divorce and paren...ting plan. Again, do not use this lawyer for family law.