Mark R Barzda

This man is brilliant. Knowledgeable, experienced, truthful while being way mote empathetic than I could imagine. Mark is so talented even against powerful ex’s (mine is a high-earning with a highly respected profession in society) . Yes, Menashe Gurtz charges more than some other divorce attorn...eys but I speak from much experience as I worked with a handful or attorney’s over the past few years and each left me disappointed EXCEPT a mark. So please don’t be fooled by lower hourly rates of other divorce attorneys! When you have a powerhouse like Mark (and team) who speak with other high profile lawyers, sharing and learning from e/o in collaborative team meetings, you will save so much money by minimizing guesswork or having a shrinking violet representation that doesn’t know how to communicate with opposite counsel. With Mark’s help, with about half a year until trial in a very complicated divorce matter, I was awarded with so much more parenting time and spousal support than I ever dreamed of. Don’t hesitate—call him, if he’s taking on new clients, you will be lucky. He understands issues like powerful ex’s, mental health battles, court norms, differences in judges. He had to dispose my ex, a doctor, and never once was aggressive—it unlikable like most attorneys can be during cross-examination or depositions. Mark was so strategic and amiable as he asked questions that my ex babbled like a baby, aka told on himself, which gave us way more negotiating ground ammo and led to a conquer and a pleasing plan, moving forward.

Mark and his team (especially Julia, and Susan) have been amazing- his understanding of my situation, his team's handling of my divorce case have been awesome. My ex-husband was and is extremely abusive. I had hired another attorney prior to working with Mark. The previous attorney did not "get it...." Mark understood how abuse can affect a survivor, and worked with me to meet the challenges of this situation. Mark is highly respected in the legal community as well. He is who you want on your side in the courtroom. He and his team made a very difficult time bearable, and the outcome is that I have my life back.

After hiring two other divorce lawyers during a hostile two-year divorce proceeding I was happy to have discovered Mark. Mark was able to provide me more information and expertise in one long 3-hour initial consultation than the first lawyer had in an entire year. The second lawyer was all talk and... no follow through. When I hired Mark in the middle of my divorce, he got right to work, getting up to speed with my case, being proactive in my case, and dealing with opposing counsel in an effective professional manner. Important to me was that he really listened to my concerns and, I felt, he actually understood quickly the nuances and details of my situation that I expressed to him. Further, Mark had an in depth knowledge of the court, judges, procedures, strategies, custody evaluators, and a good sense of many of the biases and tendencies of these various players in the family law system. Mark was able to effectively help get my case settled in what was a contentious divorce with a hostile and difficult opposing spouse. I was glad and grateful to have Mark on my side giving me legal support and advocacy during a difficult process and time in my life. Without reservation, I highly recommend Mark to anyone looking to hire a superb, experienced, hard-working family law lawyer.

Mark took over my case from another Portland lawyer. My previous lawyer was difficult to reach and reactionary when she was engaged in my case. Mark knew how to properly move my case along without unnecessary escalation. Mark is a very personable and professional lawyer. I would highly recommend him ...for divorce disputes.

I hired Mark by referral. I was terrified of this process but knew it was the route I needed to take for my custody situation. Mark instantly made me feel at ease and most importantly was honest with me about my options. He gave me reasonable expectations which wasn't always what I wanted to hear... but needed to hear and I appreciate that more than he will know. Mark isn't about making money, he's about doing what's right and fair. He's ethical. He's caring and supportive. On top of all of that, he's professional and he knows the law. I always felt extremely secure knowing he was taking care of my case. Bottom line, he has my highest recommendation.