Margaret Riker Bender

I met with several attorneys asking for help with separation, child custody and property settlement, all of which needed a retainer that I did not have. I was told that my case was too complex or that it would take too much time. I felt that my voice would not be heard and I was afraid of how I coul...d stand up to what was right. Fortunately , Margaret Bender had the patience and heart it took to win my case. She has the knowledge of many areas in law, the drive and the courage to solve the problems that I could not do on my own. Thanks to Margaret Bender, my children and I look forward to a better and brighter future.

My experience with Margaret Bender may be unusual. Ms. Bender came highly recommended by a former prosecutor. Over a five month period, I had numerous interactions with Ms. Bender to try to resolve my case efficiently and effectively. In two cases, I made appointments which were not honored by her ...or her office. In the first case, I waited for nearly half an hour until Ms. Bender sauntered in, chatted with another person in the waiting area, and then acknowledged my presence. Ms. Bender denied that an appointment had been made. When I presented the email confirming the appointment, her only response was “oops.” In the second case, I had an appointment with her staff for a telephone consultation. The staff member apparently took a “walk-in” over my appointment. Of course, I received an apology, but had I sat for an hour by my phone waiting for a call that never happened. When I asked for comment on an emailed negotiation position I couldn't get a straight response, but was invited to come to her office to “talk about it.” Subsequently, I ended up paying her full rate of $275 per hour for her to drive to and from the courthouse. She was late to the courthouse, in Everett, but the few minutes she spent on my behalf were effective. She was able to persuade the commissioner to not triple my support payment as my spouse was requesting, although I suspect the commissioner didn't require much persuasion. It may be only coincidence, but it was only after I sent a message to the state Bar association trying to find out if she was still practicing after weeks of non-response that I was able to get a response from her. Ms. Bender submitted a request for a court date on my behalf to apply pressure to my spouse. In an apparent oversight, I was not informed of this. First, this tactic wasn't necessary; my spouse was actually willing to settle quickly for 20% less than I expected. Second, if I correctly understand the Washington Bar Association ethics rules, posted online, taking this step without informing me is not "okay." I switched to another attorney after months of trying to make progress via Ms. Bender. With my new lawyer, my case was completed in a few days, at an hourly rate of 30% less than Ms. Bender's (with no charge for transportation to the courthouse). Yes, I did get a refund check from Ms. Bender for the remainder of my retainer/trust fund, but my financial institution wouldn't honor it. Ms. Bender had written, and then overwritten the amount without initialing the correction. A simple error, but I’m apparently not the only one to experience faulty checks from her. Ms. Bender couldn't understand why my going to a financial institution and having a check rejected might be a problem. Details seem to be other peoples' problems. Keeping appointments, writing checks, simply responding to emails. My needs required the services of an attorney who recognized that attention to detail is as big a part of the job as being convincing for 10 minutes in front of a commissioner. My communications with Ms. Bender, including the last concerning the check that was refused, indicated that she simply did not comprehend why I might be less than satisfied. The lawyer I switched to was easily as pleasant as Ms. Bender, but in addition he was able to start at approximately where Ms. Bender had been two months prior, and concluded the whole process in just over a week. Would I recommend Ms. Bender? Absolutely not. Again, my experience may be highly unusual. You be the judge.