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Lisa Nicole Ellis

Estate planning Attorney at Bellevue, WA

4.1   15 reviews

also known as Lisa Ellis

  • Licensed for 23 years
    State WA
    Acquired 2000
    Status
    Active No misconduct found

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

About Lisa

Learn Lisa’s areas of practice.

4
Practice areas
  1. Elder law
    25%
    Assist seniors, persons with special needs and individuals with disability with strategies to qualify for benefits including Medicaid. Provide Long-Term Care advice and planning.

  2. Estate planning
    25%
    Last Will and Testaments, Durable Powers of Attorney for Health, Durable Powers of Attorney for Finances, Advanced Health Care Directives and Trusts

  3. Guardianship
    25%
    Representation of petitioners and lay guardians in King County Guardianship and Conservatorship proceedings

  4. Probate
    25%
    Probate and estate administration including preparing and filing court documents, notifying creditors, identifying and inventorying assets, assisting in the transfer of assets and providing fiduciaries with information they need to carry out duties.

Lisa Ellis is an Elder Law attorney focusing her practice on estate planning, guardianship, long-term planning, and probate. She provides estate planning services to clients of all ages and specialized legal services to older adults and their families. Lisa earned her B.A. degree from Whitman College and her J.D. from the University of Oregon where she was an executive editor of The Oregon Law Review. 

She was a federal law clerk for the Honorable Robert H. Whaley at the U.S. District Court of Eastern Washington. Lisa was selected by the U.S. Department of Justice Honor’s Program to be the Attorney Advisor for the immigration court in Seattle. She was an associate with a downtown Seattle law firm before founding Ellis Law, LLC in 2013.

Lisa was named a Rising Star by Superlawyers in 2011, an award reserved for the top 2% of practicioners nominated by their peers. She was also selected as a top Seattle probate attorney in Seattle in 2000-2022 by Expertise.  She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and Washington Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.

Ellis Law, LLC is located in Bellevue, Washington and serves the communities of Bellevue and Puget Sound.

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Contact Lisa

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Ellis Law, LLC
40 Lake Bellevue DR, Ste. 100
Bellevue, WA, 98005

Reviews

4.1 / 5.0
  15 customer reviews
Posted by Aida | December 4, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great Consultation Tailored to our Needs
We met with Lisa via video conference (we really appreciated she was willing to do this to accommodate our family needs in the middle of this pandemic) to go over our ideas for our will and estate planning. With the info from the pre-filled questionnaire, Lisa was able to efficiently explain in great details the options that would make the most sense for our particular situation first, but she also covered some "available" options that would either not make sense for us and\or are not really available. I liked that she was honest and upfront. She also explained with examples and even gave us some non-legal suggestions to increase our kids security in case of a tragedy.
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Posted by Judith | December 3, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
I highly recommend attorney Lisa Ellis
I certainly recommend Lisa Ellis as an Immigration / Customs attorney. She assisted my daughter, who is a physician, obtain her U.S. permanent residency status. She has answered my questions with regards to U.S. immigration / residency status on a few occasions, and each time was very helpful l and accurate in her assessments and recommendations.
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Posted by Mawut | June 30, 2020
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Positive experience
Even during these times of fear and uncertainty due to COVID-19 Pandemic, Lisa still agreed to meet with me and my brother in her office, I thought that was very courageous. My brother had been rejected through Temporary Protection Status and we didn't know where to turn next, but Lisa analyzed our situation and walked us through various options. She even found another lawyer for us who could help more in the area of asylum. Thank you for your professionalism Lisa. We will definitely reach out as soon as we found a job for my brother. Thanks
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Posted by anonymous | August 16, 2018
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Awesome, Fantastic
She is very polite and listen my case carefully. And she gave me the right advise and I got 100% success. I just follow her advise. I recommend one of my friend also.
Posted by anonymous | August 13, 2016
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Knowledgeable and friendly
I'm an F-1 student who took a break from school last year and from there managed to tangle myself into a messy, somewhat obscure situation which I was worried would jeopardize my ability to not only be approved for a new F-1 to resume classes this fall, but also about whether I'd even be admitted with one. I was recommended to contact Lisa Ellis, and I'm very glad that I did. Ms Ellis is very knowledgeable, answered all my questions and was overall a very pleasant person to talk to. She really put my mind to ease. I'm happy to say that I did get my new F-1 and was admitted back into the US without much difficulty. I will absolutely recommend Ms Ellis to others.
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Posted by anonymous | May 28, 2015
Spousal Green Card Application
Lisa was very informative and helpful along the way. The price was a bit more than we were expecting but overall we were satisfied with the work she did for us. She and her assistant Yvonne helped a great deal with our application process. I would definitely recommend Lisa's law firm.
Posted by Joel | March 10, 2015
Foreign Work Permits
We used the services of Lisa Ellis to secure work permits and residence permits for me and my family. The process went very smoothly. Ms. Ellis had clear instructions and complete information on all that we would need to complete in order to request the proper permits. We followed Ms. Ellis's instructions and the processing and approval of our permits went very quickly. Whenever we had questions concerning our paperwork, our emails were returned quickly with clear and helpful answers. We are extremely happy and satisfied with the services of Lisa Ellis.
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Posted by Bettina | February 22, 2015
Positive experience
I met twice with Lisa Ellis regarding an immigration question that was a bit out of the ordinary. Lisa gathered the facts and considered options looking at the big picture. In addition, she consulted with several colleagues, and reported back with clear recommendations of actions, confirming her earlier opinion. I received the information I had been searching for. Lisa Ellis acted in a courteous, friendly and professional manner; I felt comfortable in her office environment and in her presence. I highly recommend her services.
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Posted by Anita | October 19, 2011
Great!!
Very experienced, meticulous and organized, creating a very strong family-based petition. Lisa & team was there to help us even as we're preparing for the immigration interview, letting us know what to prepare, what to expect and what can be done if things don't go as smooth. She never overcommit on something that can't be controlled. However, she lets us know what're the general guidelines and expectations. All of our questions were answered promptly and in-depth. Lisa & team can totally be trusted.
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Posted by David | August 26, 2011
Visa transfer of status...
From the outset, Lisa provided clarity of expectations and direction on my case. The process of applying for transfer of status, from a B1 Visa to a Green Card, would have been complicated without her professional assistance for both me and my wife. I'd happily recommend Lisa to anyone embarking on an immigration case. The USCIS also recognized her efficiency in providing a robust application for my case, which helped to reduce the need for an in-depth interview at the final stage of the process. I've successfully been approved the Green card and permanent residency thanks to Lisa!
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Posted by Missy | May 4, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
A good experience
Lisa Ellis is a thoughtful, empathetic, supportive and knowledgeable attorney. She helped my husband and I successfully navigate the lengthy process of my adjustment of status from G4 visa to green card through marriage. We would recommend her without reservation.
Posted by Victor | January 10, 2012
R1 and Green Card
Lisa et al. were great to work with. The would promptly respond to my emails and questions. They did everything quick and timely an helped me with the questions I had along the way. They walked me throught each category that was needing to be filed at that time. There were some point in this process where I didn't know what was next in the steps, until the acutal forms came to me, which sometimes left me unsure of what was next and what the entire process looked like. All in all everything was handled extremely well and professioinal. I would use her law firm again in the future if need be.
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Posted by anonymous | July 28, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
My Immigration experience
I did get my green card through her, but one time I had a question about a payment, she did ended up pay me back the difference, but she then immediately terminated me as a client. I asked her to print everything I need on a piece of paper, when I get to her office, the paper work was like a mountain they had nothing for me to carry them home. It was really embarrassing for me. Till today, I still don't know why.
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Response from Lisa Ellis June 27, 2019
Since this is an anonymous review, we are not able to identify who you are or confirm that you were a client. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or by phone at 206-684-9458 if you would like to discuss this matter.
Posted by Jackie | March 23, 2019
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
I Would Not Hire This Immigration Lawyer
We hired Lisa Ellis to be our immigration lawyer for a Fiancé Visa. I would not recommend her as she was not transparent regarding the cost of her services, there were inefficiencies and duplication of work, and incorrect information provided by Lisa that we were billed for. We were billed $8,452.83 by Lisa for legal services. We paid $3,420.69 for services provided before 11/4/18. We received a final invoice of $5,032.14 on 12/7/18. We were shocked – a bill of $5,000 was more than we were led to believe our entire bill would be. We contacted other immigration law offices in WA and fees other lawyers charge for the same services was $3,500-$4,000. Our visa was straightforward, with no extenuating circumstance and no errors on our part requiring extra time/expense. During a conversation on 12/10/18, Lisa stated she should have been more transparent with us regarding our bill. At no point before we received our last invoice did she inform us of a significant increase in costs. Had we been fully informed earlier regarding increases in costs, we would have completed the remaining work ourselves. In our 1st consult, Lisa advised us that by agreeing to an hourly fee, we would likely save money, rather than paying a flat rate fee agreement that is used by many immigration attorneys. She noted that our case was straightforward, and since we had already gathered the required information, she made the case that we would benefit from choosing her. As a result, we signed an hourly fee agreement with Lisa Ellis – we believe the hourly rate contract led to increased costs. There was repetition of work at our lawyer’s office that was not necessary. For example, we received 4-5 different emails regarding confirmation of a FedEx delivery to us. Consequently, we received multiple emails verifying cancellations for these overlapping jobs. As well, some items described in an invoice were tasks that were completed by Lisa Ellis, rather than being completed by her paralegal. For example, she charged us for her time to complete a form for courier delivery to us. In an email to us, in response to a request to clarify why there was a delay in starting the process of requesting an FBI check, Lisa suggested she would be reviewing processes within her office to ensure things ran more smoothly, as she believed there were functional issues that needed to be addressed. Lisa provided me with incorrect instructions in an email explaining how I could complete the DS-160 online questionnaire. Within the same email, she detailed how I should make a consulate appointment immediately after I completed the DS-160 questionnaire. This was not the correct process for the U.S. Consulate in Montreal. I was supposed to wait to hear back from the consulate before booking an interview. In an email to Lisa and me, the consulate stated any appointment booked early would be cancelled. I had to email Lisa to clarify her instructions. She emailed back to confirm the consulate appointment should be cancelled and that I should wait to hear back from the consulate before booking an appointment. This was not our error, it was incorrect instructions provided by Lisa, which led to more confusion for us, extra time, work, and back and forth emails required for clarification. After a concerted, good faith attempt to resolve our dispute regarding these charges, both by phone and email, we offered to go to mediation, she declined. After an examination of our options, including contacting the WA Bar Association, our only alternative was to pay the bill of $8,452.83, as Lisa was going to send our case to collections. In summation, these charges were excessive. As well, we should not be responsible for costs incurred that were a result of incorrect information, inefficiencies, and duplication of work on the part of our attorney.
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Response from Lisa Ellis April 9, 2019
Dear Jackie, I am sorry that you do not recommend me. While your K-1 case was approved successfully, I wasn't aware that you believe the costs of your K-1 case with consular processing would be capped at $3,500-$4,000 until we finished all the work. We had a signed hourly fee agreement. K-1 cases with consular processing do cost more than K-1 cases involving only the Form I-129F. Our office does advise clients when we believe costs will increase, as we did in your case. We use the automated notification feature for our FedEx shipments as a way to reduce costs. Our consular instructions are based on the Department of State procedures and policies which are maintained by that agency. To keep costs down, we have a experienced paralegal to assist when it is efficient to do so. We offer payment plans to make the cost more affordable. We strive for the utmost client satisfaction and client feedback is a valuable learning opportunity for us. We wish you the best.
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Posted by Lisa | September 19, 2018
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Confusing Communication and Contract Abruptly Ended with Little/No Progress on Case
I cannot recommend any services provided by Lisa Ellis and encourage you to look elsewhere for immigration law. As a small business owner, I hired her to assist an employee in securing a visa. The firm provided their own list of requirements for visa preparation. This list of requirements was very unclear; causing much confusion, loss of time and money, and ultimately resulted in very little progress toward securing a visa. Moreover, I was extremely disappointed with Lisa’s treatment of myself and my employee. Questions that we raised were ignored on multiple occasions and Lisa abruptly ended the contract (without refund of the money spent thus far), without having responded to my correspondence with her. We spent 3 months trying to make progress on the visa application with Lisa, during which my employee was living in temporary housing, very unsure of his future situation. At the end of it all, we didn't make any progress in our application but spent about about 1800 dollars. Now starting over with a new attorney.
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Response from Lisa Ellis June 28, 2019
We are so sorry that the list of requirements did not meet expectations. The government regulates visa requirements and we provide the same information to clients. We've reviewed our materials for clarity and accuracy and will continue to do so going forward.
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Cost

Rates
  • Retainer Sometimes
Payment methods
Cash, Check, Credit Card

Resume

AVVO RATING 10.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

  • Founder and Principal
  • Ellis Law, LLC
  • 2013 - Present
  • Associate
  • Ellis, Li & McKinstry, PLLC
  • 2004 - 2013
  • Trial Attorney
  • Federal Defender Eastern District of Washington and Idaho
  • 2003 - 2004
  • Law Clerk to the Hon. Robert Whaley
  • District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
  • 2002 - 2002
  • Session Counsel to the Judiciary Committee
  • Washington State Senate Committee Services
  • 2001 - 2002
  • Attorney Advisor
  • Executive Office for Immigration Review
  • 2000 - 2001
  • Legal Intern
  • Children's Defense Fund
  • 1999 - 1999
View all work experience

Education

  • University of Oregon School of Law
  • Juris Doctorate
  • 2000
  • Whitman College
  • Bachelor of Arts
  • 1993
  • University of Melbourne
  • N/A

Legal Cases

  • Motion to sell house and personal property in a Conservatorship
  • Approved
  • Taxable estate planning
  • Received 5 star review from client
  • Revocable Living Trust for out of state property
  • Received 5 star review from client
View all legal cases

Associations

  • Eastside Lawyer Assistance Program (ELAP)
  • Wills Clinic Attorney Volunteer
  • 2022 - Present
  • Washington Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (WAELA)
  • Attorney Member
  • 2020 - Present
  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
  • Attorney Member
  • 2019 - Present
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association
  • Distance Learning (Business) Member
  • 2016 - 2017
  • Seattle Medical Legal Partnership
  • Panel Attorney
  • 2016 - 2017
  • AILA National - Board of Publications
  • Chair
  • 2015 - 2017
  • Washington Women Lawyers (King County chapter)
  • Attorney Member
  • 2013 - 2014
  • AILA National - Board of Publications
  • Former Committee Member
  • 2012 - 2017
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (Washington State chapter)
  • Continuing Legal Education Committee Vice Chair
  • 2011 - 2012
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (Washington State chapter)
  • Executive Committee Program Chair
  • 2009 - 2010
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (Washington State chapter)
  • Chair - Customs and Border Protection Commitee
  • 2008 - 2009
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (Washington State chapter)
  • Chair - Consular Committee
  • 2006 - 2007
  • KCBA Wills Clinic
  • Volunteer Attorney
  • 2006 - 2016
  • King County Bar Association Bilingual & Immigration Clinic
  • Volunteer Immigration Attorney
  • 2004 - 2016
  • Washington State Bar Association
  • Legislative Committee Member
  • 2004 - 2007
View all associations

Languages Spoken

  • English

Honors and Awards

  • Selected as Washington Super Lawyer
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2023
  • Best Probate Attorneys in Bellevue
  • Expertise
  • 2023
  • Best Immigration Attorneys in Seattle
  • Expertise
  • 2022
  • Best Immigration Lawyers in Seattle
  • Expertise
  • 2020
  • Best Probate Attorneys in Seattle
  • Expertise
  • 2020
  • Best Immigration Lawyers in Seattle
  • Expertise
  • 2019
  • Rising Star
  • Washington Super Lawyers
  • 2011
  • Appointment to Attorney General's Honor Program
  • United States Department of Justice
  • 2000
  • The Oregon Law Review - Executive Editor
  • University of Oregon
  • 1998
View all awards

Publications

  • AILA Practice Advisory
  • R-1 Classification Supplement to Form I-129R - Comments on Questions
  • 2015
  • Navigating the Fundamentals of Immigration Law: Guidance and Tips for Successful Practice (AILA Publications)
  • Employment Authorization for Nonimmigrants
  • 2014
  • AILA's Guide to Immigration Law for Paralegals
  • A Brief Overview of H Nonimmigrants; The R-1 Petition
  • 2013
  • Navigating the Fundamentals of Immigration Law: Guidance and Tips for Successful Practice (AILA Publications)
  • Employment Authorization for Nonimmigrants
  • 2013
  • Visa Solutions for International Students, Scholars and Sponsor. Thomson Reuters/ Aspatore Book Publication
  • Book Author
  • 2012
  • Visa Processing Guide and Consular Posts Handbook (AILA)
  • Contributing Author
  • 2010
  • Visa Processing Guide and Consular Posts Handbook (AILA)
  • Contributing Author
  • 2009
  • AILA Visa Processing Guide and Consular Posts Handbook (AILA)
  • Contributing Author
  • 2008
View all publications

Speaking Engagements

  • King County Bar Association
  • When Immigration Law Crosses the Border Into Family, Business, and Criminal Law Contexts
  • 2016
  • AILA Northwest Regional Conference
  • Work Visas
  • 2016
  • King County Bar Association
  • Immigration Law for Non-Immigration Lawyers: Issues to Consider When Advising Your Client
  • 2015
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (Washington State chapter)
  • Tips on Running a Small Immigration Practice
  • 2014
  • Immigration 101: An Intro to Immigration Practice
  • Broad Bases of Legal Immigration; Road Map to Immigration Law
  • 2013
  • Everett Community College
  • The ABCs of Immigration Law
  • 2013
  • AILA Northwest Regional Immigration Law Conference
  • Special Occupation Issues: Religious Workers & Health Care Professionals
  • 2013
  • Association of Washington International Student Affairs Winter Conference
  • Welcome Address: Increasing Favorable Immigration Outcomes for International Students: a Legal Perspective on F-1 Status and Beyond
  • 2012
  • Association of Washington International Student Affairs Winter Conference
  • International Education & Immigration Law: A Collaborative Review
  • 2012
  • Kaplan Test Prep
  • U.S. Immigration Options for Foreign Medical Graduates
  • 2011
  • In-house Seminar
  • Behind the Scenes: The R-1 Petition Process
  • 2011
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association NW Regional Immigration Conference
  • I-9 Audits and Enforcement
  • 2011
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (Washington chapter)
  • Recent Developments in Family Based Petitions
  • 2011
  • Immigration Law & the Workplace
  • Employment-Based Permanent Residence
  • 2008
  • Immigration Law & the Workplace
  • Employer Compliance
  • 2008
  • In-house Seminar
  • Immigration Compliance for Schools
  • 2007
View all speaking engagements

Attorney endorsements

Received (2)
Given (7)
Endorse Lisa
Immigration Attorney | Oct 12
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Lisa is a well-respected attorney with the skills to boot. She has presented multiple times to the community, and attorneys rely on her expertise. I would recommend Lisa to anyone with Immigration issues."
Unknown Attorney | Jun 16
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Lisa is a fantastic attorney and wonderful person, and I endorse her wholeheartedly."
Immigration
Bankruptcy and debt
Immigration
Litigation
Estate planning

Avvo Contributions

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Bellevue Estate planning Lawyer Lisa Nicole Ellis
Lisa Nicole Ellis
Estate planning Attorney
Bellevue, WA
Licensed for 23 years