Bruce K Pruitt-Hamm

Bruce K Pruitt-Hamm

also known as Bruce Pruitt-Hamm, Bruce PruittHamm

4.0
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 31 years

Child custody Lawyer at Seattle, WA
Practice Areas: Child Custody, Divorce & Separation, Child Support ... +2 more

3418 NE 65th St., Suite C, Seattle, WA

About Bruce

Biography

Practice Areas

5

Practice Areas

Child Custody 35%

10 years as the Special Assistant Attorney General prosecuting child abuse cases in Stevens County. I am familiar with, and devoted to, protecting children .

32 years

35%
Divorce and Separation 25%

As the first Certified Collaborative Professional in Stevens County I offer collaborative divorce services as well as traditional divorce litigation services and mediation.

32 years

25%
Child Support 15%

32 years

15%
Elder Law 15%

32 years

15%
Mediation 10%

I began mediating before studying law. Served as Co-President of the Washington Mediation Consortium (now Washington Mediation Association) 1989-90. Trained by UW Law School et. al.

44 years

10%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 15 minutes

Hourly Rates

$ 240-320 per hour


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Washington for 31 years

State: Washington

Acquired: 1994

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Pruitt-Hamm Law & Mediation Services, PS

3418 NE 65th St., Suite C, Seattle, WA, 98115

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Bruce K Pruitt-Hamm's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.0 /5.0

8 Client Reviews

5 star (6)
4 star (0)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (2)

Posted by anonymous | October 12, 2016 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Do your research

I am terribly upset with the lack of effort and professionalism. There has been a bare minimum work ethic on his part, I've been charged upwards of $10,000 and the costs are still rising. He has not represented me accordingly, I am extremely upset with this lawyer and company. I urge anyone consi...dering him to look elsewhere.

Bruce Pruitt-Hamm

Replied last January 27, 2017

I have several comments in regard to the above review. First, I empathize with people who feel that they aren’t “getting their money’s worth”. I always advise my clients to tell me if they have questions or concerns about fees and have been willing on numerous occasions to adjust my billing to accommodate my client's concerns. For 2 years I surveyed all my clients and 98% said they would refer a friend to the firm and 90% said the fees were reasonable. My hourly billing rate is well below the hourly rate of most other Seattle family law attorneys with 20+ years of experience. If you feel my fees aren't justified, or have any other concerns, talk to me. I'll work with you. Second, I don't know who this alleged client/person is, as none of my clients matches these circumstances, nor has any client expressed this complaint to me directly. If they had, I would have addressed it to their satisfaction. Third, a national survey about divorce costs found the average divorce cost $15,500. See http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/ctp/cost-of-divorce.html. The average cost to the hundreds of divorce clients I have served over the past 23 years is $6,361.88, 41% of the national average. Of course, none of these “average” statistics will predict what any one case will cost, any more than knowing the cost of an "average house" will help you predict the fair market value for your house.

Posted by Mimi | December 30, 2014

Thank you

Bruce and Dorie, Thank you for your help and patience during the difficult time. You kept me informed and be available whenever I needed your assistant. I appreciated your thoughtfulness and sincere approach. Mimi

Posted by Amy | February 28, 2013

The most ethical attorney you could hope to find.

I gave a 4 for responsiveness only because he made a big move in the middle of my case. However, he redeemed himself by sticking with me even during his move. Bruce is more trustworthy and ethical than most people. I felt very lucky to have found him and cannot articulate sufficiently enough my recom...mendation of him.

Posted by John | July 30, 2012

Experienced Lawyer

After recently having work done by Bruce Pruitt-Hamm it quickly became obvious that he was a very experienced lawyer, with an excellent personality. He answered all of my questions with patience, and was sensitive to the subject matter, concerning my Estate Planning. During my career in Aerospace E...ngineering, I 've had the opportunity to interface with many other professional people, including lawyers, and in my opinion Bruce rates well with the best of them.

Posted by Beverly | July 26, 2012

Excellent Lawyer

Impeccable customer service. I felt seen and heard. I highly recommend Pruitt-Hamm Law Firm. I was treated with respect and kindness. Bruce Pruitt-Hamm made everything clear and easy. Thank you Bruce for your great attitude and caring ways. You were always professional wise and patient.

See All Client Reviews

Bruce K Pruitt-Hamm's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Bruce
Kelly W Padgham headshot
Kelly Padgham

Family lawyer | Jul 03

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Bruce is one of the hardest working attorneys I know. He is a powerful advocate, but also attempts reasonable settlement when appropriate. Bruce is extremely knowledgeable in the area of family law and is also an expert in the area of collaborative practice. I cannot say enough about Bruce's professionalism and integrity. I endorse this lawyer."

Glenn E. Tanner headshot
Glenn Tanner

Family lawyer | Jul 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"If I was in need of a lawyer, I would not hesitate to employ Bruce. He can be a strong advocate in a wide variety of areas of the law, or a very effective collaborative attorney. Bruce is smart and wise. He is open to feedback and someone you can trust. If you have a legal concern, Bruce is a great place to start and finish."

Michael S. Waddington headshot
Michael Waddington

Family lawyer | May 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse Bruce. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."

Howard Robert Roitman headshot
Howard Roitman

Mediation lawyer | Feb 16

Relationship: Other

"I endorse this lawyer."

Richard Paul Patrick headshot
Richard Patrick

Divorce and separation lawyer | Nov 27

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. Pruitt-Hamm is well educated and experienced. His Avvo contributions are consistently point on. His experience makes him an excellent choice for an attorney. If he cannot help you, I am confident he will guide you to appropriate legal counsel. I endorse this lawyer."

Howard M Lewis headshot
Howard Lewis

Child custody lawyer | Nov 25

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Attorney Pruitt-Hamm is an outstanding Family Law attorney and one of the top in his state. He is a strong and zealous advocate for his clients and a true credit to the legal profession. I highly recommend his legal services."

John Joseph Burke headshot
John Burke

General practice lawyer | Feb 09

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I have had the privilege of dealing with Bruce Pruitt-Hamm on two Collaborative Law divorces. I found him to be highly ethical and trustworthy. He very effectively advocated for his client while still listening to and incorporating my client’s interests and goals into his thought process. In my experience with Mr. Pruitt-Hamm, his training and considerable experience as a mediator was very evident in the Collaborative Law divorce cases that I had with him. He could very effectively use non-adversarial communication when assisting the formulation of a divorce settlement solution. While he and I might have seen things from a different perspective, given that we were still representing and advocating for our respective clients, he was very effective at keeping his statements as positive and constructive as possible."

Stephen Thomas Graham headshot
Stephen Graham

Family lawyer | Jan 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I would highly recommend Bruce to anyone looking for an attorney in Stevens County or the surrounding areas. He has a broad array of experience and handles himself very professionally. I refer people to him and always hear back that they are very satisfied."

Keller W. Allen headshot
Keller Allen

Estate planning lawyer | Dec 31

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Bruce is an excellent lawyer and advocate for his clients. While he works and lives in a small community, Bruce is the quality of lawyer one would expect to find in a large law firm in Seattle or Portland. I highly recommend Bruce."

View All Endorsements
N. N. Mensah headshot
N. Mensah

Immigration lawyer

Kelly W Padgham headshot
Kelly Padgham

Family lawyer

Rebecca Mary Coufal headshot
Rebecca Coufal

Juvenile law lawyer

Bevan Jerome Maxey headshot
Bevan Maxey

Family lawyer

John Joseph Burke headshot
John Burke

Family lawyer

Stephen Thomas Graham headshot
Stephen Graham

Criminal defense lawyer

Keller W. Allen headshot
Keller Allen

Employment and labor lawyer

Glenn E. Tanner headshot
Glenn Tanner

Family lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2008

Pro Bono Publico Service Commendation, Washington State Bar Association

1992

Moot Court Competition- Semi-Finalist, Moot Court Honor Board

Work Experience

1998 - Present

Managing Partner, Pruitt-Hamm Law & Mediation Services, PS

1996 - 2006

Special Assistant Attorney General, Attorney General of Washington

1994 - 1998

Associate, McGrane and Schuerman

1994 - 1994

Associate, Hessinger & Associates

1994 - 1994

Legal Intern for Justice Utter on Special Project, Washington Supreme Court

1993 - 1994

Legal Intern, Univ. of Washington Student Legal Services

1993 - 1993

Legal Intern, Consumer Protection Division- WA Atty. General's Office

1988 - 2013

Mediator, Private Mediation Services

Associations

2012 - Present

King County Collaborative Law

Member

2012 - Present

Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (Washington Chapter)

Board of Directors

2012 - Present

King County Bar Association

Member

1994 - Present

Washington State Bar Association

Member

2008 - 2012

Spokane County Collaborative Professionals

Founding Member

2000 - 2002

National Association of Counsel for Children

Member

1999 - 2006

Stevens County Bar Association

President

1991 - 1994

Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution

Founder; President

1989 - 1989

Mediation Consortium of Washington State (Now Washington Mediation Assoc.)

Co-President

Sample of Legal Cases

The Hands that Hold the Child

Successful

Divorce, then Death, then Determination

Successful

Mediation on a Weekend

Successful

Private Interstate Adoption

Successful

See More Legal Cases

Education

1994

University of Washington

Juris Doctor

1989

Anticoh University-Seattle

BA

Speaking Engagements

2012

CLE

Collaborative Law

2011

Basic Mediation Training

Mediation and Collaborative Law

1995

Rotary Club of Colville

Mediation

1987

Divorce Mediation

Breaking Deadlocks in Mediation

Publications

1994

Pacific Rim Law & Policy Journal Humanitarian Intervention: Dilemmas in the Definition and Design of International Law

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

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  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
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