Veronica A. Freitas

I was involved in a highly contentious divorce involving child custody and Veronica helped me make sense of the legal system and gave me the support and knowledge to make the best decisions I could for myself and my daughter. From the very start I felt comforted by her extensive experience and famili...arity with all aspects of family court. I do not believe that the outcome of the case could have turned out any better for myself and my daughter with any other lawyer.

Veronica represented me in an extremely complicated and challenging domestic violence divorce case with serious and complex safety issues. I came to her after spending a fortune on other lawyers. From the beginning she was clear and brilliant, while remaining kind and compassionate. There was no wa...sting of time or money. Upfront about time, efforts, and costs, she was spot on in all her predictions and consistent in her quick and detailed follow through. She and her staff put my children and I at the forefront of every moment we spent together. Veronica clearly had many clients when she took me on, but I always felt like I was the most important issue to her. Her razor sharp focus combined with her many years of experience really made things move along at a good pace. She cut through all the issues and got the best results possible for the safety and welfare of my children and myself. In many ways, we owe her our lives. After working with four other lawyers on this case, and consulting with half a dozen more, I can't imagine anyone doing better than Veronica, and she always remembered I was a person going through a tragedy and treated me with compassion.

Veronica was instrumental in managing my dissolution case where I ended up with exactly what I set out to achieve—joint custody of my son and an equitable division of assets from my marriage. It was critical to me that my case be handled with integrity and class, which Veronica delivered with her abi...lity to be straight-and-honest, without the need to resort to nasty tactics—unlike my ex's counsel. Veronica is a skilled negotiator, as well as an expert in managing challenging divorce and custody cases in Washington State—all of this at a reasonable rate. While you may not always like what Veronica advises, understand that because of her experience, Veronica will bring a realist mentality to your case. This is critical to have during a time that often has you too emotionally invested to see through the drama typically involved in divorce. This was especially true in my case where the courts frequently favor mothers regardless of the merit of the father. That said, as a father, I'm thrilled with the way we were able to achieve the outcome I initially set out for. A few "good to knows"— • Get involved in your case and be sure that you provide the information needed to facilitate everything (financials, correspondence, etc.) by the deadlines. It doesn't matter how good your attorney is. Without the necessary documentation, your case will be weak. • Be organized. News to me, there's a lot that goes into getting divorced. This is especially true if the other party plays "nasty" and you need prove your side to complete strangers who will influence your outcome more than you ever realized (judges, commissioners, evaluators and so on). • Trust. Know what you're willing to put up with and what you're willing to let go of. Veronica kept focused on what I communicated during our initial meeting and, while it didn't seem to make sense when we were in the midst of the battle, once we got to mediation, everything came together and we were able to complete the case before going through a costly and emotional taxing trial.

Ms. Freitas helped me through one of the most difficult times in my life. She was my shoulder in court which was an extremely difficult thing for me to face. Her guidance was given with care and compassion for how hard my divorce was for me. She gave me options and supported my decisions. She res...ponded so quickly to my questions, even if I contacted her late at night, that proved that she cared not only about her cases, but the people that are behind each one. Both her and her staff were professional, friendly and supportive. Without her, I would have allowed my ex-husband to continue to destroy me financially. She understood that my main concern are my children and I needed to handle this the easiest way for them. She fought for me when I had no fight left. She reminded me that I deserved to be respected and my children deserved to have a mother still in-tact after the divorce to put the pieces of our lives back together. I have had additional problems since my divorce due to a spiteful ex-husband and Ms. Freitas has been extremely kind in her advice in how to proceed with each issue that has come up. This is not a time of my life I like to remember, but having Ms. Freitas and her staff beside me reminded me that I deserved better and I had what it took to get there. My life has completely changed and both myself and my children are doing great. I am not exaggerating when I say I could not have done this without Ms. Freitas. She truly was my strength when I had lost mine.

Veronica handled my separation/divorce case in 2010-2011. She guided me through the process, explained what to expect at each step, and empowered me by helping me realize the strengths I have within myself. She and her staff, Kelli and Beth were responsive to my questions and requests and I apprec...iated how well they worked as a team. They made me feel welcome and at ease. They always let me know and feel that what I was going through mattered to them. She let me know her fees upfront, the estimated total costs, and walked me through the legal process. There were no surprises and her fees are reasonable and fair. I have already recommended her legal services to all I know. She is an excellent lawyer!