Mr. Lewis is highly professional, attentive and compassionate attorney. Law Offices of O. Yale Lewis III also have great staff, you can call almost any time and a call will be answered. We have got a great result in my case, I would highly recommend Attorney Lewis, especially for child custody cases.
I consulted with Yale and he assisted me in filing paperwork with the court to respond to my child being moved out of state without my consent. He is extremely knowledgeable and sensitive to the sensibilities of the judges that preside. He knows what a judge will accept and what they won't accept. He is disciplined and a real straight-shooter.
Elements include division of assets (real property, pensions, stock awards), residential schedules for children, and mediation / settlement conferences.
Types of documents drafted include Simple Will, Living Will, General Power of Attorney, Medical Power of Attorney, Statutory Healthcare Directive & Contingent Trust (for minor children).
20 years
While I can't guarantee the results, I can guarantee effort. I will work for you until the job is done. I will tell you when I think we should go to court and when we should fold. I will strive to be a good steward of your finances, time, and emotional energy. I will approach the job with compassion, a sense of humor, and a deep knowledge of the law and human behavior.
I have been litigating family and Native American law matters since 2003. I try up to three cases per year and represent three times that many at settlement conferences / meditations. I have been appointed a special master and sometimes conduct meditations. I also handle appeals.
My office is in North Seattle near Lake City. I appear regularly in King County Superior Court and less frequently in other counties throughout Washington. I am a member of the bar of most tribal courts in the State of Washington. I also practice in the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts. I am a member of Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Highly recommend for Child Custody arguments.
Mr. Lewis is highly professional, attentive and compassionate attorney. Law Offices of O. Yale Lewis III also have great staff, you can call almost any time and a call will be answered. We have got a great result in my case, I would highly recommend Attorney Lewis, especially for child custody cases.
Posted by anonymous | May 26, 2020
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Great Lawyer
I consulted with Yale and he assisted me in filing paperwork with the court to respond to my child being moved out of state without my consent. He is extremely knowledgeable and sensitive to the sensibilities of the judges that preside. He knows what a judge will accept and what they won't accept. He is disciplined and a real straight-shooter.
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Posted by Robb | May 25, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Professional expertise that places your best interests at the forefront
Mr. Lewis represented me during a difficult time with a family matter. He expertly navigated family law and fought for a solution that was the best for all parties involved, not the one-sided solution so often encountered when dealing with DSHS. His fortitude was key in the decisions made by the court that supported my desires.
Posted by Eryn | November 22, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
He is THE BEST lawyer I have ever used
I am going to be very honest: my case has not gone before the judge yet. I am aware that I can lose. Knowing that, I am still absolutely comfortable in giving Mr. Lewis a 5 star rating. He has already earned my trust and admiration. I have used other lawyers before for divorce and child custody issues and they were perfectly competent. Mr. Lewis is superior to all of them due to the time and dedication he gives to my case. He is beyond attentive; he is proactive and I can tell he spends a lot of time and energy on my case. He is in constant email and phone communication. Any question I have is answered promptly, thoroughly and honestly. Quite simply put, he is the best lawyer I have ever worked with. I can not recommend him enough.
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Posted by Lisa Leon-Guerrero | September 8, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Knowledgable and Cost Effective
I had spent weeks looking for the right lawyer while navigating the court system during a very stressful and scary time. I was referred to Mr. Lewis by one of his colleagues who spoke highly of him. Mr. Lewis returned my call in a reasonable amount of time and was very knowledgeable in response to my case. He was the first lawyer I spoke to who gave me hope and energized me follow through with my case without fear.
Within a couple days of that first call, I received a thorough consultation and had retained his services to represent me in court. After that, I was feeling much better about my prospects. During the time he acted as my council, he was prompt in his responses and clear about what had to be done, saving me time and money. With the attentive help of his assistant, I was able to file many supporting documents with the court that clearly helped my case. Mr. Lewis was able to negotiate an agreement to settle my motion before the hearing, getting me exactly what I wanted.
Overall, I am satisfied with the outcome of my first hearing. With Mr. Lewis’ helpful insight and honest council, I was able to work out a reasonable arrangement with my child’s father to everyone’s benefit.
I would definitely recommend Mr. Lewis to people in need of help with family law.
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Posted by anonymous | April 21, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
I hired the right lawyer for a bull fight
My family law case was very complicated and tough to resolve. I fired my previous lawyer because of his slow, passive attitude and gobbling all my money. I did phone screen several lawyers for a month before I called Yale's office. There was something about our telephone conversation that encouraged me to meet with Yale on a Friday evening last fall. I was simply blown away with the sense of urgency Yale and his legal assistant, Stephanie moved on my case. Both were very professional, to the point and responsive in their communications. No doubt my case went to trial because the other party wasn't being very cooperative. When we had to garnish the other party's assets, Yale did his research and followed the process. Ultimately I couldn't have asked for a better outcome. It was emotionally, financially and physically draining time for me but throughout the process Yale and Stephanie were very calm, patient and rational with their interactions. I was immensely touched my Stephanie's empathetic gestures. By far, Stephanie is the best legal assistant I have worked with - very knowledgeable, prompt and pleasant to work with. I feel very comfortable recommending Yale's services for tough to deal with family law matters. I needed a bull fighter before going in for a fight and so glad I went with Yale.
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Posted by Barry | December 12, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Fair, Knowledgeable and Cost Conscious
I hired Yale for his honesty, knowledge of the law and consideration for the legal expenses involved with divorce. He guided me through a difficult divorce, which ended in trial.
Posted by Janelle Mallory | December 6, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent representation
I hired Mr. Lewis to enforce may divorce decree that stated my house had to be sold. My ex husband was being extremely difficult and I needed a good legal strong arm. Mr. Lewis made a very strong argument in my documentation to the judge as well as when we went in front of the judge. I got pretty much everything we were asking for. In addition if I had any questions I was told not to hesitate to call. His legal secretary was also incredibly helpful and easy to talk to. I would highly recommend this firm. It is worth every penny to have an attorney that has great experience and knowledge in what was going on from a legal point of view in which I did not have the know how. Awesome!
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Posted by anonymous | July 24, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Effective, Honest, and Trustwothy
Yale did a great job with my son's relocation case. There were many twists and turns throughout the case, but Yale always prepared us for the next step and got the job done. He's very receptative and open to discussion and alternatives, and ultimately recommends the best course of action. While I won't say everything went perfectly (I can't imagine it ever does), there is no question Yale got us to the finish line with the right outcome. I would certainly recommend him those with family law issues.
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Posted by Alexis Rockey | July 20, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Quick and to the point!
Yale is an amazing lawyer! He didn't waste my time or my money by trying to make things drag on. Before hiring Yale I had a previous lawyer that I was paying just for paperwork and ended up wasting my time and my money (almost half of what I paid Yale JUST for paperwork in less than a months time) Needless to say I would hire him again and DEFINITELY recommend him to others :)
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Posted by Susan | May 18, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Help with difficult case
My divorce case was not a straight-forward one since as a 28-year wife of a disabled man, I was the caretaker as well as single wage earner. My spouse (and his family) were requesting more than half of my pay and assets. Yale had the courage to request the judge take a unique position and do the just and fair thing in dividing up our assets and ordering a reasonable amount of maintenance.
Yale was very efficient, didn't waste my time (and more importantly did waste his time and drive up my fees). He's very focused, practical and supportive.
I recommend him highly without any reservations.
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Posted by anonymous | April 20, 2016
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Family Law regarding abduction and abandonment
I received assistance preparing documents to gain a hearing before a judge on two different occasions. He was caring, but focused his concerned into the details of the work that needed to be completed. I appreciated that. He's a kind man, but not much for sentiment. He's completely goal-oriented. Don't expect any warm fuzzes. He plays to win!!! He saved me and my children more than once!!!
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Posted by Haylee | February 16, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Yale without hesitation picked up the mess my previous attorney left
Yale has been incredible to work with. I filed a motion to establish a parenting plan for my child. My case was simple but unfortunately my attorney prior to Yale screwed it all up. It was an emotional rollercoaster and I felt afraid and helpless. After the initial hearing, I did research and found Yale on Avvo. I read other reviews and reached out to him to seek for his advice. After my initial consultation with Yale, I felt confident he would be able to help me turn this around. I asked my previous attorney to withdraw and hired Yale.
I am confident if I had hired Yale from the beginning, my case and parenting plan would have been settled much sooner (and in my favor). Yale without hesitation picked up the mess my previous attorney left and did everything he could to turn it around, and he did. He was responsive the entire time and worked diligently to get everything prepared and completed. He fought hard and never backed down. He helped me in overturning the temporary parenting plan, obtain a judgment against my ex for the money I was entitled to (attorney’s fees, back child support and interest), increased my entitled child support by more than 50%, and settle on a final parenting plan that was in my favor.
Yale went above and beyond to get everything I needed and more. He thought outside of the box to also help me get a large sum of the judgment and back child support back. The parenting plan case finally settled today and he is still thinking of ways to help me get the rest of the owed judgment back to help me recover my expenses. I really wished I had found him sooner. He has been a blessing to my daughter and I. Thank you!
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Posted by anonymous | October 15, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great Attorney and overall experience
Yale did a great job representing us, and ultimately won our case. He was attentive and consistent, as well as readily available hen we had questions or concerns about the case. Yale was very professional and we would highly recommend him.
Posted by Tina | February 10, 2015
Yale Lewis does outstanding work!
I received all the back child support that was owed to me thanks to Yale Lewis and his great work. I didn't receive regular child support payments for almost 2 decades, so this was quite a large sum of money. Yale Lewis helped me through the process, went to court and all for a reasonable fee. I later received interest on the unpaid child support, another substantial sum. I would not have received this money without Yale's great legal help. I recommend him if you need a outstanding lawyer.
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Posted by JohnMakLuci | January 25, 2015
Yale Lewis III- The Real Deal
I have dealt with countless lawyers over the years (for various reasons) and have never found a more straight forward, authentic, dedicated attorney than Mr. Yale Lewis. He listened to my dilemma, did his research, offered options and delivered on his word. He was honest and compassionate, yet firm in his delivery - both to me, as well as the courts and opposition. Mr. Yale will get it done right, expidiciously, with a minimum amount of stress on your part. A bonus is that his assistant, Tony, is an amazing support, with great knowledge and follow through. You won't be left hanging for days if you have a question, need a quick answer or simply need reassurance. If you want someone with integrity and grit, someone who actually CARES about clients and their best interest, call the office of Yale Lewis III. There is no better legal support out there.
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Posted by Kedar | November 28, 2014
Highly recommended!
I initially went with McKinley Irvin who charged me almost $30K for temporary hearing and ROGS alone. These two are typically 1/4th of the overall trial. Mediation and trial were far away and no negotiations had started. My ex’s lawyer on the other hand had charged her 1/3rd the money and was running circles around my lawyer.
Frustrated, I switched to Yale. With that several things changed:
1. Yale is way more knowledgeable than the last lawyer at the previous firm. He knew answers at the top of his head rather than having to do “research” and charge me for it.
2. He has a very good understanding of how math works, and the tax implications.
3. He charged me for what was reasonable instead of charging me $30 per email. At the other extreme, the previous firm charged me $300-$400 for making copy of a will – a will that was voided the moment the divorce petition was filed.
4. When something was out of his expertise such as number crunching, he would let me run the show or ask for outside help such as hire a CPA. This saved me over $100K later on.
5. His paralegal, Tony Dondero, is an awesome person to work with.
6. Both Yale and Tony were always super-quick to respond to any of my questions.
7. During the final stretch, Yale and Tony worked on weekends to meet the deadlines.
8. When I ran out of money, Yale offered that I could defer the fees and pay him later on.
9. Throughout the trial, the wellbeing of my kids was at the top of the list for Yale.
Yale is a genuinely nice person and was responsible for guiding me through a difficult divorce. I highly recommend him.
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Posted by Mihail | November 20, 2014
Great attorney for dedicated parents!
I would strongly recommend Yale Lewis as an attorney.
I had a hard divorce case, with two major problems: (1) the mother wanted to relocate our child to foreign country, located 5,000 miles away from the place where we lived. I was opposing relocation and was looking for 50/50 parenting plan. (2) I had hard financial situation without ability to hire an attorney, but our divorce case was going to Trial as we were not able to agree with the other party on (1).
Many top-rated attorneys in King County were not confident that they could win the case; the most they promised is to get more time with the child in summer time, but Yale accepted the challenge and promised that will win the relocation and he did. He also understood my hard financial situation and we established an adequate payment plan, which allowed me to survive.
Our case went to trial, in a result, the child relocation to foreign country was denied, I did not get 50/50 parenting plan, but before the child school age, I’ve got most of the weekends with the child, which is awesome, we also been ordered with higher maintenance payments than anticipated.
I liked a lot how Yale worked on the case – he is brilliantly smart, hard working, is very attentive to details, which is very important to disclose the other party lie, and we had it a lot, and finally he loves his job!
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Posted by Nathan | October 14, 2014
Yale Lewis - Strong and to the point
Yale helped me finish a divorce that had been stalled in the collaborative process for over 5 years. His approach worked. His communication was clear and concise, and he kept my costs to a minimum. His office staff was friendly and professional. I highly recommend him.
Posted by Sean | October 14, 2014
Great Lawyer
Yale handled my divorce case. He was professional and great at negotiations. He's also very blunt and doesn't sugar coat things which I feel what a lot of attorney's do.
In the end, we went to the trial and he represented my case and got me a great outcome. I would definitely recommend him.
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Family Attorney | Aug 29
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I have received nothing less than positive feedback about Yale from clients that I have worked with and ones I have referred to him. They convey that he listens and guides them through the legal process
As a personal observation, I see him work very diligently during the weekdays and even weekends. He is dependable and trustworthy."
Estate planning Attorney | Jan 20
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Yale is an excellent attorney and a wonderful human being. He is intelligent and personable. I highly recommend his skills in handling clients' estate planning needs."
Family Attorney | Jan 15
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. I have referred Yale a few clients who were seeking a mediator rather than an attorney. They have told me that Yale was professional, fair and cost effective."
Divorce and separation Attorney | Mar 22
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"I worked with Yale on a very difficult and hard-fought case and found him to be diligent, honest and effective and have since referred other work to him with great confidence in his ablities. A first rate guy and great lawyer to have on one's side."
Family Attorney | Apr 10
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I strongly endorse Yale Lewis, III. I have known Yale for nearly 10 years, as an appellate advocacy partner in law school, and as a professional colleague with whom I have frequently exchanged ideas. I have always been impressed by Yale’s careful analysis, deep understanding of the law, and passion for justice."
Wills and living wills Attorney | Apr 09
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"I endorse this lawyer's work. I have worked with Yale on a successful appeal to Division One. I have also used him to prepare my family's estate plan. He is both professional and hard-working."