Tristen U. Key

Tristen was a perfect match for me. When I finally realized I couldn't manage my divorce alone an I needed an advocate, I met with several attorneys, but I could tell I was going to choose Tristen within minutes of meeting her. Because my ex was not being reasonable, I needed someone knowledgeable... to educate me on my options. I was lost in all of the confusion of my separation, legal procedures, financial issues, and how to be able to get time with my children. Teisten squared me away on all of those things and have me excellent advice all te way around and at every step. She nudged me along when I needed the nudging and really cared about me as a person, father, client. As good as Tristen is at advice and support and knowledge of family and Divorce law, she really impressed me in the courtroom. Her presentation was precise, her rebuttals were quick and direct. She has a good rapport with the judge. She is very sharp and is a "rock star" in the courtroom. Tristen bills accurately and works very efficiently in my opinion with procedure and opposing counsel. She got me trough a long and very difficult mediation of which I was pleased with the outcome. As a side note, I have dealt with the other partners in her office when needed and they too are all very professional and knowledgable and quick with responses. There's no way I would be where I am at today without Tristen as my advocate.

Tristen has done a wonderful job at helping me through a very rough divorce. She Not only is Tristen honest and caring, but she seemed to know everything that was needed for my case. It was a very ugly situation, and while frustration was a weekly even due to the ex. Tristen was very empathetic to my... situation, and always on top of the case and kept everything moving in a positive direction. I know she had other clients while working with me, but she always knew details and made me feel like her only client. She is very professional and knows how to get down to business. She was able to handle every curve ball my ex and her lawyer could throw at us. Not once did I ever feel like Tristen wasn't in complete control of the situation. I would recommend her to anyone with a family law problem. I hope I never need a lawyer again but if I do Tristen is the one I am calling.

I hired Tristen just a few weeks ago. At first, she seemed like a good fit. However, we immediately had a difference of opinion as to how my case should be handled. I wanted advice on a possible Separation, eventually. She pushed hard for me to file for Divorce, IMMEDIATELY. I pushed back, uncomforta...ble with the thought of Divorce and very uncomfortable somehow filing with just a few days to put together the filing documents. This led to later accusations that I had flip-flopped repeatedly between divorce and separation, therefore creating a “moving target” for her. I had extreme difficulty getting clear information from Tristen and her Assistants. Certain questions it seemed they couldn’t answer, such as when my initial service would be due after filing, which received answers ranging from 2 days after filing, 5 days, 6, 7, all the way up to no deadline existing whatsoever. I also got many conflicting sets of instructions or advice. I was told things such as not to remove any items from the home, only to be asked later by Tristen why I didn’t just go remove those items from the home. In another example, I’d asked repeatedly if I could use a private legal service to serve my husband with the motion I’d filed. I was told “no” over and over, only later to be asked by Tristen why I didn’t just use a private service. Although her written communications seemed professional at first, they quickly devolved into condescending accusations. In response to my request for confirmation if a certain document was filed or not, she’d respond with statements like, “I can appreciate that you have limited knowledge of the legal system, process and rule. This has caused a lot of confusion and misunderstandings on your part.” I think it goes without saying, but most people hire lawyers because they’re hoping that lawyer will have more knowledge of the legal system than they themselves do. However, assuming a client doesn’t know the process, and using this as a way to avoid answering the question is pointless. I've been involved in many legal cases, drafted language that's now used in many parenting plans, reviewed countless contracts, yet never have I seen a client treated the way Tristen treated me. When I emailed to ask for clarification on yet another issue just days later, because I’d again received another set of conflicting instructions, Tristen responded with an email that stated I have caused communication issues, and will continue to cause communication issues. She went on to state that my situation was “emotionally difficult” for me and therefore it would be best if she was no longer my lawyer. I could be wrong, but I imagine the majority of family law scenario cases tend to be emotionally difficult for those involved. In the same email she mentioned that I had been hesitant to hurt my husband, and hesitant to place him in an unfair position as part of the reason she was terminating our client-lawyer relationship after just 3 weeks. Throughout these 3 weeks I’d tried very hard to come up with a way that I could potentially handle my situation and file the necessary documents, while still protecting my husband. While we may have our differences, and he has his struggles, as do we all, he’s still the father of my children, someone I love, and is a cherished and crucial member of this family. Tristen wanted me to ignore my husband’s feelings in this process, and pushed hard to win by any means necessary. Because I hesitated, she dropped me as a client. In the end, I called her office to check on the final document they’d filed. When I did, and explained what the court had told me when I called there, her paralegal simply snapped and began screaming at me. That conversation, while over Bluetooth in the car, was witnessed by my toddler and small baby. After my toddler said, “Mommy, that call was scary.” The entire 3 week experience was stressful, and only made my situation significantly worse. In no way did anything they did help me.