Robert A Kelly

PRO

Robert A Kelly

4.8
Rating: 8.5

Licensed for 18 years

Family Lawyer at Bellingham, WA
Practice Areas: Family, Divorce & Separation, Mediation ... +2 more

1112 11th Street, Suite 307-A, Bellingham, WA

About Robert

Biography

Provides Comprehensive Family Law Services With Integrity & Sensitivity.

Practice Areas

5

Practice Areas

Divorce and Separation 30%

19 years

30%
Family 30%

19 years

30%
Mediation 20%

32 years

20%
Child Custody 10%

19 years

10%
Child Support 10%

10%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Retainer

Sometimes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

Licenses

Licensed in Washington for 18 years

State: Washington

Acquired: 2007

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Law Offices of Robert A Kelly

1112 11th Street, Suite 307-A, Bellingham, WA, 98225

robkellylaw.com

Online Presence

Other places you can find Robert online.

Robert A Kelly's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.8 /5.0

17 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (17) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 8 reviews | Character & Conduct

Posted by Tom | January 14, 2022 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

Exceptional empathetic representation

If you are reading this review, then you are probably like I was: full of anxiety and needing an advocate to help you navigate the most challenging time in your life. I had a few legal consultations before choosing Rob and beginning my “collaborative” divorce journey. My case was challenging fr...om a financial, emotional, and custodial viewpoint. It was very charged at times, and I questioned whether we could reach an agreement-based outcome without a third-party decision-maker. This is where Rob really shines. Rob would calmly explain my options and partner with me to plan a successful strategy. He is an expert coach and a master of navigating tense situations. He thinks outside the box and brings methodical reasoning and empathy to the table when others are “digging their heels in.” His experience tells you when to take a break and when to push on because the finish line is in sight. Rob was able to get me a fair financial settlement and custody arrangement. That’s the key – Rob is fair. He has very high integrity and is looking for the best outcome for both parties. Without reservation, I would highly recommend Rob and his team for exceptional representation and support throughout your divorce process.

Posted by anonymous | April 02, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Family

Another Grateful Mom

I hired Rob after interviewing numerous family lawyers in the area. I chose him because he brought the father's perspective to my case; he is obviously a family man; he wasn't simply a hired gun charging high fees and following some of my uninformed ideas; he has decades of experience and a respected... place in the legal community; anyone who meets him would both respect him as a good guy and one who wouldn't back down in a conflict; and because I felt his priority was to do the right thing for my children. Mine was a complicated case involving DV, an ex with infinite time and money for a prolonged battle, two young children, and me in a state of shock and fear. Throughout the process, I always felt that Rob was telling me the truth and giving me sound advice, not just to win the case and be a bully, but to make sure my children and myself were protected. I also love his sharp and competent staff of strong women. A formidable, but altogether humane, team... I can't thank these people enough.

Posted by Terra | March 13, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

A grateful single mom

I cannot speak highly enough of Rob Kelly as the best possible attorney for a high conflict divorce or custody case. He genuinely cares about his clients, has high integrity, and his team at the office match his thoughtfulness and care. I am grateful to him for the many ways he supported myself and m...y son through the most difficult of times.

Posted by Christine | February 15, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

Ethical, professional, and knows how to listen

Divorce is not pleasant or easy is something we can all agree on. Working with Rob and his responsive staff made the situation manageable with an excellent outcome for myself and my ex-husband without going to trial. From my first meeting with Rob I thought he was extremely knowledgeable about famil...y law and most importantly is an excellent communicator and listener. He and his staff always showed me respect and courtesy in all situations. I never felt my bill was being run up as he delegated what was appropriate to his staff to control my costs. There was always transparency for work being done on my behalf. For friends and acquaintances seeking a lawyer one can trust to be a strong yet flexible advocate I can without hesitation recommend Rob Kelly.

Posted by anonymous | March 31, 2015 | Child Custody

Strong client advocate

After our initial meeting with Robert Kelly, it was very clear he was going to be different. Rob was honest about our particularly frustrating custody battle; he made sure we knew what we could and should expect of him. With that came hope for the first time, as we were finally talking with a knowl...edgeable attorney who was fully in our corner and was going to do whatever he could to help us. Coming from our last attorney's office whose main motivation was money; we were more than concerned this could be a similar situation. After learning Rob is one of the only attorney's around with two paralegals; amazing paralegals at that, we knew that alone would help with the bill. There have never been any surprises on the bills and Rob has offered such peace of mind by diligently trying to save us money, even while going through this lengthy process. Rob has been dedicated to our case, working tirelessly for us, listening to all concerns, answering all questions and has been there fighting for us the whole time. He has never wasted a dime of ours, which is a precious thing as these dealings are very expensive. Rob has always broken down everything, making things easy to understand and with that, easy to make sound decisions. He has kept us in the loop every step of the way; whenever questions or concerns have come up and he's not available, he gets back to us within a short amount of time. When others may have tried to cut corners, Rob has been upfront and honest with his strong ethics hard to find in others. He has managed to take an enormous weight off and has made this unbearable process bearable. Rob was ready and willing to litigate this case if necessary but he skillfully found a way to get mediation onto the table. This had seemed impossible before him and court looked like the only inevitable way to finish this. We felt more than confident putting our full trust in Rob and his team and it paid off. Rob not only was more than prepared for the face to face, he did not allow any of the shady tactics the other side attempted. It was a relief that Rob was our attorney and we weren't on the other side of the table from him. It is only because Rob is a very good attorney that we walked out of there with exactly what we had wanted from the start. My family and I will forever be grateful and indebted to Rob for standing with us through this entire process. You would be hard pressed to find an attorney more dedicated, more skillful or more of a client advocate than Robert Kelly.

See All Client Reviews

Robert A Kelly's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Robert
Justin William Aanenson headshot
Justin Aanenson

Divorce and separation lawyer | Jan 13

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I've had two collaborative cases with Rob and I've been impressed with him in both. He's an excellent communicator, organized, and he does a great job focusing on the big picture. Working with him has made me a better attorney. If you're looking for a collaborative divorce attorney you would do well to hire Rob."

Kathryn D Resnick headshot
Kathryn Resnick

Family lawyer | Mar 26

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Rob’s integrity and diligence bring honor to our profession. For many years, I’ve had the pleasure of sitting around the table with Rob on cases where he has been a mediator, a collaborative attorney and a litigator. Although he is one of the mostly highly regarded family law litigation attorneys in Whatcom County, Rob is a peacemaker to the core. Rob’s commitment to solving problems is strongly enhanced by his sincerity, compassion and experience. I’ve never known an attorney who cares more about helping his clients than Rob does. I highly recommend Rob for anyone who wants to resolve their legal problems with efficiency and effectiveness."

David Alan Nelson headshot
David Nelson

Family lawyer | Mar 17

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer's work. I have worked closely with Robert on a number of cases. He is highly ethical and has a terrific work ethic. I appreciate the fact that he really cares about his clients and works very hard for their interests. I have referred clients to Robert. That is the highest form of reference you will ever receive from a fellow attorney."

Jeffrey Alan Lustick headshot
Jeffrey Lustick

Family lawyer | Nov 18

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Rob is one heck of a fine lawyer! He is highly professional in every way and extremely knowledgeable. I enjoy working with him whenever I can."

View All Endorsements
Justin William Aanenson headshot
Justin Aanenson

Family lawyer

Kathryn D Resnick headshot
Kathryn Resnick

Family lawyer

Jeffrey Alan Lustick headshot
Jeffrey Lustick

Criminal defense lawyer

David Alan Nelson headshot
David Nelson

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  8.5 (Excellent)

Honors

2005

Year-End Achievement Scholarship, Seattle University School of Law

2004

Year-End Achievement Scholarship, Seattle University School of Law

2003

Year-End Achievement Scholarship, Seattle University School of Law

Work Experience

2008 - Present

Attorney & Mediator, Robert A. Kelly, Attorney at Law P.S.

2006 - Present

Mediator, Northwest Dispute Resolution Group

1994 - Present

Mediator, Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center

2007 - 2008

Associate Attorney and Mediator, Law Offices of Karlene K. Weiland

2006 - 2007

Legal Intern and Mediator, Law Offices of Karlene K. Weiland

2005 - 2006

Legal Intern, Northwest Dispute Resolution Group

2001 - 2005

Adjunct Faculty, Western Washington University

1996 - 2006

Partner, Resolution Services, LLC

1994 - 1996

Mediation Coordinator/Program Developer, Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center

1993 - 2008

Owner, Rob Kelly & Associates, LLC

Associations

2007 - Present

Whatcom County Bar Association

Member

2016 - 2016

Whatcom Collaborative Professionals

President

2009 - 2009

Whatcom County Bar Association

Secretary

Education

2006

Seattle University School of Law

Juris Doctor

1995

Western Washington University

Master of Arts

1986

Western Washington University

Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2018

Law Advocates Local Family Law Update CLE - Fall 2018

Family Law Mediation

Languages

English

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.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution