$ 240-300 per hour
Roy N Martin
About Roy
Biography
I've been a divorce attorney since December 1996. After just a few years of practice, it was clear that my heart wasn't in litigation but rather in helping clients achieve win-win settlement. My goal in every case is to help people resolve conflict without hurting each other and, most importantly, without hurting their children. I find that divorce with love is possible. There's both an art and a science to it. It takes years to become skilled as a collaborative attorney or as a mediator. I devoted myself to developing those skills because I love this work. It's particularly gratifying when a client has children because amicable settlement typically means a much better result for them. If you've made a contribution toward preventing a child from experiencing the heartbreak that happens when parents divorce poorly, you've done something truly worthwhile.
Practice Areas
4
Practice Areas
Fees and Rates
Cost
Hourly Rates
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in Washington for 15 years
State: Washington
Acquired: 2011
No misconduct found
Licensed in Arizona for 29 years
State: Arizona
Acquired: 1996
No misconduct found
Location
Roy Martin, PC
119 N. Commercial St., Suite 910, Bellingham, WA, 98225
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Roy N Martin's Reviews
Avvo Review Score
20 Client Reviews
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Practice Areas
Showing 1 - 4 of 4 reviews | Child Support
Posted by anonymous | December 11, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Child Support
Roy is excellent!
I've worked with several attorneys over the years for post-divorce problems, and they all had their pros and cons. Last year when my ex tried to take me to court to eliminate his child support obligation, reduce his child support debt by 90%, and change our children's schedule, I hired an attorney wh...
Posted by anonymous | October 12, 2015 | Child Support
Overall a very poor experience
I just wanted a quick consultation to decided if I wanted a child support modification. First he double booked meaning I and another client showed up at the same time. Since I took time from work the other client let me have the appointment. Second, he wanted $200 on his desk before he woul...
Roy Martin
Replied last February 22, 2015I’m sorry you had a bad experience. When I saw your review, I called to try to address your concerns. You were not willing to discuss it. Call me if you change your mind. I mean that. It is my intention that no client ever walk away dissatisfied. I was really surprised by what you wrote. When you left my office, I had no clue you were unhappy. In 18 years of practice, dissatisfied clients have been a rarity. This is the first time one has posted a negative review. When you first contacted me, you expressed urgency to meet as soon as possible. I moved another appointment to get you in on short notice. You showed up a day early, during another client's time, and then insisted the mistake was mine. Though I do make mistakes, I think in this case it's unlikely because of the nature of my calendar system. Someone was already in that appointment slot before we spoke. Fortunately, the other client graciously offered to switch times, allowing our consultation to go forward. If it was my mistake, I’m sorry. In any event, you incurred no harm due to the other client's generous gesture. I explained my $200 consultation fee when you scheduled the appointment. I explained that this payment would be for the time we would spend together in that first meeting. This is a discount rate. My standard rate is $250 per hour. Since a consultation can last as long as two hours, one receives up to $500 of my time for $200. I cannot afford to give this much time away for free. Most attorneys who give free consultations provide about a half an hour. I believe a consultation requires a larger block of time so that people can explain their concerns in a relaxed manner and their concerns can be addressed fully. It's also important for clients to get a chance to know me before making decisions regarding representation. For this reason, I offer consultations in the way that I do. I was up front about all of this. You expressed agreement. At the beginning of the first meeting, I get information (such as full name, address, phone numbers, etc.) and then obtain payment. My goal is to get the preliminaries out of the way so we can focus entirely on the client's concerns. I had no idea you felt resentful about having to pay for my time. Had you indicated you were not comfortable with this arrangement, I would have offered to cancel the appointment. I do not recall forgetting your child's name but that's perfectly possible. I'm bad with names. This is something I've tried to improve on but with limited success. I'm sorry this caused you distress. It was in no way about you or your child. With regard to the complaint about not offering to shake hands, I have no recollection of whether we shook hands or not. I had no aversion to you. If you had offered a hand to shake, I would have done so. If I had known it was important to you, I would have extended my hand. It sounds like you had an expectation that I was not aware of. I sometimes shake hands with clients and sometimes do not. There's no rhyme or reason to it other than what seems right in the moment. It's not possible to make all clients happy. Still, when someone feels I've not served them well, I do my best to 1) see if we can work it out, and 2) examine what happened to try to learn from it. In this instance, after reading your review, I called you. You were unwilling to talk. Having been given no substantive reason for your dissatisfaction, there’s not much I can learn from this experience. Therefore, all I can do is have compassion for the fact that people are up against difficult issues when they come to see me and, therefore, not at their best. I wish you had not attempted to damage my professional reputation because, as you pointed out, people read and rely on these reviews. Nevertheless, I wish you success in resolving your legal challenges. If you change your mind about not talking, I would be happy to discuss the matter further and do my best to address your concerns.
Posted by Jacob | March 01, 2015 | Child Support
We were lucky to find Roy!
Roy helped us with a 3rd party custody of our disabled nephew. It has been a complete pleasure to work with Roy. He was able to put together a great plan that both my wife and I felt comfortable with. He also listened to desires for the case, such as attorney fees and child support, and gave us sound...
Posted by Jed | September 30, 2013 | Child Support
Magnificent ending to a bad situation!!!! Incredible Family Attorney!!
Roy Martin represented me in a child support/visitation problem. Roy and his staff were absolutely amazing!!!! I was beyond lucky to have found him, and he instantly was able to show the judge what was going on with my ex-wife's continual poisonous actions in turning my child against me. The end r...
Roy N Martin's Lawyer Endorsements
"I cannot recommend Roy highly enough. Roy was trained in Collaborative Practice long before I was and has been honing his out-of-court client-focused skills and practice for longer than me, so it has been a pleasure to work together, study together, and train together. While we practice in different counties, the Whatcom County / King County connection of our Collaborative community is in place in large part on Roy's desire to create and maintain that connection. As a result, the Whatcom County Collaborative Community continues to grow and thrive. As if that was not enough, Roy is also on the Board of DRAW, a statewide group of family law attorneys. I greatly appreciate Roy's transformative peacemaking skills and leadership."
"I endorse Roy. He is a skilled attorney and well respected in the legal community."
"I endorse Roy. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."
"I have come to know Roy over the past few years since he brought his experience to our community from Arizona. I am deeply grateful for his contributions to our collaborative divorce community. His experience and insights have assisted all of us collaborative attorneys in this area develop and deepen our skills and passion for collaborative divorce. My experiences with him on collaborative and litigation cases has been that he cares deeply about his clients but not at the expense of the other party to the case. He has a true desire to help people transform their relationships through the divorce process. It is a pleasure to work with him and when I get to do so, our clients are well served."
"Roy is a very experienced attorney who provides his clients with top notch legal advice and fantastic representation. I highly recommend this lawyer for your family law needs."
"I endorse this lawyer. Over the years of watching Mr. Martin practice I believe he offers clients advice that is empathetic, neutral, honest and non-judgmental. I believe this is why he has become a leader in our community in the area of family law."
"Roy is an attorney who believes in what he does. Every time I see Roy I am struck with his empathy and true calling to the work of collaborative family law."
"I've had the pleasure of knowing Roy for the last 3+ years. We both practice here in Whatcom County and run into each other regularly. We've shared frequesnt discussions on the practice of law. For sure, Roy is at the top of my list of attorneys I'd refer clients to if their matters involved divorce, family and/or mediation. His personality and demeanor are perfectly suited for his practice niche. Roy is approachable, articulate and cares about his clients. They're guaranteed to get good outcomes."
"When you meet Roy you will learn that he practices what he preaches and what he preaches is a type of lawyering that is both highly intelligent and sensitive toward relationships. As I have worked to make a collaborative divorce model available in Skagit County, Roy has been an experienced mentor toward me. He is an excellent teacher and communicator. I would recommend Roy to any individual seeking to find the best conflict resolution method for their family."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer. Roy is through and compassionate. He follow up and gets things done. I would recommend him."
"I endorse this lawyer. I have worked with Roy Martin as opposing counsel and have been a colleague of his in a mutually consulting capacity. Roy not only brings significant lawyering skills to his law practice but, as imporftant in famiy law, Roy also brings compassion to his clients, an over-arching perspective of common sense and hard work. I feel confident in saying that a client would be in good hands with Roy Martin as his or her attorney."
"I have turned to Roy Martin when I have difficult cases. He cuts through the drama to get right to the point... which saves me time, and which saves my clients money. He's a good man to have on your side!"
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Experience
Honors
2016
Distinguished Lawyer Designation, The Expert Network
2016
Top 100 Lawyers, American Society of Legal Advocates
1996
Excellence in Clinical Practice, Southern Arizona People's Law Center
1996
Dean's List, University of Arizona College of Law
1994
American Jurisprudence Award, University of Arizona College of Law
1994
Dean's List, University of Arizona College of Law
1993
Dean's List, University of Arizona College of Law
Work Experience
2011 - Present
Managing Partner, Roy Martin, PC
1997 - 2011
Managing Partner, Roy N. Martin, P.C.
1996 - 1997
Attorney, Ann Nicholson Haralambie Attorneys, PC
Associations
2015 - Present
Whatcom Collaborative ProfessionalsTreasurer
2011 - Present
Whatcom Collaborative ProfessionalsMember
2011 - Present
Whatcom County Bar AssociationMember
2010 - 2011
City High SchoolBoard Member
2001 - 2011
Collaborative Law Group of Southern ArizonaMember
2000 - 2002
Stone Avenue TempleBoard Member
1996 - 2011
Pima County Bar AssociationMember
Education
1996
University of Arizona College of Law
Juris Doctor
1985
Johns Hopkins University
BA - Bachelor of Arts
Speaking Engagements
2015
Presenting Collaborative Divorce to Clients
Collaborative Divorce
2014
Monthly Meeting of Whatcom Collaborative Professionals
Teaching to Colleagues on Presentation of Divorce Options to Potential Clients
2013
Chapter Two: Real Divorce Stories
Personal Divorce Journies Leading to My Work as Collaborative Attorney
2006
None
Collaborative Divorce
2005
None
Paradigms of Divorce
Publications
2016
Whatcom County Bar Journal
Another Road Home
2016
Whatcom County Bar Journal
The Range & Breadth of Mediation (Part 1)
2016
Whatcom County Bar Association Newsletter
The Range & Breadth of Mediation (Part 2)
2016
Whatcom County Bar Association Newsletter
The Range & Breadth of Mediation (Part 3)
2016
Whatcom County Bar Association Newsletter
Anatomy of a Happy Ending
2016
Whatcom County Bar Association Newsletter
To Turn, Turn and Re-Turn
2016
Whatcom County Bar Association Newsletter
Where Do We Go From Here?
2012
Whatcom County Bar Journal
An Introduction
2008
2005
Desert Leaf
Collaborative Divorce: An Option
2005
Arizona Daily Star
Divorce: Crafting a Good Ending
2004
Arizona Daily Star
Civic Profile
Languages
English
Activity
Legal Answers
Legal Answers
Q&A
If I leave the house will I lose my claim to the equity?
22 May 2017
Q&A
How can I get him to sign the final divorce papers after we signed the mediation agreement? Do I have to file with the courts?
26 Oct 2014
Q&A
During divorce, do I have to move out?
02 May 2014