James Michael Gallagher

I believe that divorce is a always tragedy, even if its for the right reasons. J. Michael Gallagher is a brilliant lawyer who knows the ins and outs of the legal system. He is clear, direct and objective focused. He maintains excellent client control to achieve the most desirable outcomes possiable. ...As a prospective client it is important to fully understand that you as his client must cooperate with him, and then keep out of your own way and allow him to do the job you have hired him to do. Mr. Gallagher can be pretty gruff, but he truely values positive co-parenting strategies and what is in the best interest of children...and he expertly holds people accountable. J. Michael Gallagher as a law firm has a unique, but very reasonable fee system. The flat fee for two months covers ALL his, and his legal aid Sharon's, hours. Typically, a firm will both charge a large retainer and a high hourly rate. I am completely satisfied with the value and level of service he and Sharon have provided to my case. I cannot imagine going through any of this without them in my corner. Michael and Sharon, thank you so much for all your remarkable work on our behalf! I thank God for you both.

He was never prepared for hearings, conferences, etc. He did not listen well, did not address salient points, engaged in playful, inappropriate banter rather than focusing on the actual issues involved in my divorce case. Should have been a relatively simple dissolution of a very short term marriag...e (a year and a half), with no children. I expected to leave the marriage with at least what I had when I entered the marriage, forget about 50% of the assets acquired during the marriage that I was legally entitled to also. For example, I owned a home prior to marriage, the person I married owned nothing. I worked full-time at all times during the marriage, the person I married couldn't keep a job. Mr. Gallagher's incompetence cost me dearly. I ended up paying my ex-spouse & Mr. Gallagher a ton of money that neither deserved. I was so worn down I made the mistake of trusting this attorney to do his job, which never did happen, while I paid & paid & paid. Many regrets! I should have fired Mr. Gallagher & hired a competent attorney that would have been willing to actually do some work & represent me fairly. In retrospect, I should have filed a formal complaint with the WSBA, also. His behavior was inappropriate; far too much personal interest. Live & learn.

I hired Mr Gallagher to represent me in my divorce and I would most definitely recommend him. He is very effective and genuinely cares about the kids. The reason I hired him in the first place was because a close friend of my mine hired him to represent her in a really ugly divorce and Mike very ...much delivered and she was able to keep full custody of her kids even though the circumstances were not at all in her favor. Truth be told, the first visit was really hard on me because he warned me about what was to come (and it came) and I wasn't ready to hear it or believe it. And we wasted precious time because i didn't listen to him initially. The realities of divorce are ugly and he didn't sugarcoat it, mostly because time is of the essence and the sooner you come to terms with it, the sooner you can do the right things to start with upper-hand and save money too. Mike shines during deposition and it is a service he provides that few lawyers do as part of the initial fee. A good deposition of the other spouse is priceless to have when things go south later on (and they do) and Mike is great at it, asking the right questions, being very creative to get to the important piece of information we need and he can be darn right intimidating if he needs to be. He did a great job for mine. Again, it was hard, but it was the right thing to do. Mike also gave me a great reference for a home appraiser and the mediator he hired was as good as it gets. The mediation process went extremely well thanks to those two. It was shorter than planned and it was fair for both parties. Last but not least, Mike's Legal Assistant Sharon is as responsive as it gets. She was helpful and patient and just real all around.

I hired Mike to represent me in my divorce. Unfortunately, my divorce was very litigious and required someone that was an expert in this field. Enter Mike Gallagher. The process was not easy, especially on the front end. Mike requires that you do some homework in order to ensure that he sets ...you up to receive a favorable outcome and that is exactly what happened. I was granted the privilege of being primary custodian to my son (i am a male) and kept my home. This all happened thanks to his hard work, intelligence/experience and hard nose attitude. It is important to note that his paralegal, Sharon, is fantastic as well. She understands the process and provides valuable input, makes sure everything gets done that happens in court. I recommend Mike for anyone who wants to have the highest % to secure a favorable outcome.

..I have had the pleasure on retaining this phenomenal man on more than one occasion. The man is amazing, he simply can't be put into words! I have worked with several attorney's over the years in many aspects of the law. I firmly believe he is the best domestic relations attorney in Washington stat...e, if not to the to the California border. I have worked with domestic relations in Oregon, even working with Oregon domestic relations attorney's he is better than the best of them. He is honest, has a enormous amount of integrity.. His skills are remarkable! I will say even more, of all the attorneys I have worked with in my adult life, he just can NOT be beat, yes, he is simply better than the best and when he goes to bat for you won't regret it! !