Donna and her staffs have been very responsive with my uncontested divorce proceedings of my Vietnamese ex-wife who left me outright 6 months after she got her US Citizenship. I researched online and interviewed divorcees on the pricing bracket, and it was within the range. I must admit I asked little too many questions and repeats for me to be sure and understood were what piled up the bill. If I had enough confidence in myself, knew for sure that the divorce would be uncontested, and easily communicate with ex-wife directly, I would go to different direction for half less in total expenses or lesser in by doing the other way.
I choose Donna because she was two out of five lawyers that responded right away, is local, near Costco, expert, good reviews, and was referred by Employee Assistance Plan (Magellan Ascend). I will utilize her service again as needed. On the few silly minor downsides: seems staff turnover seems to be high during the pandemic, one staff charged annoying 0.05 hour of service but bill as 0.1 hour to round to the nearest tenths, staff got my email wrong first few times by using gmail.com instead hotmail.com, and Donna didn’t graduate with law degree in WA State at least she was certified to practice law in WA with law degree outside WA state.
I am going through a divorce with someone who doesn’t want one, in emergency situations where I’ve felt trapped, in danger and controlled she has stepped in and been responsive along with her staff to protect not only me but my girls. I am thankful I hired her and to have her and her staff who quickly respond and together address all issues to keep us as safe as possible.
I have been in private practice for over 25 years, with an emphasis on criminal defense and family law matters. I have extensive trial and motion experience and have handled hundreds of cases in courts across the State of Washington.
In these tough economic times, I have fee structures that will accommodate most income levels.
Please feel free to contact me at or by e-mail to I offer a free 30 minute initial consulation.
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Thank you for your service
Donna and her staffs have been very responsive with my uncontested divorce proceedings of my Vietnamese ex-wife who left me outright 6 months after she got her US Citizenship. I researched online and interviewed divorcees on the pricing bracket, and it was within the range. I must admit I asked little too many questions and repeats for me to be sure and understood were what piled up the bill. If I had enough confidence in myself, knew for sure that the divorce would be uncontested, and easily communicate with ex-wife directly, I would go to different direction for half less in total expenses or lesser in by doing the other way.
I choose Donna because she was two out of five lawyers that responded right away, is local, near Costco, expert, good reviews, and was referred by Employee Assistance Plan (Magellan Ascend). I will utilize her service again as needed. On the few silly minor downsides: seems staff turnover seems to be high during the pandemic, one staff charged annoying 0.05 hour of service but bill as 0.1 hour to round to the nearest tenths, staff got my email wrong first few times by using gmail.com instead hotmail.com, and Donna didn’t graduate with law degree in WA State at least she was certified to practice law in WA with law degree outside WA state.
Read less
Posted by anonymous | April 25, 2019
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Attentive and Professional
I am going through a divorce with someone who doesn’t want one, in emergency situations where I’ve felt trapped, in danger and controlled she has stepped in and been responsive along with her staff to protect not only me but my girls. I am thankful I hired her and to have her and her staff who quickly respond and together address all issues to keep us as safe as possible.
Read less
Posted by anonymous | August 24, 2018
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
DPS Review
She has helped us tremendously with divorce and custody issues. I have and will continue to recommend her. Donna tells you like it is, will work with you to negotiate and be open minded where necessary and pursue legally the issues at hand. We actually came to her after another attorney failed to properly represent us causing us more time and money. Donna always took into consideration our finances and what steps we should take and what we could handle on our own.
Read less
Posted by Robert | May 17, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Highly Qualified Attorney!
Donna handled my divorce and she was amazing. She was a great advocate for me and always took time to address all my concerns. Never seemed annoyed or rushed in any contact I had with her. Her office always kept me informed. I got more than I originally asked for, and for that I am thankful. I would highly recommend her, she is amazing.
Read less
Posted by Holly Smith | February 13, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Client focused and dedicated
I have recently hired this attorney to aide in a major modification of a parenting plan. I must say that my situation slightly complicated and Donna is a tenacious individual with a great attitude. She operates with a great deal of competence that helps alleviate a significant amount of stress. I would highly recommend her if you are in need of the attention it takes to pursue justice for your specific matter.
Read less
Posted by Jed | June 14, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Donna is very professional, empathetic, and caring. I WOULD RECOMMEND HER TO ANYONE! She will do whats in your best interest
Over Memorial Day weekend I had an incident with a Federal Forest Service Officer and he seized my shotgun and rifle, and I received a citation for possession of a firearm in violation of state law. He stated that all I had to do was pay the $275 fine and I would get my weapons back. I was afraid to just pay the fine because I didn't want something on my record that stated I was illegally in possession of a weapon. I was afraid that it would affect my ability you have my concealed pistol license renewed in the future or if it would cause any problems if I go to purchase any other firearms. I called around and no attorney would give me a straight answer, that was until I spoke with Donna. When we spoke on the phone she had me explain the circumstances to her and had me give her some information from the citation. She said she would look into it and get back to me. She called me back asked me to email her the citation. She also let me know that she was going to be going to the US court in Tacoma and will talk to the US attorney to see if it would affect any of my gun rights if I just pay the ticket. She let me know that the US attorney told her that it would be best if I just paid the citation in lieu of appearing in court.
The reason I explained all this to you is because she did all this without charging me a penny. A lot of attorneys/lawyers would have charged me to do what Donna did and then they would have told me to just pay the ticket or they would have charged me thousands of dollars to contest the ticket when I really didn't need to. I truly believe Donna does what's in the best interest of her clients, even if it means she doesn't end up representing them and making money.
If I ever need an attorney, and Donna is able to represent me, I will hire her without any doubt in my mind that she is going to do what's in my best interest!
Read less
Posted by anonymous | August 14, 2010
I'm really glad Donna was on my side!
I hired Ms. Person a few months ago to represent me on a DUI charge. I couldn’t be more pleased with the way Donna fought for me, and in the end, got me a great deal to end the case without the huge expense of going to Trial. Before this DUI, I was lucky enough to never have needed a lawyer. But I have friends and acquaintances that have got into trouble before and had to have legal counsel. I’ve heard horror stories about huge legal bills, phone calls not being returned, lack of communication, no aggressiveness in court, etc. Donna never disappointed me in any of these areas.
From the start Donna was friendly and personable, and made me feel that she was really on my side. She didn’t put on any airs and was easy to talk to. She returned my calls promptly and kept me up to date on my case. Most important, Donna listened to me before telling me the up sides and down sides of my case. She explained the risks if I wanted to fight the charges, and also explained the options if I wanted to negotiate a plea bargain.
At the first court date, I got a chance to see how sharp and aggressive Donna was in court. I left feeling ready to fight the case all the way. But eventually, I realized it was a better overall decision to take a plea bargain. My choice to settle was partly based on the risks I faced if I lost at trial, but even more because of the great deal Donna was able to negotiate on my behalf.
Getting a Dui was no fun, and I don’t plan on ever getting one again. But if I do, I will not hesitate to call Donna. I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone that gets into legal trouble and needs a tough, aggressive, but fair attorney at a reasonable price.
Read less
Posted by anonymous | November 1, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Incompetent and Uncaring
I cannot put into words how horrible my experience was with this law firm. I had never had to hire a lawyer before so I did not know what to expect, but I should have paid attention to the red flags I had from just the intake call. Made an appointment to talk with Donna, desk associate had to call back because she had not written down my name. Go to pay the cashier and even after an email asking for the receipt they said I would receive, but didn't, still didn't get one. Received my papers to sign via an app called DocuSign and 4 times they had me signing in the wrong place and I had to do it again.
I had an uncontested- open and close- divorce case. I was quoted 1,500 with a retainer of 3,000. I wasn't told I would be assigned to C. Tucker and not Person, whom I'd spoke to, but I didn't initially mind, until I had to call back a week after I signed on to even get the name of who my lawyer would be. Then for the appointment I made to speak with her for the first time, I had to call in an hour later because she'd forgotten to call me. From there the list goes absolutely bonkers of questions I wasn't asked, questions she refused to answer, paperwork that was filled out with wrong information on paperwork that they didnt explain, to Losing the info I'd sent multiple times, to charging for 20 mins of actual 5 mins of phone conversations. She charged me for every mistake they had to go back and fix. It was only after 3 email threads I CC'd to Person of the mind-boggling incompetence and the fact that Tucker spend 400$ of my money sending a server to my ex, that was admitted by Person that it was a waste of time and money, did Tucker get fired. Donna then took on my case herself and finished the almost complete job, but absolutely refused to make things right with the money the person she hired squandered. Stating she had to eat the 600$ of work she had to do. So a total of over 3,600$ was what it costs to get an uncontested divorce. Save yourself in incredible and expensive headache and just RUN!
Read less
Posted by anonymous | June 15, 2018
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Does not communicate at all.
I HIRED her for a DIVORCE.... I have asked her 3 to 4 times That I needed important info for taxes and each time she said my name....... STOP i will look into it , and never ever got back with info that i needed. I lost everything.hiring her..I would highly NOT recommend her at all. And she even got nasty to me on a conversation That some one that took a message at her office and repeted all wrong
Read less
Response from Donna SmithJune 20, 2018
I do not believe this person was a client of mine or my firm. I always make a practice to respond to my clients phone calls and emails, and I do so in a prompt and respectful manner. I believe this is a fabricated review. I am always willing to sit down with my clients to discuss their concerns about their case and and I encourage them to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Read less
Posted by anonymous | April 8, 2018
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Disappointed
Our family has never had to hire a divorce Attorney...At this time all I can say is that our experience was horrible and the standards of practice was well below expectations. Communication was our major issue and not following through with our agreed plan could have jeopardized our family’s safety. 110% would not recommend this Attorney.
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.
Criminal defense Attorney | Dec 11
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. Mrs. Smith is hard working, smart, nice, and someone you want to help you in a time of need. I have no problem refering cases to her because I know she will do a great job."