Laura Anne Carlsen

Laura Anne Carlsen

3.8
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 17 years

Child custody Lawyer at Tacoma, WA
Practice Areas: Child Custody, Divorce & Separation, Family, Military Law

1001 Yakima Avenue, Suite 7B, Tacoma, WA

About Laura

Biography

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes

Retainer

Always


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Washington for 17 years

State: Washington

Acquired: 2008

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Carlsen Law Offices, PLLC

1001 Yakima Avenue, Suite 7B, Tacoma, WA, 98405

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Laura Anne Carlsen's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

3.8 /5.0

13 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (13) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 13 reviews

Posted by Alea | October 27, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

Relegated to the back.

I hired Laura in 2018 for my case against my ex-husband. The case started off well, and got initial payments started. Complications from COVID stalled things, and I have been trying to finish for 5 years. Communication has been terrible since 2020. I would call and/or email for updates and it coul...d be months before a response would be sent. I would supply all documents and information requested. More weeks would go by before a response would come back. The response, when received, would be an excuse that they have been busy, then asking for more of the same information and sometimes stating that documents for a hearing would be sent the next day. Most recently, I have been waiting for nearly a month, calling every few days and leaving a message as no one answered. I haven't received a return call or email, nor the mentioned documents. Definitely did not get the service for her retainer. My case hasn't even had its first hearing, let alone completed. She cancelled the first hearing back in 2018.

Posted by Naomi | December 19, 2024 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

STEER CLEAR! Do not give her your money.

Hired Laura Carlsen of Carlsen Law Office for a divorce and the communication was poor and inconsistent. I mistakenly re-engaged them when my ex did not comply with the separation agreement in final divorce orders. I got some email advice but no action as agreed upon in a signed agreement and then w...as totally ghosted. No invoices were ever received and they took my retainer funds. Tried to get in contact for the better part of this year and no returns to voice mails and they'd respond to emails every few months with stock language saying like "we are busy in court" or "we will have an updated invoice to you this week" but I never saw anything. Recently, my emails were kicked back and I discovered that their website is gone and "has been suspended." I filed a grievance with the WA State Bar Association and have not heard back yet. It's really upsetting that a law office would take advantage of folks at all, let alone while they are going through a gut-wrenching divorce.

Posted by anonymous | February 03, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

Poor professional performance

We retained Laura due to her extensive glowing reviews on avvo. Unfortunately, the service provided by her and her team did not meet the standards illustrated herein. Laura failed to make a presence in our case and retain any vital case details as well as failing to respond on our behalf. The documen...ts she submitted us for review each listed minor and major oversights illustrating a lack of investment from her team. After utilizing over half of the retainer paid "reviewing case details" she failed to recall any information regarding our requests or specific details of our case. Each document we received had a different jurisdiction heading including Kitsap, Pierce and King counties while our case was taking place solely in Kitsap county. These details are important but clearly illustrated a "cut and paste" investment in preparing court documents. I have never received such poor efficiency in utilization of a legal retainer. After notifying client services of our concerns, they failed to address our concerns nor request for alternate legal representation nor respond as promised. The majority of our retainer was consumed at a rapid rate thereafter. It appears we were billed for a performance review and for clerical errors to be updated throughout the case. I have never seen such a high retainer be consumed before even appearing in court. After 8 years of practice, I would have expected a better performance from our representation.

Posted by Jill | November 02, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody

Child Custody

Laura Carlsen was our second attorney. Our case was a unique custody case involving same sex partners. After doing some research, we thankfully found Laura Carlsen. As soon as we hired Ms Carlsen, she immediately got right to the issues at stake and took action. Ms. Carlsen is intelligent and prof...essional. She does not mince words; she will tell you exactly where your case stands and then go to bat for you. She is not afraid to go to court and will do so when warranted. However, she did whatever she could to save us money and worked hard to keep our custody case from going to trial. At the end our case did go to trial and Laura Carlsen did a remarkable job and we were granted custody

Posted by anonymous | October 23, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Child Support

Laura is the best!!

Laura represented me in a child support modification case. I couldn't have asked for better representation. Not only did Laura always look out for my best interests, but she was always very prompt in getting back to me if I had any questions. If you want an attorney that will fight for your intere...st's with understanding and compassion hire Laura!

See All Client Reviews

Laura Anne Carlsen's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Laura
Bryon Swen Guymon headshot
Bryon Guymon

Divorce and separation lawyer | Feb 02

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Amber Austin headshot
Amber Austin

Family lawyer | Nov 02

Relationship: Co-worker

"Laura is a hard-working and well-respected attorney in Pierce County. I endorse Laura as as a family law attorney."

Christine Darlene Hayes headshot
Christine Hayes

Family lawyer | Oct 28

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Ned Arenberg headshot
Ned Arenberg

Unknown lawyer | Jun 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

John Edward Thomas headshot
John Thomas

Unknown lawyer | Aug 20

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer."

Danielle Lynne LaBelle headshot
Danielle LaBelle

Unknown lawyer | Aug 20

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer."

Mindy S. Stannard headshot
Mindy Stannard

Divorce and separation lawyer | Jan 24

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer."

Brien Galbraith headshot
Brien Galbraith

Child support lawyer | Jan 06

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer."

Boaz Weintraub headshot
Boaz Weintraub

Divorce and separation lawyer | Sep 06

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer."

Kim Laree Schnuelle headshot
Kim Schnuelle

Child support lawyer | Sep 06

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Trustworthy!"

Jennifer J. Payseno headshot
Jennifer Payseno

Child support lawyer | Sep 06

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer."

Rita Herrera Irvin headshot
Rita Irvin

Child custody lawyer | Sep 06

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer."

Sands McKinley headshot
Sands McKinley

Divorce and separation lawyer | Sep 06

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Cares about her clients, recommend hiring Laura!"

Susan Jayne Shulenberger headshot
Susan Shulenberger

Divorce and separation lawyer | Jun 20

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer."

Jennifer Durcan Andrews headshot
Jennifer Andrews

Divorce and separation lawyer | Apr 30

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I have worked on the opposite side of Laura and found her to be conscientious, extremely intelligent, and a zealous advocate For her clients. I have also worked with Laura, and I am extremely impressed by her attention to detail and knowledge of her cases."

Jessica Terese Moore headshot
Jessica Moore

Family lawyer | Apr 03

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer."

Elizabeth Anne Hoffman headshot
Elizabeth Hoffman

Divorce and separation lawyer | Feb 05

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer."

Christina L. Smith headshot
Christina Smith

Family lawyer | Feb 05

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer."

Jonathan Blake Hilty headshot
Jonathan Hilty

Divorce and separation lawyer | Feb 02

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer."

Annelisa D Smith headshot
Annelisa Smith

Family lawyer | Feb 01

Relationship: Co-worker

"Laura is a strong advocate who really knows her stuff. I'm glad she's on my team!"

View All Endorsements
Peter D Haroldson headshot
Peter Haroldson

Family lawyer

Rachel Rolfs headshot
Rachel Rolfs

Family lawyer

Michael W. Louden headshot
Michael Louden

Family lawyer

Sara L. Leach headshot
Sara Leach

Family lawyer

Bryon Swen Guymon headshot
Bryon Guymon

Family lawyer

Deanna Rusch headshot
Deanna Rusch

Family lawyer

Teena A Johnson headshot
Teena Johnson

Family lawyer

Christine Darlene Hayes headshot
Christine Hayes

Family lawyer

Miranda Baner headshot
Miranda Baner

Family lawyer

Beverly Y. Allen headshot
Beverly Allen

Family lawyer

Heather L Swann headshot
Heather Swann

Family lawyer

Amber Austin headshot
Amber Austin

Family lawyer

Brian M Anthoney headshot
Brian Anthoney

Unknown lawyer

Melissa E Chapman headshot
Melissa Chapman

Unknown lawyer

Katherine Bosch headshot
Katherine Bosch

Unknown lawyer

Ned Arenberg headshot
Ned Arenberg

Unknown lawyer

Lindsay D. Smith headshot
Lindsay Smith

Unknown lawyer

Virginia K Ryan headshot
Virginia Ryan

Unknown lawyer

Gordon Wilson Wilcox headshot
Gordon Wilcox

Family lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2023

Best Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America

2020

AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2019

Super Lawyer, Washington Super Lawyers

2019

AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2018

Super Lawyer, Washington Super Lawyers

2018

AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2017

Super Lawyer, Washington Super Lawyers

2017

AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2016

Super Lawyer, Washington Super Lawyers

2016

Top 50 Women Attorneys in Washington State, Washington Super Lawyers

2015

Top 50 Women Attorneys in Washington State, Washington Super Lawyers

2015

Super Lawyer, Washington Super Lawyers

2015

Top 10 Attorney in the State of Washington, National Academy of Family Law Attorneys

2014

Top 100 Lawyer, The National Trial Lawyers

2014

Top 100 Lawyer, The National Advocates

2014

Top 50 Women Attorneys in Washington State, Super Lawyer

2014

Super Lawyer, Washington Super Lawyers

2013

Super Lawyer, Washington Super Lawyers

2012

Rising Star, Washington Super Lawyers

Work Experience

2017 - Present

Owner, Carlsen Law Offices, PLLC

2009 - 2017

Attorney, McKinley Irvin

2007 - 2007

Rule 9 Law Clerk, Washington Attorney General's Office

2006 - 2006

Law Clerk, Washington Attorney General's Office

2004 - 2005

Legal Assistant, McKinley Irvin

Associations

Washington State Bar Association, Family Law Section

Member

King County Bar Association, Family Law Section

Member

King County Bar Association Legal Clinic

Volunteer

American Bar Association, Family Law Section

Member

Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association, Family Law Section

Member

Oregon Law Review

Managing Board

American Bar Association, Family Law Section, Military Committee

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

Marriage of Swaka, ____ P.3d ____, 2014 WL 657934 (Feb. 20, 2014).

The Court of Appeals upheld our requested restrictions against the father and our use of Skype for trial testimony, setting new legal precedent for Washington State.

Request for delegation of residential time to a step-mother and stay of proceedings due to the father’s deployment.

The client’s requests were granted.

Divorce with adult children

The trial court granted our proposed division of assets and debts and awarded the client over $17,000 in attorney fees.

Relocation

Client was allowed to relocate.

Dissolution without children

No maintenance awarded to wife. Assets and debts divided evenly between the parties.

Divorce with children

At trial, the judge granted the father’s requests for 50/50 custody, shared child support expenses, and almost all of the community assets.

Parenting Plan Modification

The father’s request for modification was denied.

Dispute over post-secondary/college support

The father’s requests were denied, and the client received judgments for back unpaid support as well as attorney fees for the necessity of responding to the father’s requests.

See More Legal Cases

Education

2008

University of Oregon School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

2002

University of California - Berkeley

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2019

Divorce from Start to Finish

Post-Divorce Considerations

2019

Divorce from Start to Finish

The Divorce Hearing and Trial

2019

Divorce from Start to Finish

Custody and Visitation Considerations

2019

CLE Presentation

Authenticating Evidence and Planning for Admission and Objections

2019

CLE Presentation

Rules of Evidence and Case Law Refresher

2019

CLE Presentation

How to Deal with the Rambo Litigator

2018

Divorce Cases from Start to Finish

Initial Steps in Filing Divorce Cases

2018

CLE Presentation

Interstate Divorce

2017

Special seminar for Washington JAG

Special Custody Issues for Military Families

2017

CLE: Family Law From Start to Finish

Valuing and Dividing Retirement Assets in Divorce

2017

CLE Presentation

Parenting Plans for Military Families

2017

CLE Presentation

Smart Phone and Social Media Evidence in Divorce Litigation

2016

Special Seminar for Washington JAG

Military Family Law

2015

CLE Presentation

Military Retirement Division

2014

Training for King County Judges and Commissioners

Military Family Law

2014

Military - Judge Advocate General Seminar

Relocations for Military Families

2014

Family Law: Advanced Issues - Tacoma Special Issues in Military Divorce

2014

Family Law: Advanced Issues - Seattle Special Issues in Military Divorce

2014

Emerging Family Law Issues - Washington State Bar Association Relocations for Military Families

2013

19th Annual Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association Convention 2013 “Pre-Trial Strategy in Family Law Cases”

2012

Lunchtime Family Law CLE Series

Navigating Family Law Issues for Military Parties

2011

Retirement Assets and Domestic Relations

Military Pensions: Checklists and Resources for Dividing Disposable Retirement Pay

2010

King County Bar Association CLE

Military Family Law Practice Tips

Publications

2014

King County Bar Bulletin Protections for Military Servicemembers in Civil Cases

2014

Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association “Technological Developments Create New Opportunities in the Courtroom”

2010

Tacoma Pierce County Bar Association Military Moms and Dads: How to Protect the Rights of Deployed Parents

2010

King County Bar Association CLE "Military Family Law Practice Tips,"

Languages

English

Avvo Rating

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Avvo Rating Levels
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