$ 150-350 per hour
Meredith McKell Graff
About Meredith
Biography
My law practice has changed over the years. Since late 2017, I stopped taking contested, court-based, family law matters. I am still taking uncontested cases and coaching people to do it themselves. I still believe mediation is the best method for a private, less expensive,and healthier outcome most of the time. My practice is now half juvenile dependency, representing parents as a court appointed attorney in matters where CPS has removed children from the home, with the balance being estate planning and uncontested cases in probate, family law, and adoption, along with mediation. I encourage peaceful resolution whenever possible and believe that settling is better than going to trial in 90% of cases. Studies have shown that people are more likely to follow court orders when the orders were the result of agreement, rather than a judge's decision. I believe it is important to support my clients' right to settle their cases in the way that works for each one of them.
In 1983, I did my first training in basic and advanced mediation. I am now a certified mediator with Washington Mediation Association (WMA) and . I have been serving on the WMA Board as Certification Committe Chair since 2017, with a year stint as Board Secretary. I believe a bad settlement is better than a good trial. Trial drives people apart and it is hard to come back to a middle place to work together. I like mediating in family, elder, and juvenile matters. I would love to mediate to help people stay married, rather than get divorced!
My husband, Gene Graff, joined me as partner on March 1, 2011, fulfilling our goal of having a law practice together that we made in 1994 when we decided to both change careers and go to law school. Gene practices mostly juvenile dependency as a parents' attorney with a little mediation and transactional (document preparation) on the side.
Tracy, our Front Office Guru, keeps the front office organized and provides a very friendly voice and face to new clients. We no longer have an "office dog," as Fiona passed away in 2019 at 13.5 years. Now, JazPurr, our long haired, green-eyed kitty boy is waiting for us when we get home at night.
Besides practicing law and running the law firm, I am a Reiki Master, a Certified Life Cycle Celebrant, and Ordained Minister. These hobbies will become my next career when I retire from the law. I learned from my dad to have a "Next" plan prepared, and always be learning new things.
I am honored to be able to assist clients to make the best agreements, settle their cases, resolve their conflicts, and prepare for life's unknown inevitabilities. When people have a choice of which attorney or mediator to shepherd them through their legal issues, I am humbled and happy when they choose our law firm.
Practice Areas
4
Practice Areas
Juvenile Law
50%
9 years | 175 cases
Estate Planning
25%
27 years | 615 cases
Family
15%
27 years | 2,000 cases
Mediation
10%
43 years | 500 cases
Fees and Rates
Cost
Hourly Rates
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in Washington for 23 years
State: Washington
Acquired: 2002
No misconduct found
Licensed in Utah for 26 years
State: Utah
Acquired: 1999
No misconduct found
Location
McKell Graff, PLLC
10818 NE Coxley Drive, Ste. J, Vancouver, WA, 98662
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Meredith McKell Graff's Reviews
Avvo Review Score
17 Client Reviews
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Practice Areas
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 reviews | Communication Style
Posted by Roger | June 05, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation
I Would Highly Recommend Meredith!
Dissolution of Marriage has to be one of the more difficult challenges for an attorney to handle these days. Mrs Graff was excellent. She fully explained the process and time line of events. Handled all the paperwork correctly which created an outcome that met everyone’s expectations. At this point I...
Posted by Mark | October 19, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Litigation
Failed
Failed on many accounts. Finally just had to terminate them and move the business to another firm. An example: emails that were lacking in any advise or information. Which lead to you asking questions, for which you receive billing. Invoices which do not tend to match the level of work being perf...
Meredith Graff
Replied last October 19, 2016This case did not ring a bell for me. After some investigation, I learned this person was the client of our former associate attorney. He never communicated with me about his unhappiness with his attorney and as a result, we did not know he was unhappy. Had he talked to me, I could have offered to represent him myself, or referred him to another competent law firm and helped make the transition easier for him. He complained about the emails sent to him by his attorney. I can't speak for her, because I was not involved in his case, but when I send an email response to a long email from a client, I often write, "See below" because I am taking the time to respond in line with every comment and concern of the client. This kind of response often takes up to a half an hour to complete. It makes me wonder if this person bothered to read beyond the "See below" that his attorney sent to him. It sounds like he did not. The philosophy of McKELL GRAFF, PLLC, which I founded almost fourteen years ago, is to provide personal attention to each client to greatest possible extent. It is truly a family law firm since my husband, Eugene M. Graff, joined me as partner. Gene and I go out of our way to meet our clients' needs. We spent a weekend in September in Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island in 2015 to visit with and say goodbye to my long time pro bono client who was dying of cancer. He died two weeks later. I offer free Reiki services to all of my clients. We believe in being there for our clients. I am baffled at why this person would complain about his attorney on my Avvo.com page. I have had some discussions with him since he posted this review and he admits I was not his attorney and he admits he never talked to me about his unhappiness with his attorney. He admits he never gave me a chance to help him. I run all the invoices in the law office. He never talked about his invoices with me. We do not charge to discuss billing questions. We offer payment plans. We work with our clients. We have been offering sliding scale rates with our own Modest Means Program ever since the Clark County Bar terminated its Modest Means Program 8 years ago. I am very sorry this person had an unpleasant experience with our firm. I wish he had talked to me. I wish he had posted his complaints on the page of the attorney about whom he has complaints. Our door is always open to discuss client concerns, no matter if we, the partners, are their legal counsel, or one of our associate attorneys.
Posted by Samantha | October 18, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Child Support
Support and trusted expertise, when I couldn't navigate the complexities myself
Meredith is a strong, honest attorney with integrity and compassion. That is hard to find. In my recent modification of child support, where my ex-husband and I were moving to a split-custody arrangement and he had involved WA DCS, I couldn't figure out the right path forward. I was looking for a fai...
Meredith McKell Graff's Lawyer Endorsements
"Meredith and I worked on a complex probate/trust matter together that had facts spanning many years. Meredith was great to work with. I endorse this lawyer."
"Meredith is knowledgable, thorough and a consummate professional. I have had the good fortune to learn from her by litigating cases against her and leaned on her as a resource when facing a novel legal question, in my practice. I endorse Meredith without hesitation."
"I am not exaggerating when I state that every single time I have called Meredith for advice on a tricky issue, she knows just how to handle it. Smart, thoughtful, ethical, and a real mensch."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"If I were faced with a divorce or family law issue in Washington State, Meredith McKell Graff is the first attorney I would think of, and the first call I would make! I cannot think of a better way to validate my endorsement of this lawyer!"
"I endorse this lawyer's work. Meredith is very professional and looks after the best interest of her clients. When I have had a conflict I have referred some clients on to Meredith. She is both a combination of being aggressive when necessary but always wishes to mediate, if appropriate and desired by her client."
"I endorse this lawyer's work. Meredith is very ethical while at the same time, a strong advocate for her clients. She is a problem solver which is extremely important in the area of family law. I find her to be extremely professional."
"I endorse this lawyer's work. She is honest, hard working and always available for questions. She volunteers in the community and mentors young lawyers. She is someone that is ethical, honest, and dependable."
"Meredith is tough when she needs to be, always empathic and very knowledgeable in her chosen field. When I closed down my practice, I did not hesitate to send cases her way. I knew that any client I sent her way would be well cared-for and satisfied with her service."
"I endorse this lawyer's work. I have known Meredith for several years as a fellow member of the George & Donald Simpson Inns of Court. Meredith strikes me as a person of great competence, caring, and integrity. She is also a leader in the area of collaborative divorce. I recommend her without reservation."
"Meredith is hard-working, smart, organized, and energetic."
Crystal Davieau
Criminal defense lawyer
Trent Kunz
Trusts lawyer
William Macke
Divorce and separation lawyer
Arin Dunn
Employment and labor lawyer
Emily Sheldrick
Employment and labor lawyer
Lisa Martin
Family lawyer
Josephine Townsend
Family lawyer
Linda Staples
Juvenile law lawyer
Therese Greenen
Elder law lawyer
Steven Turner
Land use and zoning lawyer
Rachel Mitchell
Juvenile law lawyer
Experience
Honors
2009
Certified Mediator/Family Law, Washington Mediation Association
2008
Professional of the Year, Cambridge Who's Who
2007
CV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2006
Pro Bono Publico Service Commendation, Washington State Bar Association
2005
Volunteer Lawyer of the Year, Clark County Volunteer Lawyers Program
Work Experience
2003 - Present
Attorney/Mediator, McKell Graff, PLLC
2002 - 2003
Attorney/Mediator, Walstead Mertsching Attorneys at Law
1999 - 2002
Mediator/JD Paralegal, Steven Allen Smith, PC
Associations
2009 - Present
Clark County Superior CourtGuardian ad Litem
2003 - Present
Clark County Bar AssociationMember
2002 - Present
Washington State Bar AssociationMember
1999 - Present
Utah State BarMember
1998 - Present
Association for Conflict ResolutionAdvanced Practitioner
2009 - 2011
Clark County Association of MediatorsMember
2007 - 2008
Clark County Bar Association/Family Law SectionBoard member
2006 - 2010
International Academy of Collaborative ProfessionalsMember
2004 - 2009
American Inns of CourtMember
2003 - 2009
Washington Women LawyersBoard member
2002 - 2005
Cowlitz County Bar AssociationMember
2002 - 2004
Cowlitz County Bar AssociationBoard member
1995 - 2006
American Bar AssociationMember
Sample of Legal Cases
In re the Marriage of J.K. & J.K.
Successful--Client Got His Day in Court!
Estate Planning for J.W.J.
Completed estate planning for client before he died of terminal cancer
Ceesay & Ceesay
Client attained all her goals in the case.
In re the Parentage of A.S.
Success so far and more to come!
In re the Custody of G.K.D.
The non-parental custodian retained custody without visitation for the mother.
Education
1998
University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, SLC, UT
Juris Doctor
1990
Rutgers University, Newark, NJ
MA - Masters
1984
Loretto Heights College, Denver, CO
BA - Bachelor of Arts
1974
Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
AA-Associate of Arts
Speaking Engagements
2011
Title 26 Guardian ad Litem Training
Cultural Competency for Guardians ad Litem
2011
Rocky Mountain Retreat
How Reiki Energy Can Change Your Life and Your Practice
2009
2nd Annual Statewide Collaborative Law Conference
Bring Peace to Your Life & Your Practice
2008
Lawyers Assistance Program Statewide Conference
Revitalizing Your Counseling Skills
2006
Family Law Seminar
Mediation and Collaboration
2005
Collaborative Basic Training
Ethics in Collaborative Practice
2005
2005 Collaborative Family Practice Training
Avoiding Conflict and Ethical Traps
Publications
2010
Divorce Source.com
Important Information for People Contemplating Divorce
2010
Divorce Source.com
Attorney-Supported Mediation in Family Law
2007
The Bencher
The Judge Said No
1999
University of Utah Press
Contested Landscape
Languages
Spanish
Activity
Legal Answers
Legal Guides
Legal Answers
Q&A
Can adoption subsidy off-set child support obligation?
20 Aug 2012
Q&A
What is the affidavit used for in court?
23 Aug 2012
Q&A
What happens in the state of WA if a person cannot be found to serve divorce papers on?
23 Aug 2012
Legal Guides
Legal Guide
Reiki Energy Healing and Divorce
20 May 2011
Legal Guide
How to Waste Money in a Divorce!
10 May 2011
Legal Guide
What To Do If You Can't Afford a Lawyer to Represent You
02 Feb 2010