Gina Maria Costello

Gina Maria Costello

3.4
Rating: 8.2

Licensed for 24 years

Family Lawyer at Spokane, WA
Practice Areas: Family, Domestic Violence, Child Support, Divorce & Separation

101 W. Cataldo, Suite 301, Spokane, WA

About Gina

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Family 45%

Child Custody, Guardianships, Parenting Plan Modifications, Establish Paternity and or just a Parenting Plan, Committed Intimate Relationships (CIR),

45%
Domestic Violence 25%

Domestic Violence Protection Orders, Anti-Harassment Orders, Restraining Orders, No Contact Order, whether you are in need of obtaining one of these or need to be represented against one, I have many years advocating in this area.

25%
Child Support 20%

Establishing Child Support, Modifying an existing Child Support Order, or requesting Post Secondary support

20%
Divorce and Separation 10%

Divorce with or without Children, Legal Separation with or without children.

10%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


Looking for an attorney? Avvo can help.

search module image

Search our directory

Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.

chat module image

Avvo's live chat agents can help coordinate a consultation with a local attorney.

Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.

Chat with

Licenses

Licensed in Washington for 24 years

State: Washington

Acquired: 2001

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Gina M. Costello & Associates, P.S.

101 W. Cataldo, Suite 301, Spokane, WA, 99201

Ad

Transform legal challenges into solutions.

Connect now to review your situation.

The Avvo Rating explained

display-bg

The Avvo Rating explained

Gina Maria Costello's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

3.4 /5.0

56 Client Reviews

Showing 1 - 5 of 6 reviews | Punctuality

Posted by Barb | February 18, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Domestic Violence

READ her negative reviews!

Gina has experience in cases like mine that involve domestic violence, but she perpetuates more abuse by victim blaming and shaming. I didn't read her reviews until after I hired her-my mistake! Most of the negative reviews could have been written by me. It became clear that Gina had not prep...ared for my trial, so when I questioned her she withdrew from my case without explanation. I haven't received any billing statements so there was no accounting for billable hours- she kept the entire retainer fee. Among her peers, she has a reputation for missing court, not replying to emails and calls, and being uncooperative. She raises her voice and uses verbally abusive and foul language to her own clients. I hope Gina decides that it's possible to be respectful and respectable, and still be effective in her profession.

Posted by Stefanie | April 04, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

Bold and Compassionate

Gina was AMAZING! She was compassionate and understanding on our first meeting. She commuted up to my county for my hearing, represented me respectfully and fiercely, and I felt confident in my choice of hiring her. I would recommend Gina in any instance an Attorney is required. Thank you Gina!

Posted by Michael | September 16, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody

Horrible Experiece

I hired Gina in January to finish up on a child custody case. 9 months and $5000 later there has been little or no work done on the case. Not a single request sent to the opposing part for any information. One deposition scheduled then cancelled 1/2 an hour before it was supposed to happen, never res...cheduled. Then 60 days before we are supposed to be in trial, she files an notice to withdraw from the case. I found her to be rude and abusive when talking with her, she has cussed out my wife and I over the phone and despite her promises to knowing exactly how to bring this whole thing to a resolution has put us further behind and in a deeper hole than we ever could have imagined. Now even a simple request like did mediation get scheduled and if so when is it scheduled is completely ignored. I finally had to call the attorney I think is being used for mediation and ask their staff if there's an appointment because my attorney can't even respond to that. Hiring Gina was by far the worst mistake we made in this entire process.

Gina Costello

Replied last September 16, 2016

You paid me $2,000 after temporary orders where you lost custody of your child to the other side (prior to my involvement). On the day I entered my Notice of Appearance discovery requests made by the other side were already past due. I charged you 2k to review the volumes of court files in your case to get you in compliance with their written demands served on previous counsel and to appear at your procedural check in-s with the court - status conference. All the while I have returned you calls and your e mails including the questions your wife posed. You have often complimented me and thanked me for getting back to you right away. Your account with me has been past due for some months, the experts have now all recently weighed in and without payment I do not understand what you would like me to do. I wish you nothing but the best in your search for just the right attorney to tell you what you want to hear. Clearly, I am not that person never have been never could be. I thought that was why you appreciated me and I am sorry you clearly do not. GMC

Posted by anonymous | August 03, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody

Worst lawyer ever

She is a rude and unethical person. She took 3500 dollars and i had her less than a month. She would have her paralegals email me paperwork i had already given them and charge me for it!!! Then when it came to giving my ex a depo she had a date that wasnt even a correct one. She had put a date that w...as a sunday and wrote monday. Then at the last minute she cancelled. Then when i went in to with draw she yelled at me and told me how stupid i was and continued to yell at me til i signed a parenting plan she had drew up. And the parenting plan was completely different than what i had wanted because my ex and i had settled on one and she didnt like it. Then she went on to say that id be lucky if id even see a penny back when she had done absolutely nothing besides draw up paperwork!!! How is that 3500 dollars worth of time in less than a month of having her!!! I would not reccomend this woman. She is aweful!!!

Gina Costello

Replied last August 03, 2016

I get it. Probably the worst position to place your lawyer in is a sudden change of heart about what you want in a custody case. When this involves simply handing over custody of young children to someone who has hurt you, it places them and you in serious danger. You switched directions on me, I thought I had a strong person wanting to get her kids back I was angry to see bad guys win and I am sorry if that seemed as rudeness or pressure. I asked you to sign an amended parenting plan to correct the one you filed yourself initially. I recall the mistaken parenting plan you filed yourself awarded custody to your ex. Further, I wanted to make sure that even if you agreed; otherwise, you could always have the correct one before the court if you changed your mind and wanted to fight. When you hired me within 24 hours I drafted 56 pages of written discovery and served it on the other-side before the dead line. I set a deposition but thought because I was asking for the same information in written form this would not be a productive use of your money. I defended you while one of the most aggressive attorneys in town took your deposition. Afterward while you were in tears I spoke with you at some length about how having a person with a criminal background living in your home will be a problem. I tried to get you out the situation. I tried to give you insight on the impact it would have on your custody case. I also did a background check to determine the criminal activity afoot at the home of your ex- husband's parents. I refunded you over a thousand dollars in unearned fees. Simply, there is a huge difference between two parents getting together and deciding what is best for their children - (mediation), and one person being bullied and in tears willing to simply give up. I tried my best and am sorry you did not appreciate the time I gave you in support and understanding. If a charge on your bill included us sending information to you that was duplicative or simply not right, please contact me and explain. Often we get busy or were provided incomplete information and need to send it back to you for specifics. I recall we had to really move fast on your case because it was already old by the time you hired me. Deadlines had to be met or at least preserved to prepare your case for a Motion to Amend the current orders, but most importantly for trial, if need be. I hope things are moving forward for you in a manner that best suites you and your children. GMC

Posted by anonymous | January 07, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody

DONT DO IT!!!!!

Worst experience ever. I recommend hiring yourself before Gina Costello. Went through a jurisdiction case with my daughters mother. Gina claims to be this massive threat to the apposing party, when it came down to it she wasn't clearly on my side. letting me know I had court 1 hour before I was suppo...sed to be there. No communication between her and her employees. Or to the client. Tells you what you wanna hear to get you on board then treats you as if the opposing party has 2 lawyers and your dead in the water. I have my faults don't get me wrong. But you hire a lawyer to defend you. Not get into court and talk you into agreeing to the opposing party. She flies off the handle in an instance, then turns around and acts like your best friend. Documents I still haven't seen but hear about all the time. The judge set in place orders for my daughters mother and I to agree on time and pick up location during the holidays. Soon as my back was turned she allowed my mother and her lawyer to decide those times then herself and the judge signed off on it. When confronted her response was "to be honest I didn't see that" haha really!? I wouldn't even recommend my daughters mother to use Gina Costello! If you sign on with her, be prepared to get things handed to you.

See All Client Reviews

Gina Maria Costello's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Gina
Karen Gwen Schweigert headshot
Karen Schweigert

Family lawyer | Dec 03

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Gina is an experienced and knowledgeable family law attorney who can be depended upon to aggressively advocate for her clients."

View All Endorsements

No Endorsement Data Available Yet
This attorney hasn't created any attorney endorsements recently on Avvo.

Experience

Rating:  8.2 (Excellent)

Honors

2016

Status Conference Attorney of the Year, Spokane County Bar Association, Volunteer Lawyers

2014

Status Conference Advise Clinic, Spokane County Bar Association, Volunteer Lawyers

2004

Small Law Firm of the Year, Spokane County Bar Association, Volunteer Lawyers

2002

Young Attorney of the Year, Spokane County Bar Association, Volunteer Lawyers

Education

2000

Gonzaga University

JD - Juris Doctor

1995

Marquette University

French

Languages

English

Avvo Rating

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.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution