Marie M. Tilden

We couldn't be more grateful for Marie and her team's professional and thorough handling of the post-adoption of our two daughters. She guided us through what seemed like a daunting and intimidating process, and with her expertise and compassion made it understandable and painless for us. She was a...lways available to explain what we didn't understand, she never made us feel like any of our many questions were trivial. She's very knowledgeable and experienced across a very wide range of adoption issues, very straightforward about the various steps along the way, and she gave us a great deal of confidence and security. She told us exactly what we could expect about the process as well as the outcome. She and her team organized and planned every detail, were very specific about what we had to do and the paperwork we had to collect and gave us plenty of notice so we had ample time to be ready and plan for our court hearing. Marie genuinely cared about us and our children and we always felt we had a strong advocate in our corner. She's also a very interesting person and we greatly enjoyed the time we spent with her! We are completely satisfied and happy with the services Marie provided.

Marie handled our contested step-parent adoption wonderfully. We had originally hired a different lawyer, who got us into a mess that Marie knew exactly how to clean up. She stayed with us for months, fighting for our child's future and keeping us informed and sane through the process. This lady KNOW...S adoption. We will be forever grateful to her.

Marie was one of two lawyers to whom I was referred as a non-resident US citizen looking to finalize my children's adoptions in the US. Our initial communication made me feel right at home, as not only did she answer every question, but she explained the whole process (or the traditional process, and... what was anticipated at that time as the process that I would follow). Not only did she convince me that she knew what she was talking about, but she also provided little side commentary which showed her warmth and that she is human and can relate to her clients on a very personal level. Once I was finally ready to start this process in earnest, it was a year after our first communication. As I was trying to figure out my options amidst very confusing and seemingly contradictory regulations and information, she explained a very simple plan for moving forward - so simple that it seemed almost unbelievable. However, whenever we hit a roadblock in planning, she was unfazed, and immediately came up with another solution. Every time I wanted to bang my head against a wall, she talked me down and calmly offered an alternative scenario. It all worked out very smoothly, and after months (years) of stress related to US adoption finalization proceedings, it took a total of about two minutes at court. I am so grateful to her, and her in-depth understanding of Washington adoption law, and her problem-solving ability. I would hire her again if I adopted another child, and will definitely refer others to her.

I've read the other reviews here and I just can't remain silent, despite my natural tendency to avoid reviews/surveys. Simply put, if someone were to base their decision on hiring Marie (or not) on just those other reviews, they'd be gravely mistaken and misled. I walked in to Marie Tilden's offi...ce six and a half years ago, still in a daze that my marriage was in shambles and not knowing what would happen to a father in a custody fight. She was kind, compassionate, and knowledgeable and, after just an hour long conversation, exactly the attorney I knew I needed to protect my children. She was upfront and honest about the expense of divorce and how back-logged Clark County is/was so I knew that I wasn't going to get a cheap and easy and fast resolution. She reassured me that I wasn't alone and that she had my back. Neither of us were prepared for exactly what (and for how long) that really meant. My ex-wife has gone through 10 attorneys because of her irrational and inconsistent behavior while Marie has remained a steadfast and constant source of support, knowledge, and determination through what can only be described as a cautionary tale of a divorce and custody battle. Even though our dissolution finalized over 4 years ago, my ex-wife's unconscionable insistence on litigating her hatred for me has re-dragged me and our children back through the cold, dark, mud of a custody battle; yet Marie has soldiered on, right by my side, and fought for what's best for my children. I have custody (finalization of litigation will be within the next two months), I've been granted the ability to move, with my children, to a city where we are mere minutes from our family and in a school district that is phenomenal, and I was able to take a job that allows me to give back to my community, make enough money to comfortably support my family, and take the time I want to take to be an active participant in my children's lives. None of that would be possible without the guidance, help, and bulldog-esque determination of Marie Tilden. She is busy, yes - she is largely considered the foremost expert on adoption law in Clark County, a (rightfully so) sought after divorce lawyer, and a mom to three wonderful kids. She isn't the least expensive attorney, no - in this business, though, you get what you pay for and I would argue that the VALUE she brings to the table far outweighs the cost. She isn't your friend, available at your whim, no - she is so much more than that; when she takes your case, she is the hardest working, most supportive, newest member of your family, committed to doing whatever it takes to get the best situation she can for you and the ones you love. She doesn't win every time, no - but it will NEVER be for lack of effort. Maybe those other folks had crap cases, I don't know, but while we haven't won every motion or been able to mitigate every loss, in the end, my children are thriving and that's worth every minute, dollar, and bit of energy I've spent; and Marie has been right there with me the whole way. If you need an attorney for your divorce and/or custody case, there is literally no one more qualified or better suited to give you the best possible outcome than Marie Tilden.