Risa M Davis

1. Thank you Risa for being efficient, thorough, and detailed. 2. Thank you Risa for being knowledgeable. 3. Thank you Risa for returning phone calls and emails in a timely and respectful manner. 4. Thank you Risa for speaking to me in a respectful manner AND respecting my intelligence. ... 5. Thank you Risa for NOT talking to me in a belittling, condescending and patronizing manner (common with attorneys). 6. Thank you for not discriminating against me. I am a former law student, and I wholeheartedly recommend Risa. This is my first review online of an attorney. I am a Virgo and very picky, so if you get 5 stars from me, it is definitely a most sincere review and compliment.

Risa represented me in my divorce and custody case. She handled the case expeditiously and made sure that my daughter's interests were protected. She ensured that I recieved an fair child support award and when my ex tried to change the amount shortly after the divorce was finalized, she faught for... me and my daughter and won. My case was complicated by the fact that both my ex travels for work and I travel internationally and Risa was able to design some great solutions to deal with our situation. I also find the work that Risa's firm does in the community inspiring. I believe that Risa and her team not only care about their clients, but also care about the Portland community as a whole.

I commute regularly for work, and when I was pulled over and given three tickets I was mortified - and risked losing my license, a condition of my employment. The original offense was supposedly talking on the phone while driving - and while the officer had seen me talking while driving, I'd been ex...citedly using the new bluetooth I'd recently had installed in my car! Needless to say, he didn't believe me. I knew I'd need to go to traffic court. A lawyer for traffic court seemed silly to me at first, but I was concerned about losing my license and a friend recommended I talk to Risa. She looked over the relevant statutes for all three tickets and agreed that the charges were tenuous at best. Risa's quick analysis of the law as it related to my specific situation and her skill explaining her take on the law both in laymen terms (as she spoke to me) and more technically (as she negotiated a reduction of the charges pre-trial) were clearly evident. Her negotiation skills were impressive, as well. I would wholeheartedly recommend Risa. She both provided me with realistic expectations of the process and likely outcomes, but was still a strong advocate trying to get me the best outcome possible. I appreciated her willingness to take on something so small and the clear skill and pride she showed in her work.

I hired Risa for family law regarding child custody and domestic violence. Initially, she claimed to be very knowledgeable in domestic violence and assured me she understood how laws work regarding that dynamic. After nearly a year of fighting with her to be on my side with the case, she ended up for...cing me to sign custody to my abuser. She numerous times told me to "just give him what he wants" and surrender all custodial rights and visitations. She didn't even know what the Address Confidentiality Program is and how it works. When we met with the judge in a private meeting, she not only set me up for failure with the meeting, she didn't advocate for my needs or for my case. She even told me to "shut up" when I tried to explain my case. It was suppose to be a candid conversation with the judge but she supported my abusers case to take my child; of which I raised solely since birth. She didn't follow any punitive actions against the other party when they violated our agreement, she regularly tried to convince me I would never get my child back and just to give in. Then at the hearing, literally forced me to sign the agreement I stated on record I didn't agree with. She told me I wouldn't need any witnesses for the hearing because I would keep custody for sure. At the hearing the other party brought witnesses and was ready for a full hearing. She not only didn't represent ANY critical evidence to the judge of the years of abuse, but she advocated for my abuser in the private meeting and during the hearing. She is incompetent of the seriousness of domestic violence and put my child in the care of someone actively abusive. After the hearing, I immediately complained I was unhappy with what happened and wanted to know my options. Instead of informing me of an appeals process, she ignored me for 2 months. I had to stop her from lying on the child support paperwork about my income and when I lost my job just a few weeks after the hearing, she refused to do a change in circumstance. I now owe my abuser tons of child support and I am going on disability from injuries I sustained. I can't work and she refused to do anything to help me get away from him, keep my child safe and not enable him to financially oppress me. To this day, I still haven't recovered from my brain injury which prevents me from full cognitive function and reading ability. Instead of getting my child into a safe house and with a safe parent, I now have no contact with my child and no visitations because my abuser got full custody and refuses to follow our parenting plan. I am not a criminal nor anything of the sort, just a hard working, loving single mother who has lost her child through the legal system and an attorney who supported the other party. Hard enough to represent yourself against one lawyer, but impossible against two and with a brain injury! My personal safety has been compromised and my child's on a regular basis. Any claims made by Risa to be helping the victims of domestic violence are truly false. Not only is she ignorant of what domestic violence does to a family, but she apparently bullies victims while supporting the abuser. I have filed a formal complaint because of her repeated negligence, poor choices, and flat out incompetence. This is my personal experience with Risa Davis and though she may treat someone who pays her full rate better, I did not receive her zealous representation and guidance. I would never recommend her for anything legal, not even filling out paperwork. I had to keep her accountable to being honest. Her value and ethics are clearly skewed and unhealthy. Had she done her job even half well, I wouldn't of be forced to give up my full custody to a well documented abuser. What was she thinking???