Samantha J Hazel

Working with Samantha through my divorce process was fantastic. Because I live I WA state and my now ex lives in OR state, I had to find an OR based attorney and didn't know anyone. I contacted their firm because they work in both states. During our initial phone consult, she had to calm me down a f...ew times, just because of what he initially was asking for that I disagreed with. She was thorough, to the point, professional, and sincere. She was tough with my ex's attorney and told it like it was; which was GREAT. She would respond to my emails very promptly and I would even get messages from her over a weekend, when timing was of the essence. She knew when to push and when to just let things take their natural course. While I never got to meet her in person, because it was settled without mediation, the next time I am in OR, I will stop by and say hi.

I've been dealing with child custody issues for years even after hiring another attorney and contacted Samantha for a consult out of desperation not knowing where to turn to or do next. She laid out the hard facts, even the ones I did not want to hear. Previous attorney would talk me up saying eve...rything I wanted we'd win and that I was totally in the right. It was actually refreshing to get a gut check by being told there are things I need to do before court would even be possible. The thing is, she's right. I just needed to hear it from an attorney that didn't just tell me exactly what I wanted to hear. She gave me a number of steps for a game plan moving forwards and said I could call back if I had additional questions... ...I've called two more times and she's always welcomed my phone calls and encourages me to keep in contact if I desperately need advice. Who does that? You normally think of an attorney as bloodthirsty and they're just after your money. I've in essence had 3 consults for what I need to get done and how to handle circumstances that have arisen. I have not retained her services yet, as she said court at this time would not be a good course. But when I am ready to retain services of an attorney I won't be looking anywhere else.

I have been dealing with an extremely manipulative Ex and his family who have spent years bullying me and my special needs child through the court system . Samantha took the time to understand the ultimate goal, didn't allow them to bully anymore and even got the other lawyer called out for malicious...ly filing against me. Had my case not been transferred out of Oregon for jurisdiction I would have kept Sam till my kiddo was 18. She was honest and upfront and incredibly strong.. This is definitely the one attorney you want on your side! My only regret is I didn't hire her 7 years ago!

Samantha was easy to contact and explained matters thoroughly. Even though I might not have liked everything she had to say in evaluating my case, she still put forth the strengths and weaknesses in a straightforward manner so that I was knowledgeable. Samantha did an excellent job on my ex-wife's ...deposition, and I appreciated that she listened to my input on areas where the answers may have been "shading" the truth and followed up. She was fully prepared for mediation, and Samantha represented my case well to the mediator, leading to a settlement that concluded the case.

When it comes to Samantha Hazel and describing what an exemplary family law attorney she is, it's hard to know exactly where to start, but I'll give it a go. I engaged Samantha to assist me in my divorce and was astounded at her professionalism, pragmatism, and honesty. Samantha gives everythin...g she has to her clients, but she also will tell them when their goals are unattainable or ill-fated. While many attorneys in this field will encourage their clients to fight over the most meaningless of things (in order to drive up their fees - the dirty little secret of some in the practice), Samantha's goal for her clients is always the efficient yet fair resolution of their legal issues. I found Samantha to be warm but practical, incredibly smart and witty, and wholly accessible to me in my time of difficulty. Because I practice family law in the same city as Samantha Hazel, I risk losing future clients with my review, but it doesn't matter. I know her to practice with the utmost of ethics, a determination to resolve complex problems in common-sense ways, and a sense of advocacy that truly shines through when you realize she could have milked your case indefinitely, as others would do, but chose not to because she cares about her clients. If you are looking for talented and brilliant representation who will keep in mind the entirety of your family paradigm, rather than seeing you as an opportunity to enrich herself at your and your family's misery, hire Samantha Hazel. She took me from devastated and frightened to confident, secure, and happy in the space of just a few weeks. I cannot recommend her highly enough.