Ted D. Billbe

Ted Billbe did not properly argue my case, by failing to request relief to which I was entitled and misstating facts that would have been in my favor. Billbe represented me in a dissolution of marriage. My husband tried to manipulate me into commiting tax fraud with him. He eliminated my income f...rom our tax forms, demanding that I not receive earnings and income for any work that I do. He was berserk with rage. During trial, Billbe did not ask for reimbursements to the community from my husband, which the court would have awarded my equitable share if he had asked. Instead he asked the court to consider the diversion of funds in determining the final distribution (that did not work so well). He failed to ask the Judge for reimbursement of half of my attorney fees and costs, which included addiitonal expert witnesses that Billbe had me hire. Billbe argued an incorrect titling of our house which both the title company and tracing expert had clarified there is no such title. It was purchased during marriage and he should have argued it was community property. He mistakenly said "out' of an account, instead of "into". He did not illustrate to the court the extent of commingled community and separate assets as our flowchart graph of funds exhibited. He failed to identify all the community property. The judgment that Billbe obtained for me did not reflect our experts' exhibits. In a final billing, I found that Billbe charged me for an unauthorized meeting before trial with an "estate, wealth and tax" attorney. That made no sense. Our tracing expert, already working for us, is also a renowned tax attorney with a PHD. We had no reason to ask for legal advice; if so, we would have used our expert. Billbe did not explain why he had the meeting, how it would benefit me, and he did not reverse his charge. This was a very expensive proceeding. These are verifable truths. I do NOT recommend Ted Billbe.

I met with several attorneys before meeting with Ted Billbe. About 15 minutes into our conversation, I knew I wanted to retain him. I could tell that he had more knowledge and passion than the others I had spoken with about my situation. My divorce was very unusual and presented several challenges. A...ll along, Ted was direct and honest with me about potential outcomes, and what we would have to do to get there. It was an emotionally damaging time for me, and my ex turned my adult children against me. Ted was very kind and helped me maneuver through a devastating time. He helped me stay focused and he listened to and respected my preferences. His combination of direct honesty and compassion was perfect for me and kept me on track and strong. I would not have the life I have now nor have the positive future ahead of me if it were not for Ted‘s legal mind and expertise, his financial savvy and brilliant negotiation skills. He knows the intricacies of the Seattle area family law courts. These are all things you need in an attorney. Ted went above and beyond in all aspects of handling my case. He was prompt in all matters, kept me informed and explained everything as we went along. He was conscious of time spent, and helped me gain attorney fees from my ex, which I didn’t think possible and which I truly appreciated. The staff was always kind, pleasant and professional. They all made a very difficult process as smooth and easy as possible. Ted and his firm have my highest recommendation.

Ted provided divorce services over a period of a year. We were bombarded continuously with lawyer letters from my spouse. I was vulnerable, and in need of protection, and not in the right head space to think appropriately. Ted never lost focus, had a strategy for all outcomes, was always one step ahe...ad of the situation, and handled every step of the divorce with professionalism. I was recommended Ted by a lawyer friend from California, and would recommend Ted to anyone in need of divorce services.

He filed our divorce case in the wrong county when neither party nor the children resided in King County. This caused opposing party to file to change venue and additional fees on my case. Additionally, the Petition for Dissolution mentioned an agreed upon Separation agreement, but that was not attac...hed to the petition. Opposing party was never properly served Summons and Petition either. Other standard documents were never filed (Financial Declaration and such). This is going to cause the divorce to be dragged out with additional costs.

Divorce is difficult, no matter the circumstances. And as much as we may hope to sever all ties with our ex-spouse, chances are there will always be some ties after the divorce. So keeping the divorce simple, fair, and cordial has long-term benefits. During a very difficult time in my life, Te...d was effective helping me move through key decisional items. He was very good at answering questions, setting priorities, and preparing and turning documents. I was super impressed with Ted's responsiveness, as well as that of his team. There were a few times when thorny topics arose with my ex-spouse, and Ted responded to my inquiries immediately (once in the late evening and on a weekend). Ted was recommended by some lawyers that I highly respect. I had interviewed some other top divorce attorneys in Seattle, and I was reassured when I met with him. He didn't try to torque me up, nor make me feel overly belligerent toward my spouse like some other attorneys did. I wanted to try to work collegially through the divorce, in order to put it behind me as quickly as possible and emerge with as few battle wounds as possible. But I also wanted an attorney that could get tough on my behalf if the negotiations turned sour. And lastly, I was looking for someone highly experienced. Ted struck a good balance of looking out for my interests, while working well with the opposition. He was solution-oriented, which I appreciated. Going into the process, I had been very concerned. He helped me with division of complex assets and some unusual issues. At the end, I ended up with a fair settlement with minimal pain and within a short period of time. I highly recommend Ted's services. He has dealt with many different circumstances and he is very professional.