Adrienne Keith, Compassionate and Collaborative
Family Law Attorney
As a Seattle-based family law attorney, I help couples and families work to reach a common ground based on their interests and the best interests of their children. For separating and divorcing couples, these interests vary widely, but they often include values such as financial well-being, acting in the best interest of children, maintaining privacy and dignity, and simply moving on in their lives. My work as a collaborative and cooperative lawyer, as well as mediator, means that clients and I can work according to several legal approaches. Together, we determine how we can best address a client's interests, while meeting the demands of the legal process.
In our initial consultation, clients and I typically discuss the range of lawyer involvement during the case, which can span from limited involvement to extensive involvement. Through this conversation, we can identify your priorities. In general, clients who are able to break the process into pieces—and apply a “project management” type approach—find they feel more at ease and less overwhelmed by their case.
Resolving Divorce Outside of Court
I help clients in finding a mutually agreeable resolution, and whenever possible, achieving that resolution outside of court. What often surprises people is that the court system is not a forum where “the truth” inevitably emerges, and that lawyers and judges are human beings with their own quirks. The people who work in the legal system often face the same challenges that we all do: too much information and not enough time.
This could negatively impact your case if it leads to an outcome that neither party really wanted but that the judge believed was right. I think it's important for clients to know this, because it helps them make an informed decision about which legal approach will best resolve their situation. Enthusiasm for out-of-court Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is why I became a lawyer, and my passion for that kind of work has only grown as I have been in practice.
Biography
Adrienne Keith graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and attended the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she served as an Editor-in-Chief for the Wisconsin Women’s Law Journal. Since relocating to Seattle in 2003, Adrienne has been active in bar and community groups. She is active in King County Collaborative Law. She has been chair of the King County Bar Association's Alternative Dispute Resolution section, and is also a volunteer mediator with the Bellevue Neighborhood Mediation Program. She also serves on the board of Centerpoint Institute, an organization devoted to helping people discover creativity, passion and renewed commitment in life and at work.
