My Mission
To provide quality legal services with an eye towards bringing some humanity back into family law.
I also answer questions - if you have any questions before signing up for services, please feel free to contact me at blueheron78@yahoo.com or 1(800)847-4218 or (360)275-2965. If you get the answering machine, please leave a message because I make it a priority to check messages on a routine basis and will get back to you.
I work in almost all aspects of family law. This includes Adoptions, Divorce, Title 26 Guardian ad Litem, Custody Disputes, Third Party Custody Actions, Mediation, Conflict Resolution, Child Support Modification, and Custody Modification.
The one thing that people need to be aware of is that there are many paralegals, do-it-yourself kits, or military services that you can use. Paralegals cannot give you legal advice. The military does not litigate for you.
Remember, it may be useful to at least have an attorney review the paperwork prior to submitting the final papers to the court. A good portion of litigation is caused by ambiguous language or post-decree enforcement.
Your cost (now and future costs) will depend on how contentious the other side is. If the other side has a lawyer, you may also wish to obtain a lawyer. If there are one or two issues that are being contested (not custody) mediation may work and save everyone time and money. I have mediated many times and am experienced with getting to "Yes." Mediation considerations is whether you want an attorney to represent you in mediation and if it goes south, then I can represent you in court. Other times, people are more comfortable if neither side is represented. If the mediation does not happen, then both sides need to obtain another attorney.
If custody is seriously being contested, you will probably need a lawyer. Most people can not afford to litigate a custody issue on their own unless the other side has clear problems such as recent drug use or repeated recent domestic violence convictions.
LEGAL BACKGROUND: My name is Jody Long. I graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a B.A. in Communication and from Gonzaga University School of Law with a J.D. I've been practicing family law for 10 years. Other areas of law that I have worked in include misdemeanors (both on the defense and prosecution sides), labor law, health care law (contracts & risk management), copyright and other intellectual property matters. I am extremely familiar with military families since my caseload consisted of a high percentage of Navy personnel in Kitsap County and Army/Airforce personnel in Pierce County.
