Best Divorce Lawyers in Portland
Stuart Watson
Divorce Lawyers
Transforming and healing relationships has been a life-long passion. I have been teaching conflict resolution, mediating conflicts and supporting families through divorce for over 20 years. This experience includes:
- 20 years as a Family and Divorce Mediator with Oregon Divorce Guides (Statewide) and Progressive Mediation (Multnomah County Family Law)
- 13 years as the Mediation Coordinator at Resolutions Northwest
- 2 years as a Family Mediator with Lane County, OR
- 1 year as an Assistant Ombudsman with the University of Oregon
- Awarded “Spirit of Mediation” in 2019 by the Oregon Mediation Association
- Author of “Breaking Through” The Relationship Repair Game.” A card deck toolkit for transforming and resolving conflict
- Founder of ORNCC (Oregon Network for Compassionate Communication)
- Advanced Divorce Practitioner, mediate.com, Divorce Source, YELP
- Trainer for Equity-Informed Mediation, Mediating from the Heart and Advanced Mediation Techniques
Financial Analysis Training
- Bachelor Degree of Financial Management and Business Administration from the University of Missouri.
- Master Degree in Public Administration, Finance and Accounting from San Diego State University.
Affiliations & Accreditations
- Certified Advanced Practitioner, Academy of Professional Family Mediators
- Advanced Divorce Mediator Practitioner,
- Certified Mediator, Washington Mediation Association: Domestic Relations, Intercultural Relations, & Organizational Relations
- Certified Mediation Practitioner, Community Mediation Services, Vancouver, WA
- Member, Washington Mediation Association
- Senior Mediator, Oregon Mediation Association
- Mediator Development Mentor, Resolutions Northwest
- Listed Divorce Specialist on Divorce Source, YELP, and Google
Marriage & Family Counseling
- Graduate Certificate in Couples, Marriage, and Family Counseling from Portland State University. Program course work includes:
- Marriage and family counseling theory and models
- Interpersonal neurobiology of conflict and hope
- Child psychology and development
- Family life cycle and transitions
- Developing family treatment plans
- Advanced treatment interventions
- Sexuality and sexual dysfunctions
Shelly K. Perkins
Divorce Lawyers
Practice Emphases
Family Law, Divorce, Custody and Parenting Time, Mediation Services, Estate Planning, Business Contract Law, Criminal Law
Professional Experience
Shelly K. Perkins founded Perkins Law, LLC in August of 2010. Prior to founding Perkins Law, LLC, Shelly worked as a Deputy District Attorney researching and preparing cases for trial, conducting hearings, and negotiating plea agreements. In addition, Shelly practiced family law and provided legal support for two small businesses. Shelly’s specialty in family law has seen her through the filing of hundreds of domestic relations cases and countless hours in the courtroom. Due to these prior experiences, Shelly is able to provide solid footing for her clients that face the unfortunate, yet inevitable, chaos that surrounds divorce, custody, parenting time, and support issues. Shelly’s business acumen, acquired during her dual undergraduate degrees in Business Management and Information Systems Analysis and applied during her multiple decade ownership of a small manufacturing business and law firm, lends itself well into complex divorces, business litigation, and contract formation.
Education
- Portland State University, Portland, OR – B.S. Business Administration Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis – 1991
- Portland State University, Portland, OR – B.S. Business Administration General Management – 1991
- Northwestern School of Law, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR – Juris Doctor – 1996
Professional Activities
Shelly was formally sworn in as a member of the Oregon State Bar in 1997. She has been a member of the Multnomah and Clackamas County Bar Associations since 2011 and the Oregon Women Lawyers Association since 2016. She is the founder, owner, and primary lead attorney at Perkins Law, LLC, a thriving General Law Practice. Shelly previously served as a Deputy District Attorney for the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office. Shelly has directly impacted the practice of family law through serving on the Uniform Trial Court Rules Committee for Oregon since 2020 and will continue until her term ends in 2025, which advises and recommends changes to the statewide rules for the circuit courts. Shelly presented at the Oregon Family Law Practice for Paralegals in 2020 on obtaining and evaluating financial information. In accordance with Oregon State Bar requirements, Shelly participates in continuing legal education throughout the state. Shelly has attended, almost yearly, the statewide Family Law Conference in Sunriver which provides continuing legal education and up to date practices for attorneys.
Community Involvement
Shelly is a parliamentarian and in-house legal counsel for a multi-million dollar international non-profit organization. As part of this role, Shelly advises the board on a variety of issues including international permit applications and recommendations regarding the organization’s bylaws.
Awards
2014-2018, 2020-2021 Recipient of the Client’s Choice Award through AVVO.
Interests
Shelly is an Oregon native who enjoys reading, running, and tennis. As an avid tennis player, Shelly is happy to apply her tenacious, aggressive, and confident nature to another court.
Jill E. Brittle
Divorce Lawyers
Jill grew up in SE Portland, Oregon, and is a third-generation native Oregonian. She attended Portland State University, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, graduating with high honors.
In 2002, she began law school at Lewis & Clark Law School. Throughout college and law school, Jill worked full time in the Portland legal community. She spent five years working at the Oregon Law Institute, where she supported Assistant Dean Elizabeth Stephens in organizing continuing legal education seminars for local professionals. This afforded Jill the opportunity to work with well-respected attorneys and judges and solidified her love of the law.
Jill spent her last year of law school clerking at the Department of Justice in the Family Law Section. She appeared in court on behalf of the State of Oregon in cases involving the termination of parental rights, child support enforcement, and mental health issues. This allowed Jill to gain a unique insight into the challenges faced by Oregon families in the family law arena.
Jill began her private practice in 2006, which has focused on helping families as they transition through a divorce, or as they modify their agreements post-divorce or post-separation. Jill’s passion is helping clients make good decisions as they reform their families, or as they make adjustments to prior agreements that support their children’s best interests. She is also passionate about protecting children and providing access to the legal system for women and minorities. Jill’s pro bono work as a court-appointed attorney for children in high conflict cases allows her to support families in yet another way.
COLIN AMOS
Divorce Lawyers
Colin also has a keen eye for talented attorneys and has succeeded in assembling a team of attorneys who can effectively handle any family law matter presented. “Colin and his staff in Portland exemplify the purpose and goals of Goldberg Jones in representing husbands and fathers.”
Colin considers himself to be highly strategic in his approach to family law. He notes “there are very few events in life as important as a Divorce or custody matter.” “I believe that experience and compassion are essential traits for an attorney. However, it is aggressive, proactive advocacy that distinguishes us in our efforts to obtain the best results possible for our clients.”
Spending time with his wife and two children consumes all of Colin’s free time. He strongly supports their academic and athletic interests, coaching competitive soccer for both children. Colin exemplifies our firm’s client-centered approach when he says “I believe there is nothing more important than having the opportunity to be involved in your children’s lives on a regular basis. This continued involvement is why I am so passionate in the practice of family law.”
ANDREW LEVINE
Divorce Lawyers
Andrew Levine is the Founder and Managing Attorney of Levine Law Center. Andrew focuses his practice on high-stakes family law disputes and personal injury cases.
Since 2020, Andrew has been selected for Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars, an honor bestowed on more than 2.5 percent of all attorneys in the state. He has also been selected by Expertise.com as one of the Top-20 car accident lawyers in Portland, and is included in Elite Lawyer’s top family lawyers in the state.
Andrew takes a compassionate, no-nonsense and results-oriented approach to his cases. A big-picture thinker, Andrew views cases holistically in terms of what makes the most sense for families during difficult times, while also strongly advocating for his client’s goals. Andrew has significant court experience in the tri-county area, having litigated multi-day trials before many of the judges on a variety of issues including custody, property division, immediate danger motions, and restraining orders. A champion of his community, a portion of Andrew’s family law clients work with him on a sliding scale or reduced fee basis.
Andrew also devotes a portion of his practice to representing plaintiffs in personal injury cases. He has recovered $1M+ for clients who have sustained injuries from car accidents or slip and falls.
Andrew graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys spending time with his family and dogs and traveling.
Nathan Holtey
Divorce Lawyers
Credentials, Education, Professional Associations and Community Activities
- Oregon State Bar Member Since 2001
- Partner, Brindle McCaslin & Lee, P.C. 2004-2011
- Oregon Super Lawyer 2017, 2018, and 2019
- Board of Delegates for Oregon State Bar 2008-2010
- Gus J. Soloman Inns at Court 2006-2007
- Fellow with the AAML since 2018
- Practicing for over 18 years
- Presenter at the American Bar Association 2017
- Presenter at the Oregon Family Law Conference 2018
Nathan Holtey has been practicing law for over 15 years. Raised in Ashland, OR, Nathan attended Tufts University in Boston, MA, before coming back to Oregon and attending the University of Oregon School of Law.
Nathan enjoys the practice of law and assisting clients with achieving excellent results. He focuses his practice on family law, and has handled every type of matter from 24-hour notice Restraining Order and Emergency Custody hearings to high asset divorces involving multiple businesses, spousal support, and complex property division.
Nathan and his wife Raluca have twin boys, and he enjoys camping, reading, and spending time with his family and friends. Nathan is a pilot and enjoys flying a Cessna around the Pacific Northwest.
Peter Bunch
Divorce Lawyers
Peter graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1993, where he was a Thomas More Scholar and an associate editor of the Gonzaga Law Review. Following graduation, Peter worked for two years as a law clerk for the Honorable Edward Warren of the Oregon Court of Appeals. He then joined the law firm of Kennedy, King, and Zimmer. While at that firm, Peter worked on many different kinds of cases, including complex environmental litigation, business disputes, attorney and medical malpractice, appeals, and family law.
In 1998, Gary Zimmer asked Peter to join him in forming a new law firm, where Peter worked with Gary in the firm known as Zimmer & Bunch, LLC. Gary and Peter developed one of the premier family law firms in Oregon.
In 2010, Peter decided to open a smaller practice, with a focus on outstanding client service in matters involving family law, including divorce, legal separation, child custody, parenting time, support, paternity, third party custody and visitation, the resolution of complex family law property divisions, high asset divorce, including business valuation and inheritance issues, interstate family law disputes, grandparent custody issues, and a wide range of other family law disputes. In addition, Peter has an active appellate practice in all areas of civil disputes.
Peter was a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers from 2006 though 2022. Peter is a member of the Multnomah Bar Association and is a frequent speaker on a wide variety of topics for continuing legal education seminars.
Elizabeth Christy Taylor
Divorce Lawyers
Elizabeth is a compassionate and determined advocate who represents all types of individuals in divorce, separation, custody, child and spousal support, prenuptial agreements, relocation, and parentage/paternity. Elizabeth takes pride in her ability to obtain her client’s desired results using various strategies and, while she consistently explores the possibility of settlement, is not averse to litigation and relishes her time in the courtroom. In an era when many attorneys went to law school to pass the time, Elizabeth is driven and passionate about her work.
Elizabeth earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Oregon and later obtained her Juris Doctorate from Golden Gate University. Prior to opening her practice in 2007, Elizabeth worked as an extern for the Honorable Marjorie Slabach in the San Francisco Superior Court Unified Family Court. She was admitted to the Washington and Oregon State Bars in 2007 and 2013, respectively. Elizabeth is NITA (National Institute of Trial Advocacy) trained and also serves Clark County as a Pro Tem Commissioner. She served as President of the Clark County Bar Association Family Law Section for two years and was elected by her peers to serve on the Washington State Family Law Section Executive Committee for a term of three years.
When she’s not working or mentoring newer attorneys, Elizabeth is spending time with her family and friends enjoying the outdoors, traveling to the coast, or trying new restaurants.
Ashley R. Fraley
Divorce Lawyers
Ashley Fraley is a dedicated professional who is passionate about assisting families during challenging times. With a genuine commitment to helping clients regain control in their lives, Ashley understands the importance of patiently explaining complex processes in a way that individuals can truly comprehend. By providing clear explanations, Ashley empowers clients with knowledge, enabling them to make informed decisions during periods of uncertainty.
In her work, Ashley demonstrates diligence in understanding her clients’ goals and aspirations. She prioritizes transparency and honesty, ensuring that clients have a realistic understanding of what can be achieved based on their specific circumstances. By setting clear expectations and offering practical advice, Ashley helps clients navigate their legal matters with a sense of confidence and purpose.
One of Ashley’s core beliefs is that it’s perfectly acceptable not to have all the answers, as long as one knows how to find them. She embraces a continuous learning mindset and is always ready to seek out the necessary information to best serve her clients. Ashley understands that every individual’s journey is unique, and she encourages her clients to focus on their own progress rather than comparing themselves to others. This mindset fosters a supportive and empathetic environment where clients can feel understood and respected.
Guiding someone through a difficult period requires a delicate balance of patience and honesty. Ashley values the opportunity to support her clients during their lowest points, providing them with the guidance and reassurance they need to move forward. Whether it’s navigating the aftermath of a divorce or assisting with modifications, Ashley believes in equipping her clients with the knowledge and understanding of their options. By doing so, she helps restore a sense of power and control to individuals who may feel overwhelmed by the dissolution process.
Having the best divorce lawyer in Portland can offer several advantages when navigating the divorce process in the area. While individual circumstances vary, here are some potential benefits of hiring a skilled divorce lawyer:
Local Knowledge: A top divorce lawyer in Portland will have a deep understanding of Oregon’s family law, divorce statutes, and local court procedures. This knowledge is crucial for effectively navigating the legal system and ensuring your rights are protected.
Expertise in Oregon Law: Family laws can vary from state to state. A skilled Portland divorce lawyer will be well-versed in Oregon’s specific laws pertaining to property division, alimony, child custody, child support, and more.
Legal Strategy: Each divorce case is unique, and an experienced lawyer can help you develop a tailored legal strategy that best suits your situation. They can advise you on the best course of action to achieve your desired outcomes.
Negotiation Skills: Divorce often involves negotiations over various aspects such as property division, spousal support, and child custody. A skilled lawyer can negotiate on your behalf to secure favorable terms and protect your interests.
Paperwork and Documentation: Divorce proceedings require a significant amount of paperwork and documentation. A proficient lawyer can assist you in gathering the necessary documents, completing forms accurately, and ensuring all required paperwork is submitted correctly and on time.
Emotional Support: Divorce can be emotionally challenging. A compassionate lawyer can provide you with support, guidance, and a professional perspective while you navigate the legal process.
Objective Advice: Emotions can impact decision-making during divorce. A lawyer can provide impartial advice, helping you make rational choices that are aligned with your long-term interests.
Advocacy in Court: If your case goes to court, having a skilled lawyer is essential. They can present your case persuasively to the judge, ensuring that your side of the story is well-represented and your rights are protected.
Alternative Dispute Resolution: A skilled divorce lawyer can explore alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation or collaborative divorce, which can help you reach agreements outside of court and potentially reduce time and costs.
Complex Financial Matters: If your divorce involves complex financial assets, such as businesses, investments, or high-value properties, a knowledgeable lawyer can help ensure a fair and accurate valuation and division of these assets.
Remember that the benefits of hiring a divorce lawyer will depend on your specific situation and the lawyer’s expertise. Consultation with a legal professional in Portland will provide you with personalized advice based on the unique details of your case.