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Sheila Ridgway and her firm are simply the best.“Against my will, I got pulled into an 18 month super complex legal drama related to undue influence related to wills that involved multiple lawyers, substantiated adult protection, attorney malpractice, fraud, theft, multiple failed mediations, and a court battle. This case was like a made for tv movie, with a crazy conman who convinced my elderly relative that his family hated him and typed out new wills to be signed days before his death. While adult protection easily found this to be financial exploitation, we still had to fight it out in the courts. What a messed up system. I wouldn't have survived if I didn't luck out in getting the best attorney in the Seattle area on my side. Sheila was incredible clear, transparent, and supportive throughout. She is easy to talk to and has a great sense of humor, and the levity was very helpful in this very stressful time. Most importantly, she ALWAYS was looking out for me - not only for my interests in the case, but also to make sure I wasn't being over-charged (she refrained from attending some of the depositions, etc., to limit my fees). She is just so smart and experienced, and was such a great strategist in this whole ordeal. I loved talking to her to learn about the intricacies of the law related to my case, and she knew all the players in the case or could easily point them out (other attorneys, judges, expert witnesses, etc.). As she knew that I knew the situational details better than her, she also deferred to me when appropriate, so between the two of us we came up with a MUCH better outcome that would have been closer to the wishes of my family member than what most of the other attorneys had thought was possible and had been pushing for. I wouldn't wish a will contest on anyone, but if you get stuck in the middle of one, Sheila Ridgway and her firm are simply the best. Thanks Sheila, Kristen, Hanan, Ken, Morris and the rest of the team!”
Sharp, responsive, communicates so you can understand, compassionate, gets results.“It’s sad when a loved one dies how greedy and ruthless relatives can become when there is money involved. Wills, trusts and estates are complex matters and if you determine you need to hire an attorney, you really need to find the best attorney you can to represent your interests. Should you need to look at contesting a will, you need to hire an attorney who has probate litigation expertise and experience. Sheila Ridgway was referred to me by another trust and estate planning attorney, Eric Fahlman, who did not have probate litigation expertise. I met and hired Sheila in May 2009 and my matter was resolved in December 2009. I highly recommend hiring Sheila if you need assistance in any will, trust, estate or probate matter that might require litigation. Sheila is sharp, responsive, communicates legal jargon in simple terms so you can understand, is compassionate, really cares about you and doing the right thing, is fair about her billing, and gets results. Sheila is recognized as one of Washington’s leading probate litigation attorneys. She has excellent credentials. She has served as the Chair of the Probate Litigation and Ethics seminar sponsored by the King County Bar Association since 1998. She has spoken at many legal seminars on behalf of the Washington State and King County Bar Associations on estate and trust litigation and probate. Sheila is highly regarded among her peers: Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rated "Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers” and has been recognized in Seattle Met Magazine, 2010 Top Lawyer. Most people do not enjoy dealing with legal matters or attorneys, but I can honestly say it was a positive experience working with Sheila. She’s good and I highly recommend hiring her for any will, trust, estate, or probate matter. With sincere recommendation, Michele P. Bothell, WA”
They are very conscientious and professional“Ridgway Law Group helped me maneuver through a difficult probate process for my mom's estate. They are very conscientious and professional, responding to my requests for information and support in an expeditious manner. Don't hesitate to work with Sheila and her associates!”
She was well prepared, intelligent, very capable, and very helpful.“My experiences with Sheila were completely contrary. She was well prepared, intelligent, very capable, and very helpful. Her fees were reasonable and her willingness to make herself available when I had questions was amazing. In short - highly recommended!”
All-in-all, first class; hire Sheila.“I was referred to Sheila by my first probate attorney because he thought I would need Sheila's litigation experience. Rather than an excruciating and expensive litigation experience, Sheila's professional acumen ruled the day, gently reining in two inexperienced and error-prone attorneys working for a hostile and aggressive beneficiary who challenged my administration of the estate. As others have noted, Sheila is able to acknowledge the emotional toll of such a challenge while gently and repeatedly bringing the client (me, in this case) back to the practical matters at hand. Aside from her own experitise, her staff is wall-to-wall wonderful, talented, and patient. Sheila also gave me excellent referrals to another terrific attorney to deal with real estate and a child's trust, and also a CPA who worked miracles. All-in-all, first class; hire Sheila.”
In All Ways, Incredibly Impressive“Our case involved my 85 year old mother, a trust from her son who recently passed, a vague and complex will and a Trustee who was not at all 'Trust-worthy'. A rather dire situation when Sheila and her esteemed team came on board. Like many, we never imagined hiring a lawyer but there’s a tipping point at which one realizes it is the best and only way. It then becomes imperative to find a good match with regard to legal representation. We were fortunate that our estate planner informed us of the seriousness of our situation and to take on the malfeasance we faced, 'someone strong and smart was needed' to use their words and recommended Sheila Ridgway, VISION & COMMUNICATION: Out of the gate, Sheila took hold of the many moving parts to strategize an excellent charge forward. Always the professional, Sheila consistently responded quickly to opposing counsel’s correspondence (that vacillated between incompetance and illegal actions), while holding ground on all fronts. Sheila is efficient, works hard, knows what she’s doing with a unique way of rising above the nonsense, bringing civility to the situation thus reducing time and costs -- which is so critical. Throughout the process, Sheila was incredibly mindful keeping us abreast of the latest and clarify any complicated matters (putting legalize into laymen terms) for which my mother was extremely appreciative. IT’S ALL IN THE RESULTS: All the credentials and attributes of an excellent lawyer and law office are well in place, proven by our highly successful financial outcome ... and my mother so grateful to be free of what was a truly humiliating and horrific situation. EMPATHY: You will be most taken by how patient and personable while also very proactive and protective Sheila is with clients but especially with the elderly. Positive financial outcomes are critical but also of great import, is working with someone who sincerely cares for their clients which is certainly the case with Sheila.”
Challenging case, succesfully resolved.“Our family was unwillingly forced into a challenging and difficult contested probate matter. Ms. Ridgway was not only extremely professional, she helped us navigate unfamiliar laws and court proceedings with ease. We were very happy that she was able to help us settle the matter before it proceeded to a full-blown trial. We were very pleased with both the final outcome as well as Ms. Ridgway's representation. At all times, we found her to be extremely responsive and considerate of our concerns. She fully explained our options and chances for success. I personally found Ms. Ridgway to be a pleasant and knowledgeable individual. Having read the negative reviews on this web site, I can only conclude that the reviewers have accidentally posted their reviews on the wrong attorney's listing. None of the descriptions are at all applicable to this attorney or her representation of our family.”
Innovative, forward-thinking solutions“Sheila helped me with a difficult and stressful family situation. What I appreciate most was her ability to come up with innovative, creative ideas and solutions. This allowed me to move forward with confidence in pursuing and resolving the issue rather than waiting for another party to initiate legal action. We achieved a positive outcome within a shorter time period. She kept me focused on the big picture as opposed to all the emotional details. I felt she had a high level of knowledge and understanding of the issue at hand, the law, and the best way to navigate through the process. I highly recommend Sheila.”
Sheila represented us well in a difficult situation.“Sheila represented us well in a difficult situation. She insured that her team was on track and we were correctly represented in the courts. On top of it!”
Excellent - Transparent in everything“Sheila was referred to me by a highly respected law firm who had helped me set up a Special Needs Trust for my sister-in-law when her father died intestate. As, her POA, I was hoping to spare my sister-in-law the cost of a litigation attorney. But, the estate attorney was totally incompetent, and began threatening me with litigation/jail when I asked to get my sister-in-law's things out of the family home. Sheila came to the rescue with correct legal terminology, unending patience dealing with the other attorney, and accurate information as to what I could do and couldn't do. Sheila kept me safe to help my sister-in-law. And, she kept me informed of every email coming and going between the parties so that I could make timely decisions, or add/adjust information as needed. Yes, it cost a lot. But, for peace of mind and a caring, knowledgeable attorney, I would recommend Sheila to anyone. She was worth every dollar.”
Excellent representation in Family Trust & Estate matter.“I was referred to Sheila to handle a complex Family Trust matter. She got my sister and me in for a consult on the same day we called her office, which was a real plus. Through months of back and forth with another family member's attorney, I realized that we were lucky to have Sheila's and her team's excellent representation. The matter was concluded to our satisfaction. Thank you Sheila, Ken, Michael, Hanan and everyone else who made this work.”
A great listener and supportive attorney.“Sheila provided excellent advice and support through a highly contested probate. She started representing me by getting a reduction in legal fees from the law firm that had originally been retained, which overcharged us for what should have been a simple matter. She continued to represent me in a claim against the estate, which was successfully settled to my satisfaction. Throughout all of this, Sheila and her firm provided excellent support, advice and was very fair in her billing. I would recommend Sheila and her firm to anyone in need of a probate litigator who listens to her client, provides excellent legal advice, and responsive to client needs.”
Her knowledge of the law was at the highest level.“Excellence in managing adult guardianship situation Facing the need to protect a family member from their own diminished capacity is one of the most difficult legal situations most people will ever experience. Sheila is professional yet compassionate which is very reassuring. Sheila’s expertise helped us get through a difficult family situation, where an adult guardianship was needed. Her knowledge of the law was at the highest level. There were more than 8 attorneys in this case and Sheila was able to steer them into a more fruitful and effective direction. The other attorneys were going off on tangents that were not critical to the case, adding significantly to the legal fees. Due to her skill, our family member is now protected from herself and from others who might take advantage of her. I really feel that Sheila “had my back.””
Sheila Ridgway and her firm are simply the best.“Against my will, I got pulled into an 18 month super complex legal drama related to undue influence related to wills that involved multiple lawyers, substantiated adult protection, attorney malpractice, fraud, theft, multiple failed mediations, and a court battle. This case was like a made for tv movie, with a crazy conman who convinced my elderly relative that his family hated him and typed out new wills to be signed days before his death. While adult protection easily found this to be financial exploitation, we still had to fight it out in the courts. What a messed up system. I wouldn't have survived if I didn't luck out in getting the best attorney in the Seattle area on my side. Sheila was incredible clear, transparent, and supportive throughout. She is easy to talk to and has a great sense of humor, and the levity was very helpful in this very stressful time. Most importantly, she ALWAYS was looking out for me - not only for my interests in the case, but also to make sure I wasn't being over-charged (she refrained from attending some of the depositions, etc., to limit my fees). She is just so smart and experienced, and was such a great strategist in this whole ordeal. I loved talking to her to learn about the intricacies of the law related to my case, and she knew all the players in the case or could easily point them out (other attorneys, judges, expert witnesses, etc.). As she knew that I knew the situational details better than her, she also deferred to me when appropriate, so between the two of us we came up with a MUCH better outcome that would have been closer to the wishes of my family member than what most of the other attorneys had thought was possible and had been pushing for. I wouldn't wish a will contest on anyone, but if you get stuck in the middle of one, Sheila Ridgway and her firm are simply the best. Thanks Sheila, Kristen, Hanan, Ken, Morris and the rest of the team!”
