Washington Domestic Violence

As you may have already discovered, accusations of Washington domestic violence crimes are taken very seriously by law enforcement, prosecutors, and the courts. In addition to potential jail time and fines, a conviction for a domestic violence related crime (even a "minor" assault) will have serious long term consequences.

We understand after you have been arrested for a Washington State DV charge you may have feelings of despair, hopelessness, and even anger. We are here to tell you that there is hope that your charge will be successfully resolved and even more importantly, that you will make it through this period.

We would like to help you fight your Washington State domestic violence case, such as assault, malicious mischief, harassment, violation of a no contact order, or any other DV related case. Please call us so that we may do that. It is what we do – day in and day out, every day, every year. We have been doing it, collectively, for over three decades. We are passionate about our work and will be doing it for years to come. We have helped hundreds of people who are in a similar situation as yours fight their charges. We have had great results, with many people having their Washington domestic violence cases dismissed, reduced to a lesser charge, or found not guilty after a trial.

Here is how we do it:

1. Free Initial Consultation:

We meet with you in our office, for free and for as long as it takes. We like to do this initial consultation in person (not over the phone) because this is the best way to hear about your case and give you legal advice. There is simply no substitute for a face to face meeting.

At that meeting we:

• Review the facts of what happened and why you are facing the accusation of a Washington State DV charge;
• Identify potential issues that may make it difficult for the government to prosecute you on your Washington DV case;
• Describe the Washington State DV laws, as well as the Washington State criminal procedure that you will be facing over the next few months;
• Outline different options you may have in your Washington State DV case; and
• Provide you with a "game plan" in the form of a list of things to do to help you resolve your Washington State DVs in the best possible manner.

2. Our Job:

If you decide that one of us is a good fit to work with you on your Washington DV case (it is your choice who you work with and we promise not to hard sell you, we only want to work with people who want to work with us) then we will we begin representing you on your case.

We represent people all over the state on DV cases, but most often in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties.

Representation includes:

• Attending all court hearings with you;
• Answering all your phone calls, emails and questions within 1 day (usually immediately);
• Investigating your case;
• Advising you of your options for your DV charges and giving you our opinion of what you should do;
• Reviewing the accusations, witness statements, and law enforcement's arrest report with you;
• Aggressively fighting your case – this means negotiating with the prosecutor, filing legal motions, representing you in court and doing whatever it takes to get you the best deal possible for your case. (Please note, if you want fist pounding, shouting and screaming lawyers, we are not for you – that is not our style.  We have found that we get the best results by being ourselves - civilized, honest and hardworking, not by grandstanding); and
• Being there to “hold your hand” throughout the entire process – beginning to end, in court, in the office, and over the phone.

3. Commitment:

We strive to be a firm of integrity.

Here are our goals:

• Honesty
• Direct and no-nonsense
• Hard-working
• Organized
• Professional
• Excellent at what we do
• Provide top-notch customer service
• Respected by judges, prosecutors and other lawyers

Based upon feedback from our clients [2], it appears that we are living up to these goals and are committed to doing so in the future.

4. Who We Are:

We all feel fortunate that other people have recognized us [2] for being good at what we do.  Here is some information about our backgrounds and accomplishments [3]:

• Geoffrey Burg:  I have had great success in helping people accused of criminal offenses. I pride myself (and gauge how well I am doing) by the number of thank you notes I receive from my clients [4]. I feel proud in saying that I regularly receive these. I have been recognized as a "Super Lawyer" by my peers in Washington Law and Politics Magazine. I am actively involved as a Legislative Liaison for the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. In this role I have written, lobbied for and passed three laws that help people accused of crimes in Washington State. Additionally, I graduated from Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College - an intensive training program where we learned trial skills from some of the best litigators in the country.

• Patricia Fulton: I devote my practice to defending clients accused of crimes. I am very proud of my reputation [5] as a thoughtful and articulate advocate I have earned while defending people accused of crimes in Washington. I am a member of numerous criminal defense and trial organizations and stay active in groups working to protect the rights of those accused of crimes. I am an active in the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and am currently working with their legislative committee to protect the rights of people accused of crimes in Washington State. I also periodically teach continuing legal education classes to other lawyers and publish articles on various criminal defense topics. In 2002, I attended Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College and have been named a "rising star" by Washington Law and Politics Magazine.

• Tammy LaLanne: As our paralegal, Tammy keeps us organized and on time. She is the person who greets you on the phone and helps with many of the details of your case. While we try to speak to you in person when you call, if we are in court, Tammy is the one that will make sure your questions are answered. Tammy has been working in the legal field since 1989 and in 2003 she graduated from Highline Community College with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in the Paralegal Program. Tammy is a member of the Washington State Paralegal Association and the National Association of Legal Professionals.

5. What You Can Do Now:

We have designed this web site to try and answer every Washington DV question that you may have.

We did this because we know that knowledge is power and we want to give you back some of the power that you may feel you have lost from your arrest.

We would like the opportunity to meet with you and discuss your Washington DV case.

Please give us a call or email us so that we can begin to help you resolve your case.

GB & PF