Susan Caroll

Skill and Compassion in Times of Crisis

My practice emphasizes issues involving minor children. This includes marriage dissolutions, paternity cases, adoptions, and third party custody actions. When conflict erupts in families, it is often the children who are the most vulnerable. One of my goals in every case is to protect the children. Depending on your case, this could mean anything from protecting them from an abusive parent to finding ways to lower the level of conflict between the parents.

Too often families in legal cases end up with cookie-cutter solutions rather than solutions tailored to fit their circumstances, and the particular needs of their children. The ages of your children, the degree of cooperation or hositility between you and your spouse, your work and activity schedules, any emotional or substance abuse issues, the special needs of your children, and the values that are important to you — all of these should be considered when determining the parenting arrangements that are going to be most appropriate for you and your children.

When you are involved in a contested divorce or other family law conflict, I will listen to what you are going through and work with you to help you successfully navigate the minefields of the litigation system or to negotiate the best possible result for you and your family. Family conflict is difficult and painful. Together we can get you through it so you can move on with your life.

While many cases need to proceed through the court system, sometimes we are able to work together to find solutions outside of court. When that is possible, Collaboration, Mediation, and Negotiation are methods I can use to explore the options and create solutions. There is no single process that is right for everyone. I work with you to decide on the best approach for your situation.

What is important in all cases is that you and I work together as a team. I see my role as helping you achieve the best resolution, both for you and your children.

You can contact Susan directly at susan@seattledivorceservices.com.

Susan Carroll graduated with honors from Purdue University and worked in the arts and technology fields before attending law school at the University of Washington School of Law. As a student, she was Executive Comments Editor for the Pacific Rim Law and Policy Journal and published on ethics and corporate governance. She was also the administrative assistant for the WSBA Ethics 2003 Committee and interned with the Honorable Justice Mary Fairhurst. Susan is a professionalism peer mentor for the KCBA Councils of Law, former chair of the KCBA Family Law local rules committee, and the liaison between the KCBA Family Law section and the Unified Family Court. She also volunteers with the King County Superior Court Dependency CASA program as an advocate for foster children.