I’m Marielle Duncan.
I’ve practiced family law in Spokane for twenty years, all of them on my own. Divorce, custody, child support, adoption. It’s the only work I do, and I still think it’s some of the most important work a lawyer can do.
Why I do this
Family law is the part of the legal system most people meet at the worst moment of their lives. They come in having slept badly for weeks. They’ve been handed papers they don’t understand, or they’re scared about their kids, or they’re trying to keep the lights on after a job loss. How a lawyer treats them in that moment stays with them for years.
I learned that early. I grew up in Cheney, and when I was in high school my parents divorced. They were decent people having a terrible year, and the lawyers made it worse: letters that read like threats, a fight over furniture that cost more than the furniture. I remember thinking that it didn’t have to go that way. I still think so.
Why it’s just me
I started out at a larger firm in downtown Spokane, and I learned a lot there. What I didn’t like was how often a client called and got someone who had never read their file. So twenty years ago I opened my own practice with a simple rule: if you call, you get me.
I’ve kept it that way. I don’t take on more cases than I can handle myself. I read every document, I write every filing, and I’m the one in court with you. It means I’m not the right fit for everyone. It also means nothing about your case gets lost between people.
What I’ve learned
After this many years, very little surprises me, and I’ve found that’s useful to the people I work with. When you tell me what happened, I’ve almost certainly seen something like it. I can tell you what usually comes next, what tends to matter to a judge in Spokane County and what doesn’t, and where people tend to spend money they’ll regret.
I’ve also learned to be honest about what I don’t know. I can’t promise you an outcome. Nobody can. What I can tell you is how cases like yours have gone, and what I think gives you the best footing.
The other thing I’ve learned: most people are stronger than they feel the week they first call me. They get through it. Their kids get through it. A year later they’re living a life they couldn’t picture from that first meeting. I get to see that part too, and it’s a lot of why I’m still here.
Outside the office
I live on the South Hill. Most mornings start with a walk on the Centennial Trail before the phone starts ringing. I’m a reliably bad gardener and a decent cook, and I’ll talk about either one for longer than you’d like.
If you’d like to talk
Call me. You don’t need to have it all sorted out. Tell me what’s happening, and we’ll find a time to sit down.