Lauren Walchli
As an experienced family law attorney, Lauren Walchli has focused her practice on helping couples and individuals through divorce, custody, support, guardianships, and adoptions. Serving her clients in a personal way has been her calling since law school when she first discovered family law. After fifteen years, she finds the work gratifying and strives to be fully present for each of her clients, giving them her undivided attention.
Lauren’s past clients have appreciated her pragmatic approach to resolving their cases. She believes one of the most valuable things that family law lawyers can bring to people is reorienting their view to focus on the dollars and cents or on what the children need and pull them away from anger, or heated emotions. Helping her clients remain objective helps them make sound decisions that best serve their interests.
She also brings clarity to each case, giving her clients a high-level view of their situation so they are fully aware of the costs and risks of litigation. Every client story and case is different, but no matter the parameters, lives, or assets at stake, Lauren is highly effective at keeping costs down and delivering out-of-court settlements, or providing expert legal representation when necessary in litigation cases.
Lauren routinely works with clients who wish to avoid litigation and resolve their cases collaboratively. Every client has a unique situation, and in many instances, a cooperative approach to distribute the assets or work out a parenting plan is better tailored to a family’s needs than litigation in the court system. During the initial meeting with a client, Lauren will discuss their particular case in detail and determine the best, most cost-effective method to resolve it.
She also represents high-asset individuals, as well as business owners. Clients often need the assistance of an expert to testify on their behalf, whether it be an accountant, an appraiser, a custody evaluator, or a social worker. In litigated cases, Lauren routinely utilizes these experts to her client’s advantage.
Lauren is well-versed in the compensation packages of local technology companies, including complex assets such as restricted stock units, stock options, and stock appreciation rights, which many employees have. Understanding such assets is imperative to adequate representation in a divorce and can save you significant amounts of money. If you are a divorce client and you have these kinds of assets, Lauren will advise you of the best method to divide these assets in order to equally allocate the risks of market gains and losses, as well as the tax impacts, between you and your spouse.
Do not let her hard-to-pronounce, Swiss last name fool you: Lauren is proficient in Spanish and has represented Spanish speakers throughout her legal career.
Lauren is admitted to practice law in Oregon state and federal courts. When she is not working, she paints and kickboxes. She has deep roots in the Pacific Northwest. In 1841, some of her Métis (part-Native, part-European Canadian) and European ancestors settled in what is now Washington County and Clark County, Washington. Her family also farms a variety of crops in Hermiston, including the notorious watermelons.