Tristen Key practices family law in Snohomish and King Counties. Tristen was well known throughout Washington State as a social worker where she dedicated 10 years of service with several local public agencies before attending law school. Upon graduation, Tristen chose to practice family law as an extension of her social work experience.

Tristen has a winning track record using her keen ability to anticipate the other side's case strategy to stay one step ahead. Her unique ability to be competitive yet reasonable and compassionate makes her a trusted attorney by clients and well respected by her colleagues and the bench. Tristen is known in the community for zealously and diligently advocating for her client's interests. She is never hesitant to take on complex and difficult cases and has many years of experience in the courtroom and with successful results.

Tristen's distinctive approach to clients is to establish a rapport of trust, confidence and candor with clients at the earliest onset to create and accomplish a case strategy for the best possible outcome. Tristen strongly believes in fostering a relationship that allows clients to feel at ease in conveying their hopes, fears and anxieties which can drive a case. She works diligently to keep her clients apprised of all developments in their case so the client may remain proactive throughout their litigation.

"I try to convey to all my clients that I can appreciate the difficulties that lie ahead for them during and after the litigation. I am not a detached lawyer but a lawyer who truly cares about the outcome of each and every aspect of their case. I strongly believe in coming up with solutions outside of the box to fit my client's individual case rather than using a cookie cutter approach to family law. At the end of the day, my clients are real people with real problems who have trusted me to take care of their family's legal needs."

Client Reviews

Smart, Tenacious, Caring, Experienced
Posted by: Gilbert, a Divorce client, 2011-05-11.

Client Review: I interviewed five attorneys about handling my divorce and only one of them really conveyed an understanding of my situation and my concerns, but she turned out to be a county and a half away which I knew wouldn't work logistically or financially. Then I found Tristen. After a phone consultation I knew she was the attorney I needed. She understood my worries and the case, and she had worked with other clients in the same career field as mine so she understood the needs and difficulties related to the work. She was clearly positive that she could help me maintain joint custody of my kids, if not get me sole custody, and she was compassionate and non-judgmental with my emotional state.

My divorce has been very contentious, very difficult and Tristen has been everything I described above in the title; I feel she has outwitted and out-played opposing council. She has recommended strong advocates for my position in mediation and in the Guardian ad Litum. Her years of experience in family law have been evident. Tristen has been considerate of my financial position as well and has offered help and suggestions to find ways through that maze. She has been supportive and positive throughout this process, even when I felt things were hopeless. She has been smart, forceful and honest; pointing out the realities in the process, dispelling the myths, explaining what I don't understand and helping me to see the long view and the big picture when considering options. The short of it is, I'm glad Tristen is in my corner and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to my friends.

I recommend Tristen Key. I used Tristen 6-12 months ago. Tristen handled my Divorce / Separation matter. I have previously worked with no lawyers.

Rating: Overall rating Excellent Trustworthy Excellent Responsive Excellent Knowledgeable Excellent Kept me informed Excellent

Knowledgeable, Confident, and Caring
Posted by: a Divorce client, 2011-05-10.

Client Review: When my ex and I separated, we weren't able to come to a fair agreement on a parenting plan. Years went by as she used my son against me to get what she wanted. I tried to file for divorce on my own, but her unwillingness to cooperate forced me to give up. Several more years went by as she continued to abuse my relationship with my son until I couldn't take it anymore. I talked with three attorneys about my situation and they all said there was no way a man was going to win primary custody of a child who had been living with his mother and siblings for over 10 years. Then I met Tristen. She believed in me from day one and not only did I win primary custody, but now my ex has to pay me child support! Tristen did an amazing job telling my story and with the help of a Guardian ad Litem, she made sure my son's story was told as well. One of her best assets is that she is very good at finding holes in the opposing side's story and exposing the truth. This combined with great communication and a "no fear" attitude, make her an amazing attorney.

I recommend Tristen Key. I used Tristen 1-6 months ago. Tristen handled my Divorce / Separation matter. I have previously worked with 3-5 lawyers.

Rating: Overall rating Excellent Trustworthy Excellent Responsive Excellent Knowledgeable Excellent Kept me informed Excellent

Excellent, Professional, and Compassionate
Posted by: Chris, a Divorce client, 2011-05-09.

Client Review: Tristen has done a wonderful job at helping me through a very rough divorce. Not only is Tristen honest and caring, but she seemed to know everything that was needed for my case. It was a very ugly situation, and frustration was a weekly event due to the ex. Tristen was very empathetic to my situation, and always on top of the case and kept everything moving in a positive direction. I know she had other clients while working with me, but she always knew details and made me feel like her only client. She is very professional and knows how to get down to business. She was able to handle every curve ball my ex and her lawyer could throw at us. Not once did I ever feel like Tristen wasn't in complete control of the situation. I would recommend her to anyone with a family law problem. I hope I never need a lawyer again but if I do Tristen is the one I am calling.

I recommend Tristen Key. I used Tristen 1-6 months ago. Tristen handled my Divorce / Separation matter. I have previously worked with 1-2 lawyers.

Rating: Overall rating Excellent Trustworthy Excellent Responsive Excellent Knowledgeable Excellent Kept me informed Excellent

So pleased that she was on my team!
Posted by: James, a Family client, 2011-04-30.

Client Review: In taking time to reflect of Tristen Key's performance as an attorney the first words that come to mind are: engaged, energetic, thoughtful, resourceful, and spunky. I had originally hired and settled my divorce with an 20+year attorney which I thought because of his experience would be beneficial. He did a pretty good job but he lacked the energy and willingness to seek counsel of his peers in tough matters. I became dissatisfied with his representation in my case and began my search for someone who would represent me with the passion and accuracy that I wanted to express. My ex-wife was violating our parenting plan on many occasions and as an engaged father I was not going to let the common thought that men are not successful in family law matters stop me from protecting my relationship with my children. In my search I discovered Tristen Key and after our first meeting I knew that I was on the right track and that prayers for correction in my case were close to being answered.	I recommend Tristen Key. I used Tristen 6-12 months ago. Tristen handled my Family matter. I have previously worked with 1-2 lawyers.
	Rating: Overall rating Excellent Trustworthy Excellent Responsive Excellent Knowledgeable Excellent Kept me informed Excellent
She first represented me in a difficult contempt motion and was successful in having my ex-wife held in contempt for violating our parenting plan. This was amazing as my ex-wife was well represented but despite this, Ms. Key wrote a fantastic declaration, even taking time to consult with many of her peers about my case, and argued my case very well. She has since represented me in another matter that resulted in an additional positive outcome. Soon I will be needing further legal assistance in a support modification issue and I will certainly be using Ms. Key for this. I recommend her because she is able to cut to the chase without allowing important details fall by the wayside. In conclusion she is an excellent attorney to have on my side.

Genuine Caring Lawyer
Posted by: Dan, a Child Custody client, 2011-04-28.

Client Review: We hired Tristen to modify a child support order in Feb 2010. We have found her to be professional and caring. We had interviewed other lawyers and found that they only seemed to be about billable hours and this was not the case with Tristen. She genuinely cared about our case and what was in the best interest of our kids. We appreciated her honesty in what we were asking for even if it was not in our favor. We are still involved in finalizing our paperwork and have the utmost confidence in her abilities.

I recommend Tristen Key. I used Tristen 1-6 months ago. Tristen handled my Child Custody matter. I have previously worked with 1-2 lawyers.

Rating: Overall rating Excellent Trustworthy Excellent Responsive Excellent Knowledgeable Excellent Kept me informed Excellent

Excellent attorney that I would recommend to anyone
Posted by: a Divorce client, 2011-04-26.

Client Review: I can't say enough about how well my case has been handled from the beginning by Tristen. She is extremely knowledgeable about Washington family law and has been several steps ahead of the opposition all along. Thanks to her my kids are out of a bad situation and I have virtually full custody of them. I have recommended Tristen to a coworker who is going through a similar situation.

I recommend Tristen Key. I used Tristen 1-6 months ago. Tristen handled my Divorce / Separation matter. I have previously worked with 1-2 lawyers.

Rating: Overall rating Excellent Trustworthy Excellent Responsive Excellent Knowledgeable Excellent Kept me informed Excellent