General Law Blogs

Been a long time . . . .

Posted on April 20, 2017
It has been almost three years since the last post.  It has been a long time.  Ms. Dellicker obtained her Advanced Certified Paralegal designation from NALA.  Ms. Azure George has become an ace legal assistant and legal logistics expert and marketing evaluator...

Theresa Petrey Selected as a Rising Star for 2014 in Estate and Trust Litigation and adds staff member

Posted on June 18, 2014
 June 18, 2014-Ellensburg, Washington:  Theresa Petrey was named a 2014 Rising Star by Super Lawyers in Estate and Trust Litigation.  The selection of Rising Stars is based on research and peer nominations of lawyers under 40 or who have been in practice in Washington State for less than 10 years...

Legal Assistant Rebecca Dellicker receives NALA certification

Posted on November 26, 2013
November 25, 2013-Ellensburg, Washington:  The Law Office of Theresa Petrey congratulates family law legal assistant Rebecca Dellicker on her attainment of the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) certification.  NALA is the leading paralegal certification program in the United States and has been providing the certified Legal Assistant/Paralegal credentialing examination for over 30 years...

The Law Office of Theresa Petrey Welcomes New Staff Members

Posted on August 23, 2013
August 21, 2013-Ellensburg, Washington:  The Law Office of Theresa Petrey welcomes the following new staff members: Kelly Held-Office Manager/Probate and Business Legal Assistant.  Ms. Held brings rich experience and involvement in community business affairs to our office as a result of previous experience working in administration and management positions throughout Kittitas County in the funeral, title and retail industries...

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Theresa Petrey Selected as a Rising Star for 2013 in Estate and Trust Litigation and new office location

Posted on July 16, 2013
 July 16, 2013-Ellensburg, Washington:  Theresa Petrey was named a 2013 Rising Star by Super Lawyers in Estate and Trust Litigation.  The selection of Rising Stars is based on research and peer nominations of lawyers under 40 or who have been in practice in Washington State for less than 10 years...

Welcome 2013

Posted on January 07, 2013
Welcome 2013.  The calls for estate planning and business buy or sell transactions have been coming in.  I am in the process of planning for the year in my own solo practice and wrapping up 2012.  Just thought I should check in folks! Happy New Year!

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Posted on August 10, 2012
This post is for attorneys dealing with advanced stages of breast cancer who are in solo practice.  I am nearing the end of the year of active treatment for a case of inflammatory breast cancer.  Despite the ABA's breast cancer initiative, I unsucessfully searched and searched for information on solo practitioners who had faced this kind of an aggressive or advanced stage cancer, because I did not know what to do...

Water Law and General Practice Lawyering in a Small Town

Posted on February 27, 2012
With years of administrative bungling behind us here in Kittitas County, but not resolved, and the general tendency of potential clients, and even one unnamed wannabee legislator, to think a property owner should and can do whatever they want when it comes to water diversion, well drilling and simple adherence to a panopoly of laws involving water use and streambed modification, it is pretty difficult not to be touched by a water problem of one sort or another here where I live and work...

Theresa Petrey v. Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Posted on December 31, 2011
Well here it is at last, the blog post where I share a day in the life of a lawyerly lady in a small town attempting to work her way through treatment for a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer.  Early on, I made the decision, mostly by default due to my own experience with the highly effective grapevine news system in this community, not to try to keep the diagnosis quiet...

Moving Time Again

Posted on December 12, 2011
My new address for meeting clients in Kittitas County will be at 206 West First and the Kittitas Office will close on December 22, 2011.  All other contact information will remain the same.  Please effect all personal service of documents at 312 E...

The Long Journey Towards Acceptance of Marriage Equality

Posted on November 16, 2011
Later tonight, I will add my name to a list of members of the Washington State Democratic Party who support granting full marriage rights to persons who choose to marry a partner of the same sex in Washington State.  This has not been an easy road for me to travel to reach the place where I would be comfortable supporting anything other than the so-called "traditional marriage" of the past century in the United States...

Re: Request for action voiding contract, investigation, civil and or criminal prosecution, and subsequent removal of government officials if violations of RCW 43.88 or other unlawful acts are found to have been committed

Posted on October 25, 2011
Dear Governor Gregoire, Auditor Sonntag and Attorney General McKenna:I write in my capacity as a very concerned citizen and community stakeholder of Central Washington University and wish to express my concern that at least one prima facie violation of the Washington State Budget and Accounting Act, RCW 43...

Re: James Gaudino Bonus and general concerns regarding the direction of Central Washington University

Posted on October 21, 2011
Dear Members of the Board:I write today in my capacity as a very concerned citizen of Kittitas County, a community member who somewhat to her own surprise has grown deeply to care about what happens on the Central Washington University campus during the past few years, and as a lawyer who from time to time assists persons who are within the potential donor pool for charitable bequests to the University...

Occupy Wall Street and Main Street

Posted on October 08, 2011
A few years ago, I would tell anyone who would listen that I believed that the banking industry bailout and the subprime mortgage meltdown were the biggest wealth transfer of wealth away from the middle class and the poor this country has ever seen.  And, that, when the American people finally realized what had happended, there would be protesting in the streets...

Memories of 9/11

Posted on September 10, 2011
My remaining little bird in the nest was working on a school project this week and came with interview questions for me regarding my memories of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. I do remember that day. I was quietly lying in bed, listening to NPR, while my husband shaved and waiting for him to leave the bathroom so I could get started on my day...

Little Birds

Posted on June 22, 2011
I can see the empty nest from here.  That is what I tell people when they ask me what it feels like to have three of my adult children out of the house and pursuing independent lives.  I am proud of what my children have accomplished thus far...

WSASC 2011 Conference Presentation on Senior Insolvency

Posted on March 26, 2011
I will be presenting at the Washington State Association of Senior Centers Conference here in Ellensburg on May 25, 2011.  Once again, I'll be discussing some of the strategies that Seniors and their advocates can adopt to sucessfully deal with the sensitive issue of insolvency and debt collection issues.

Huge Kittitas County Vulnerable Adult Civil Decision and Federal Criminal Investigation Underway

Posted on December 30, 2010
Local CPA, Douglas Butler, successfully petitioned the court on behalf of his father, Norman Butler, who has Alzheimer's, and was awarded over Two Million Dollars.  This story has not of yet, for reasons unknown, been picked up by any local media outlets, but you can read the Whidbey Examiner's article here...

Kittitas County Democratic Party Chair

Posted on December 09, 2010
Earlier this week, I became the new Kittitas County Democratic Party Chair.  I am both humbled and honored to have this opportunity to serve my community and to contribute more to our party.

Tenancy by the Entireties Abolished under RCW 11.04.071

Posted on November 24, 2010
Recently, a local non-lawyer suggested that tenancy by the entireties was a mechanism that could be used to avoid probate through joint ownership. This is not so, as Washington abolished this type of a right of survivorship some time ago. While it may seem simple enough to transfer property outside of probate by titling property in joint tenancy or vesting as husband and wife, and there is a statutory presumption that property held in common by a husband and wife is community property, Washington Courts require more than mere deed language to ascertain the actual character of property as separate or community...

Sensationalism or Are we Just in Denial?

Posted on October 17, 2010
Charges have been made by Chief Ferguson and others that the response to the party in Roslyn by the national media has been sensationalized. Sending nine people to the hospital for alcohol poisoning even without the overlay of "rumors" that the drinks were spiked with date rape drugs is a very, very unusual incident and in all fairness, is deserving of considerable media attention...

Hate Crime: The Party in Roslyn Gone Wrong?

Posted on October 11, 2010
While Central Washington University prepares to enforce its policy on underage drinking by handing out suspensions (including, presumably, the young women who were victimized in the incident), the larger question of whether a hate crime occurred at the Roslyn party is going unaddressed...

Central Washington University Party Rape Scheme

Posted on October 10, 2010
In light of this weekend's high profile story on the party gone wrong in Roslyn, I am linking to one of my blogs from 2008 on the problems of college drinking for women and sexual assault. KOMO news carried a video report on this year's Roslyn incident which appears to be a mass distribution of a date rape drug.

Why I Moved to Kittitas and Signed the Legal Rebels Manifesto

Posted on August 27, 2010
Last week we moved to our high visibility corner in the very small town of Kittitas from our more elegant office on Dolarway in Ellensburg. We had previously had a satellite office (presence) in Kittitas right next door in Suite A. It's taken a lot of work to convert the former Korner Kuts beauty salon into something more lawyerly and we are still not done...

Our move to Kittitas

Posted on August 12, 2010
Like many businesses this past year, we've been looking for ways to cut costs. A year ago, I tested Kittitas as a potential location by renting the teeny tiny office on the corner of Main street and the Kittitas Valley Highway. Our presence in Kittitas has been beneficial over the past few months...

A Brief Guide to Certified Documents for Non-lawyers in Washington State - Avvo.com

Posted on June 03, 2010
Here's a link to an article that I've been wanting to write for a while on the uses of certified documents and what they are: A Brief Guide to Certified Documents for Non-lawyers in Washington State - Avvo.com Now off to garden for a few minutes.

Easter Egg Potatoes

Posted on April 04, 2010
Every spring I enjoy picking out different types of potatoes to plant in the garden. Yesterday's Daily Record here in Ellensburg had a great article on Irish Eyes owner Greg Lutovsky. Last year we grew purple fleshed potatoes which we ate mashed as they were quite tasty.

Washington State Bar Association Creed of Professionalism

Posted on January 26, 2010
Principle #1-In my dealings with lawyers, parties, witnesses, members of the bench and court staff, I will be civil and courteous and guided by fundamental tenets of integrity and fairness.

Dying Well

Posted on November 28, 2009
It has truly been my pleasure to assist a few people facing death with grace and dignity in putting their affairs in order. Even more pleasurable are those cherished circumstances where those left behind are able to experience closure if not greater closeness...

Post Halloween Mortem

Posted on November 05, 2009
It was a good halloween.This year we had the most grotesque pumpkins in the neighborhood-seven of them. And, we had eight trick or treaters (including the parental units). This was double last year's numbers. Our house might be a little too scary and we are far, far away from other houses...

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