Divorce Mediation
Kathleen Royer
Kathleen Royer began practicing family law in Seattle in 1992. She is a graduate of Humboldt State University and Seattle University School of Law. Her practice emphasized cooperative/collaborative cases, mediation, and settlement conferences.
Kathleen offers alternative dispute resolution services to effectively and efficiently resolve family law issues. Kathleen has completed substantial professional mediation training, including specialized training in parent-teen mediation and conflict resolution. Kathleen offers mediation in all aspects of divorce, including child custody and parenting matters, post-decree modifications, and complex property matters.
Before forming Northwest Family Mediation, Kathleen developed experience in complicated parenting and non-parental custody matters. She also has extensive experience in other matters relating to children and families including adoptions, special education, dependency, and guardianships. Kathleen has trial and appellate experience and has handled appeals in state and federal courts. She is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Kathleen has served as a Court Commissioner pro tempore in King County Superior Court since 1998 and as a Volunteer Settlement Conference Master for King County Superior Court since 2001.
Kathleen has been a presenter for continuing legal education programs including Unified Family Court, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Third Party (non-parental) Custody Matters, Family Law Skills Training, Ethics and Compelling and Defending Against Discovery, Ethics and Representing a Client Under a Disability, and Family Law Practice in the Ex Parte Department.
Kathleen has been a member of the King County Bar Association Family Law Section since 1994, and served as the Section’s Chair in 2003-04. She has served on the Section’s legislative committee. She served as the liaison to the Unified Family Court Training Oversight Committee, which she co-chaired from 2000 to 2006. Kathleen has also volunteered in community law clinics and participated in the work group that revised and developed the King County Local Family Law Rules. In September 2008, Kathleen was elected to the Washington State Bar Association Family Law Section Executive Committee for a three-year term.
As a resident of one of King County’s unincorporated urban areas, in 2000-01 Kathleen participated in a citizen advisory group to improve traffic and pedestrian safety. She served as a member and President of the Board of Directors of the West Hill Community Council from April of 2002 through 2006. She was appointed to the King County Commission on Governance in 2003 and served until the work was completed in 2004. Kathleen was the Co-Chair of the West Hill Governance Task Force. She has also served on the board or in an advisory capacity for several non-profit organizations in the Seattle area.
Before moving to Seattle and attending law school, Kathleen was a project manager with the San Francisco Conservation Corps, a non-profit agency that provides employment for at-risk youth and young adults through community improvement projects. She also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa.