I'd like to thank Andy Newsom from bottom of my heart. Before coming to Gearing Rackner and McGrath I had previous counsel who made mistakes that ended up costing me time with my kids and a lot of money. Andy clearly explained my options and provided me with realistic expectations. He did everything he could to help me understand all of the costs of each option. He really helped me feel comfortable and confident. After our initial consultation he quickly picked up the pieces of my case. He put together a plan of attack which led to negotiations and a fair and equitable resolution. I realized right away how ethical he is. He clearly proved himself as an outstanding attorney, but, just as important, he was honest, kind hearted, and personable. Andy and his team are invaluable and will fight for your rights as a parent. I am forever grateful and blessed to have had them on my side. Sincerely, Karl Biedritzky read more

Adam Shelton represented my ex wife. my goal was a quick and fair resolution with a working relationship. Mr Shelton was adversarial, made false accusation, and refused to discuss parenting time over finances. He cost our family thousands and destroyed any chance of friendship between my ex and I. The worst part is the kids were dragged into as a result of the conflict. I wouldn't recommend him on either side if you are looking for a low conflict resolution. If the goal is to burn it down, go for it! read more

If I may be so bold, I would say that Mike McGrath is the Michael Jordan of family law. My case was a bit more complicated than others, where nuanced aspects of my case were of the utmost importance. Mike has a way of understanding what is at stake and taking care of things meticulously yet expediently. Throughout the case, I had many questions that, I'm sure, were a bit of an irritation for Mike. Yet, he answered my questions with patience and candor. His personality is fun and professional, making you feel like his only client. It is never fun to hire an attorney, but Mike provided an experience that negates the typical "lawyer reputation." Thank you, Mike! read more

These "Legal Seagulls" at GRM are a complete disgrace to true "Family Law" attorneys. They don't care about anything except money. They certainly don't care about the well-being of you or your children. If you like the taste of your own puke then hire these guys. Because that's just what you'll do when they cross your mind. Hell, my ex and I actually can laugh about how they communicated with her lawyer behind my back then had the nerve to charge me for it! PLEASE DON'T BE ME! You'll get much better legal representation from a hockey stick. read more

Thomas Ybarra is a highly organized and knowledgeable attorney and I'm so grateful for his attention to detail when it came to my divorce proceedings. He was always honest with me about what to expect and also heard me when I told him what I wanted/needed. He was able to successfully argue my position for sole custody of my two children, secure me spousal support and child support, and negotiate an agreement that allowed me to keep my house. His attention to my case was constant and I could always get ahold of him when I needed advice. I highly recommend Mr. Ybarra's counsel if you are looking for representation in a divorce or child custody case. He knows the law and is able to explain how the process works. He made my very volatile divorce bearable and having him in my corner was a complete godsend. No one truly wins in divorce, but in my case he got me a big win on paper. Grateful for his representation. read more

Horrible representation, to the point I was told that I could file a malpractice suit due to being told I could lose my kids due to my MS. They did not do anything to help me, nor my children who were in a dangerous situation, they just incited arguments between my ex and I. They were good at scaring me and taking my $50,000. After I fired them, I hired a great attorney and she got me full custody and reduced visitation for ex in 5 hours and it cost me only $5,000, due to the fact that she looked up my ex husbands driving records and hired a mediator. read more

This office and staff is outstanding!! Adam helped me when I needed someone the most. I was scared and didn't even know where to begin. He was very kind, professional, and helped me every step of the way. He answered every question I had in a timely manner no matter how busy his day was. He went above and beyond to fight for what I wanted and I couldn't of done it without him! I would recommend Adam and this office, hands down, to help you with family law. Thank you Adam! You are the best! read more

Laura Rackner is by far the best attorney I've ever worked with. She is fair, firm and extremely knowledgeable. She was very comforting during a very difficult time and always gave me confidence in her answers and approach with my case. I would highly recommend her to anyone. read more

Andy Newsom helped me navigate one of the worst times of my life. He understands the emotional toll while keeping an even keel. His "bed side manner" kept me confident and focused. He lays out your options and scenarios in layman terms and really puts a magnifying glass on the bigger picture as well as your future. This is uncharted territory for most of us. Many things I didn't realize I had to consider. Andy was actually my second attorney and I interviewed quite a few. He was a champion for my interests without adding additional confrontation to an already contemptuous dynamic. After all, we have to rebuild a new functioning relationship with our children's other parent. Mr. Newsom's legal assistant is a true professional and the nicest person. This is not a situation we hope to find ourselves in, but I'm glad I had this team fighting for me. read more

Sarah Denner just recently helped me through an incredibly scary time in my life for my son and I. Had it not been for her level of expertise and professionalism, I can be sure that things would have turned out differently. She was able to help me through the parenting time process and I came out with exactly what I wanted in the end. If I ever need representation again in the future, I will absolutely be giving Sarah a call! read more

I would highly recommend Adam Shelton to anyone looking for family legal representation. Adam is hard-working and reliable. While I know he was working with many clients, I always felt like a top priority. He was prompt at responding to me and answering all my questions. Adam is trustworthy and personable. He gave me sound legal advice and helped me make the most reasonable decisions in my situation. He was always well prepared and his knowledge and hard work paid off. Divorce is never easy but working with Adam helped make the best of a difficult situation. read more

Lol! Isn't that cute! Every positive review has been done by a friend or family member of "Geek Rat & McCrap", and not by a real client such as myself. These are money hungry lawyers who will take you for everything all the while convincing you that the right thing to do is to give and give to the "ex" until there isn't anymore to give. These guys are fantastic if you want to hire a team that will work for your "ex" more so than yourself. I didn't even get to go to court and they sent me a bill for $12000.00 after I had already paid $5000.00. That's right, $17000.00 and they allowed my my situation to get a heck of a lot worse than when I first pursued custody of my daughter. Touche' to them though, they saw a gullible disabled United States Marine who was willing to do anything and pay any amount of money to save his daughter from a physically and emotionally abusive home. Geek Rat & McCrap didn't listen to my needs, most importantly they didn't listen to my daughters needs. They managed to get my "ex" sole custody whose lawyer works out of her garage. Whatever she requested, Geek Rat & McCrap convinced me to give it. I simply cared about one thing, my daughter. Geek Rat & McCrap didn't even get me joint custody. Lol! Still sending me a bill for $12000.00. I can only assume that bill is for services UNRENDERED. Please heed this review. If I can save one father and daughter/son from being VICTIMIZED by this firm then I can take some good from my experience with Geek Rat & McCrap! read more

Mike McGrath worth every penny! I highly recommend Mike, he listens to you, he fights for what you want, and with 346 pleadings Mike remembered everything! A long lengthy divorce that ended in trial. Thank you Mike! read more

I highly recommend Mr. Newsom. I couldn't be more confident in what I am doing without his voice of reason and consistent advice. He is skilled, forthright, professional and easy to communicate with. In a court room he is organized, respectful and to the point. He is a solid attorney who understands the realities of divorce and custodial procedures, not just while dealing with the court but also in guiding his clients towards a fair and realistic resolution. Having been a client with Gearing, Richner, Engel and McGrath for several years (Mike McGrath successfully handled my divorce and recommended Andy for new issues) I have been very satisfied as a client and continue to receive sound advise. I wouldn't want to walk into any negotiation or courtroom without him. Linda Moore, his assistant is a valuable asset and support. read more

If you are needing an attorney please do your due diligence and choose wisely. I chose this firm based on a recommendation and could not have been more dissatisfied. I hired them for a divorce. I had shared with my attorney that I had a disability and my ex-husband had a diagnosed personality disorder and substance abuse issues. I was assured by my attorney that he had experience working with this type of individual. My ex became very erratic and harassed me for months. I got no guidance in dealing with my ex or with the restraining orders I had against him. I was put in the position of him delivering my belongings to my property which often were returned destroyed. I begged to find a different solution but it seemed that my ex-husbands attorney had complete control of what was happening in the divorce. I have PTSD and this action put me at risk. The request for discovery by which to calculate the settlement was sloppy and not thorough. I discovered after the settlement that my ex had hid his pay for an entire year and no one caught it until I went to file my taxes. This is just an example of a few of my issues with this law firm. This law firm does not appear to be trauma informed. If you think you can find a remedy for an attorney's poor performance in the state of Oregon think again. There isn't one. read more

Andrew Newsom and his team helped me through one of the most difficult times of my life and I couldn't be more grateful! Andrew was a true advocate for my son and I. He helped me understand each step of the process and would let me know the pros and cons, so I could make an informed choice . Andrew is very knowledgeable in cases dealing with a parent who has an addiction, he was one step ahead each time and made me feel confident that the parenting plan he designed would protect my son and it has. His team also has a great sense of compassion and all were easy to talk to and I felt like a priority always. Which I think says a lot for the firm as a whole and I have already recommended them to a friend and would not hesitate to use Andrew's services again! A special thank you again to Andrew and Linda! read more

While Laura has a well-deserved reputation as one of the best family law litigators in Portland, she must now be counted among our very best collaborative lawyers as well. Her versatility enables her to offer a non-adversarial approach to those many clients seeking an amicable divorce. Laura has interpersonal skills, negotiation expertise, and psychological sophistication that enable her to handle the nuanced settlement discussions of good collaborative law. As a mediator and collaborative lawyer who has worked with Laura often, I know she is completely trustworthy and has great integrity. I highly recommend her. read more

Michael M you should run as fast as you can from him get anyone else to be your divorce attorney (he's a wolf in sheep's clothing)he was so nice in the beginning but as the divorce went on he gave my ex wife my share of my half of house, my life insurance policy more than 300,000, and I had to pay for my adult children attending school without the ex-wife paying a cent to match funds. he gave away double the money to the children for their education ,so unless you want him to give away your future I say "run and find someone else" and all because I am handicap and living out of state .I feel that he doesn't care what he gives away in the settlement because it's not his it's yours. so if you don't want to lose more than your fair share, get someone else read more