Should probably be disbarred I hired Ms. Halverson to handle a Communication with a Minor for Immoral Purposes investigation and later charge. After what I assumed was a thorough case review, she told me that the State didn't have any evidence because they were unable to access my phone, and that they needed the alleged victim to testify. Needless to say, I was very relieved by this. Unfortunately, neither of those things were true. And if she had bothered to actually read the police report, she would have known that. I live out of state, so when I was charged, she had to appear at my arraignment without me being physically present. The probable cause statement contained flat out libel, with no supporting evidence other than the statements of an admitted drug addict and mentally ill liar, which Ms. Halverson did not object to. Additionally, the State also issued a ridiculous and unnecessary no-contact order which falsely insinuated that I had stalked or harassed the alleged victim. Not only did Ms. Halverson fail to object to that order, but she told me I needed to sign it and return it immediately, without explaining the ramifications of doing so. It wasn't until several months later that I discovered just how serious those ramifications were. While reading through the paperwork preparing for trial, I discovered that the no-contact order contained a "no firearms" provision. I have been licensed to carry a firearm in 36 states for over 30 years, so needless to say, I was quite surprised and disturbed by this. So I called Ms. Halverson and asked her to have the NCO quashed. After she charged me to do so, she completely failed. A judge agreed that the firearms provision was unjustified and ordered that it be removed. Problem is Ms. Halverson didn't see to it that actually happened; there are two boxes on the form regarding firearms, and the clerk only unchecked one. So through her negligence, she put me at risk of arrest for nearly four years. If that's not "ineffective counsel" (or worse), I don't know what is. But wait, there's more. She told me she needed an additional $1500 to hire a private investigator to locate the alleged victim so she could interview her. What did that PI do for $1500 you ask? She called the alleged victim's mother on the phone and asked if she knew where she was so she could talk to her. The same mother who called the police, plastered my name all over the internet, and showed up at my house with two thugs illegally and surreptitiously recording my housemate, threatening me, and accusing me of kidnapping her daughter! When I told her that was "a really dumb thing to do", she quit - less than seven days before trial. In Washington State, employers can't reject you from jobs because of your criminal record, but they can if they think you're dangerous or violent, and that's exactly what the two documents Ms. Halverson allowed into the record falsely imply. I know this, because I applied for a job, and when they discovered the charge, they sent someone to the courthouse to pull the file. A file which is publicly accessible to anyone with a computer for 50 cents, still exists to this day, and likely will forever thanks to Ms. Halverson. So here's a recap: Ms. Halverson allowed the state to slander me on the record, got my firearms rights taken away over a non-violent and consensual conversation with someone whom I believed was of the age of consent (which the State does not dispute). Oh, and when the parents of the alleged victim plastered my name and photos all over the internet, got me fired from my six-figure job, and told their friends to "destroy my life", she told me I couldn't sue them, because it would "make things worse" (as if that were possible). And in one final blow, to add insult to injury, she had the nerve to send me a $700 bill for quitting. When you pay someone thousands of dollars to do a job, and they screw things up more than they were beforehand, one would think that they would apologize, issue a full refund, and do their best to clean up their mess. And I believe that's exactly what Ms. Halverson should do in my case if she has any integrity whatsoever. That would be a good start for all of the (likely permanent damage) her incompetence has caused and will continue to cause. read more

An attorney specializing in a different area of expertise than criminal defense referred me to Karen Halverson. The referring attorney stated that she would not refer anyone to a defense attorney other than Karen. Having had Karen represent me, I see that the referring attorney's statement was very well-founded. During my initial consultation with Karen, she was extremely quick to identify key information that eventually led to the charge against me being dismissed. Throughout the legal process that culminated in the charge dismissal, I found Karen's acumen, rapport with her peers, and passion in representing me to be very reassuring during an extremely stressful period of my life. Invariably, I left our meetings with a feeling of calmness. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be in need of a criminal defense attorney. Nor would I expect that any of my friends and associates would either. Even so, I've a stack of Karen's business cards at home and a couple in my wallet. If I find anyone I know in need of a criminal defense attorney, there is only one attorney to whom I would refer them: Karen Halverson. - A Grateful Client read more

Karen was the worst choice in an attorney for my personal injury case. She was often rude and unprofessional. She let my case drag out so long the statue almost ran out. Had to file a law suit, then her negotiation skills were terrible. I ended up with a terrible settlement, but did not trust her to take it to trial. In the end I settled for less than half what I should have received to dump Karen and end it. Then at the end, here came the surprise costs and fees, despite me asking on numerous occasions for an accounting of what the expenses would be so I could make informed decisions. She never provided that information as requested until after and then oh here are several thousand dollars in costs she had not disclosed. Terrible all the way around. read more

Karen is really an awesome person and knows her way around the snohomish county court system. She's well known and knows the law. If you need representation I recommend Karen not only will she sit down with you and get to know your situation but she also takes the time to know you. She is an excellent attorney and such a great person I actually wish she was part of my family so I could know her better! Very caring and very dedicated to what she does. I highly recommend her to anyone! read more

I was recommended to retain Ms. Halverson for a misdemeanor DV case with the Everett Municipal Court. My ex spouse at the time was deliberately attempting to get me into legal trouble because I wanted to spend more time with my child. My ex used her boyfriend at the time to leave a threatening message on her voicemail and accused me of leaving the message in order to obtain a temporary restraining order which affected my request for increased visits with my child. Ms. Halverson was well aware of this situation and discussed the terms of her service along with the retainer fee. I agreed to her terms and sent her the requested retainer fee and this is when things began to head south. About a month after I retained Ms. Halverson for her legal services, she was very difficult to contact whenever I attempted to get an update on my case. The few times that I was successful on contacting her, she would charge me $50 just for speaking with her. She said that this case will be dropped by the EMC prosecutor Teresa Cox, but that never happened because Ms. Halverson travels frequently and failed to communicate with the prosecutor before my due court date. Before my due court date, Ms. Halverson was unprepared, unorganized and filed a motion to withdraw from my case while keeping my retainer. She did absolutely nothing for my case, but was asking me for more money on top of the retainer fee I gave to her. I do not recommend this attorney to represent people for their legal problems, because she is only interested in one thing. Do yourself a favor and save your hard earned money. read more

Karen Halverson was recommend to us from another attorney, my son was charged with a domestic violence charge. Her fee was reasonable. She got the charges dropped. She is a good attorney, because she did her job. And yes, we would highly recommend her to anyone who needs a good lawyer. Lisa K. read more