Michelle T. Dellino

Michelle T. Dellino is the CEO and Founding Attorney of Dellino Family Law Group. The firm was founded by her and on her belief that there is, very simply, a solution to every problem. Her personal practice focuses on complex family law matters including high conflict cases, high asset dissolution, long-term marriage dissolution, cases involving business owners, IT, and medical professionals; domestic violence family law, and drafting agreements to help people avoid having to litigate these issues later. Both a trained mediator and former criminal trial attorney, she has the skills and experience to take a case anywhere it needs to go, whether that is a creative settlement or intensive courtroom litigation. As CEO and founding attorney, she is visionary of Dellino Family Law Group, manages the firm’s development and strategic practices, and heads the firm’s leadership team. I am an attorney but also a human being. I have two dogs — and a longterm Sunday routine of trying to read the New York Times before they do their best to lie flat across the travel section. I have largely given up caffeine and start every day with 40 oz. of this tea. I love the Oxford comma, one space after a period, and loathe the appearance of contractions in writing — so you will not see them in mine unless it reflects a quotation. I love the sound of rain on my sliding glass doors and misty Seattle days, but I never miss a chance to escape to warm climates. If you are reading my biography page it is either because you: a) need a lawyer; b) are a client; c) are a fellow attorney and want to get to know me better/find out who I am (reach out – let’s have coffee); d) are someone looking for any information you can possibly obtain to use against me (and my clients); or e) you are a random visitor. Welcome to all of you. One of the best moments came early in my career. It was not a trial or a hearing. It was a routine morning in the hallway of a courthouse in Tacoma after a hearing with a client in her early-20s and her mother there for support. My client walked ahead of us on the way out of the courthouse staring at her phone. Her mother was walking along side me. She shook her head, looked completely defeated, said she did not know if her daughter would ever get herself together before something worse happened and wondered what she did wrong. She said something like, “you can’t be much older than her (I was), and I am sure your mother is very proud of you.” I told her that my mom is proud of me and I talk to her and still go to her first when I do not know what to do, but when I was her daughter’s age I had already dropped out of high school, ran away from home, been arrested in my youth, let my parents (who did everything right) down more than a few times. I would fail and fall down a few more times before I decided to get back up and be a better version of myself. I told her I was not worried about her daughter, that we had spoken about her plans – and that I knew her daughter would be more than okay; she had plenty of time to figure it out. It was the truth. She wiped away a tear and smiled for the first time all day. She then picked up the pace, took her daughter’s hand, and hugged her. This remains one of the best moments for me. That client is now a first-grade teacher. She figured it all out. She was okay. I am okay. You will be okay, too. Many of our best days are still ahead. When we have the chance to meet, I will likely tell you that I believe people are resilient and should not be defined by their worst relationships or moments. I mean it. Like you may have, I have experienced tumultuous periods in my life. Have you been through a horrible breakup? Have you been divorced or thinking about it? Have you been uncertain about what to do financially, career wise, emotionally? I have been there with all of it. I have been through a divorce. I have been scared of the unknown, like you may be. I was diagnosed with cancer at 25 while I was living 3000 miles from my family. I was actually misdiagnosed and that resulted in having my cancer recur a few more times before people much wiser than me finally found a way to get rid of it. Since being forced to repeatedly face my own mortality and surviving, not much can scare or overwhelm me. I typically feel invincible in a way that means no matter how much pain or difficulty I may have to experience, I know I will persevere and win. I have started over many times when I did not want to. A lot has happened. All of those life experiences are what led me to be in a position to get to work with people in difficult times and why I am one of the very best at what I do. I am still here to do this work. All of those ups and down are why I started this firm and put together a team of people with hearts bigger than anyone I know who do not rest until they know they have done everything they can to help those we advocate for. If something had not happened at a few different turns for me along the way, I would not be here. Maybe you can say the same. If so, I am glad we are both here. There is probably a something in your life. You may be ready to tell your comeback story. You might be in the middle of it right now. If you want to tell me your story and have a problem that needs to be solved, I am ready to listen and help. The best day for me is when I can sit down with you, hear your story, and help get you where you want to be.