Kristen Fisher
Attorney | Seattle
Areas of Practice
Overview
Education & Admissions
Representative Work
Publications & Presentations
Professional & Community Activity
Background & Interests
An experienced litigator, Kristen represents clients in contested trust and estate matters under the Trust and Dispute Resolution Act (TEDRA), Vulnerable Adult Protection proceedings and Title 11 guardianship proceedings, from intake to final resolution, including appeal. She also represents and counsels fiduciaries in probate and trust administration matters.
Kristen understands that many of her clients are going through the difficult experience of losing a loved one and counsels her clients with compassion but also offers practical advice aimed at the resolution of disputes. She has a track record of successfully achieving resolution of contested cases through mediation but also is known to be a tough litigator who does not hesitate to take on complex and challenging issues.
Admissions
- Washington, 2005
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, 2005
Education
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Seattle University School of Law, J.D., 2005, cum laude
- Seattle University Law Review - Associate Editor and Bylaws Committee member
- CALI Award for Achievement in Trusts and Estates; CALI Award for Achievement in Youth Advocacy Clinic
- Seattle University School of Law Achievement Scholarship; ILWU Local 19 Scholarship
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University of Washington, B.A. Political Science, International Political Economy, 2001
- Anthropology (minor)
Representative Work
Appellate cases
- Matter of Estate of Vatne, 22 Wn. App. 2d 1022 (2022)
- Matter of Estate of Rule, 23 Wn. App. 2d 1005 (2022)
- Matter of Estate of Stennes, 19 Wn. App. 2d 1028 (2021)
- In re Joanne K. Blankenship Survivor's Tr., 18 Wn. App. 2d 686, 493 P.3d 751 (2021)
- In the Matter of the Estate of Sadie M. Rivas, 195 Wn. App. 1026 (2016)
- Freeman v. Gregoire, 171 Wn.2d 316, 256 P.3d 264 (2011)
- Ripley v. Lanzer, 152 Wn. App. 296, 215 P.3d 1020 (2009)
- Siewert v. State, 142 Wn. App. 1021 (2008)
Publications & Presentations
Publications
- Contributing Editor, Committed Intimate Relationships, King County Probate and Guardianship Policy Manual, revised 2021
- Author, “Deal or No Deal? Enforcing TEDRA Settlements Without a Signed Agreement,” Real Property Probate and Trust Section newsletter, Washington State Bar Association (Fall 2022)
- Author, “Allocation, Apportionment, and Distribution of Damages From Wrongful Death and Survival Actions,” Real Property Probate and Trust Section newsletter, Washington State Bar Association (Spring 2015)
- Author (written materials), “Fiduciary Responsibilities under Washington’s Power of Attorney Act,” Northwest Washington Estate Planning Council Meeting (2020)
- Author (written materials), “Practical Tools to Protect Vulnerable Adults,” Spring Elder Law CLE, Washington State Bar Association (2018)
- Author (written materials), “TEDRA Overview, WSBA Practice Primer: Estate Planning Track Three - Probate and TEDRA,” Washington State Bar Association (2017)
- Author (written materials), “Ethical Practice Considerations and Concerns in Probate,” The Ultimate Guide to Probate CLE, NBI, (2016)
- Author (written materials), “TEDRA, Maintaining a Balance: Ethics and Probate Litigation: Community vs. Separate Property,” King County Bar Association (2015)
- Author (written materials), “Arbitration, Mediation or Both, Trust & Estate Litigation Seminar,” Washington State Bar Association (2014)
- Author (written materials), “Trust and Estates Disputes Resolution Act,” Centralia Community College Continuing Professional Education Seminar (2014)
- Author (written materials), “Current TEDRA Issues and Updates, Estate Planning: Under the New Paradigm: If Not Estate Tax, Then What?,” Washington State Bar Association (2014)
Presentations
- Presenter, “Can Crime Pay? The intersection of federal preemption and Washington’s Slayer and Abuse Statute,” Annual Fall Probate and Trust Seminar, Washington State Bar Association (2020)
- Presenter, “Probate and Trust Law Update, Probate and Trust Fall Seminar,” Washington State Bar Association, (2019)
- Presenter, “Trust and Estate Litigation: Estate Planning from a Litigator's Perspective and Current Issues, International Tax and Estate Planning- What to Avoid and How to Plan for Your Clients,” Washington State Bar Association (2013)
Professional & Community Activity
- Contributing Editor, Real Property Probate and Trust Section newsletter, TEDRA Litigation Sub- Committee, Washington State Bar Association (on-going)
