Mary Wechsler is the retired founding partner at Wechsler Becker, LLP. She has 31 years of experience working with families and individuals in all areas of family law. Her practice is family law, focused on complex parenting and property division litigation. She also provides mediator and arbitrator services and litigation consultations.
Mary Wechsler is a former President of the King County Bar Association. She has been President of the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (click link for more information), and Family Law Section chair for the Washington State and King County Bar Associations. She has served as vice-chair of the Board of Court Education, serves on the Judicial College Board of Trustees, is a past President of the American Judicature Society,
Washington chapter, and is on the national board. She is the recipient of the King County Bar Association’s 1999 Outstanding Attorney Award and the 1988 Outstanding Attorney Award from the WSBA Family Law Section.
PROFESSIONAL AND BAR ACTIVITIES:
Chair, Judicial Selection Coaltion 2006-2007
American Judicature Society
President Washington Chapter 2003-2005, Vice President
Washington Chapter 2001-2003
National Board 2006-Present
Washington State Board of Court Education 1998-2007, Vice Chair 2006-2007
Secretary 2003-2004
Judicial College Board of Trustees 2004-Present, Chair Bylaws Committee 2006
Chair Budget Committee 2005
King County Bar Association
President 1994-1995, 1st Vice President 1993-1994, 2nd Vice President 1992-1993
Trustee1988-1990 Co-Chair, Bench Bar Conference 2003
Long
Range Planning Committee 1998, 2001, Family Law Section 1981-present,
Chair 1986-1987 Legislative Committee 1985-2000 Vice Chair 1990-1991
Nominations Committee 1996, 2003,2004, Chair 1996 Policy Planning Committee 1991-1992
Awards Committee 1991-1992,1997-1999,
Bench Bar Delay Reduction Task Force Steering Committee
Plan drafting Committee, Co-Chair 1988-1989, Case Flow Monitoring Committee 1989-1995
Domestic Violence Committee, Chair 1986-1987, Lawyer Referral Service
Committee Member 1981-1984, Chair 1983-1984
, Judiciary & Courts Committee 1981-1985
Child Support Modification Task Force 1985-1986 Domestic Violence Task Force 1983-1984
Budget Task Force 1983-1984
Washington State Bar Association
Professional Development Committee 2003, Hearing Officer, Disciplinary Cases 1999-present
Media Project Committee 2001, Court Improvement Committee 1998-2000
Communications Committee 1997-1998 Legislative Committee 1991-1996
Domestic Relations Task Force 1990-1991 Co-Chair Implementation Committee 1990-1993
Legal Assistants Committee 1992
Convention-Long
Range Planning Committee 1992
Family Law Section, Executive Committee 1985-1991 Chair 1988-1989
Rules of Professional Responsibility Committee 1988-1991
Moderator, Judicial
Independence and Selection
Summit Nov. 2005
Awards: Outstanding Attorney 1988, WSBA Family Law Section
Outstanding Attorney 1999, King County Bar Association
King County Bar Association Foundation, Trustee 1997-2000
University of
Washington
School of Law Child Advocacy Clinic Board 1997-1999
Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee
Washington State Bar Association Representative 1992-1995
Fellow, American
Academy of
Matrimonial Lawyers 1991-present
President,
Washington Chapter 1999-2000, Vice President,
Washington Chapter 1997-1998
Secretary/Treasurer,
Washington Chapter 1996, Trustee,
Washington Chapter 1994
Professionalism/Ethics Committee-National 1996-1997
Admissions Procedures Committee-National 2000-2001
Long
Range Planning Committee-National 2002-2004, Chair 2003-2004
Budget Committee National 2004-present
Chair, Bylaws Committee National 2004-2005
Washington
State Public Trust and Confidence Committee 2000-2005
Washington
State Domestic Relations Commission 1996-2004
American Bar Association 1981-2004,
Washington
State Membership Chair 1987-1988
National Conference of Bar Presidents 1994-2004, Communications Committee 1994-1995
Long
Range Planning Committee 1996
Walsh Commission on Judicial Selection 1995-1996
Washington Women Lawyers 1981-present
Access to Justice Board Education Committee, Chair 1996-1999
Northwest Women's
Law
Center, Member
Seattle League of Women Voters Board of Directors 1991-1992
Chair, Women's Issues Study Committee 1991-1993
Listed in: Who’s Who in
America 1998- present
Who's Who in American Law 1993- present
Who's Who in American Women 1993- present
Who’s Who in the World 1993- present
Who’s Who in Finance and Business 2006- present
PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS:
Co-Author, "The Parenting Act," Family Law
Deskbook,
Washington State Bar Association, 1989, 1996, and 2000.
Family Law in Washington, International Self-Counsel Press, 1987, Revised edition, 1988, Fourth Edition reprinted as Marriage, Separation, Divorce and Your Rights, 1994
“Prenuptial/Post Nuptial Agreement and Litigation of Prenuptials”; October, 2007
Family Law issues and Arbitration Proceedings” 13th Annual AAML Conference, March, 2007
Speaker-4th Annual Conference on “The Law of Lawyering”, December, 2006
“Ethical Considerations – Relationship Agreements,” The Seminar Group CLE, October 2004, October 2005
“Common Threads in Conflicts,” Washington State Bar Association CLE,
December 5, 2003.
“Parenting Plan Drafting Issues,” Speaker,
American
Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
Washington State CLE,
March 21, 2003.
King Co. Bar Association, Speaker, 9th Annual Family Law Institute,
December 4, 2002
“The Parental Relocation Statute of 2000”
American
Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
Washington State CLE;
March 23, 2001
“Kid Friendly Parenting Plans: How to get there---Litigation Tactics and Their Impact on Children.” KCBA w/ the WS Domestic Relations Commission and
Seattle Forensics
Institute CLE;
June 2, 2000
“The Unique Professional Demands of a Family Law Practice”
American
Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
Washington State CLE;
March 17, 2000
“Helping Families in Trouble: Overview of Dissolution and Legal Separation Procedures” Lorman Education Services;
June 29, 1999
“Participation in Problem Solving of Ethical Issues Using Responder Unit”
American
Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers;
March 12, 1999
“Ethical Issues,” Fourth Annual Conference,
American
Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers,
Seattle,
WA,
March 28, 1998.
“Ten Year of Parental Responsibility: The
Washington
State Experience,” 22nd Annual Child Custody Conference, Colorado Bar Association, Breckenridge, CO,
September 25-27, 1998.
“Ethics in Family Law,” 1998 Ethics Seminar Series,” King County Bar Association,
Seattle,
WA,
November 18, 1998.
“Fourth Annual Family Law Institute,” King County Bar Association,
Seattle,
WA,
December 12, 1997.
“Successful Divorce Mediation in
Washington,” National Business Institute, Inc.,
Seattle,
WA,
November 18, 1997.
"Family Law, Here Today, Where Tomorrow?,"
American
Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Family Law, New Issues, New Solutions Conference,
October 26, 1996.
"Difficult Problems of Ethics and Professionalism," Family Law Skills Certificate Program, University of Washington School of Law, Seattle, WA, February 2, 1996.
"Emerging Issues Relating to Ethics and Professionalism,"
American
Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers’ Greatest Hits,
University of
Washington School of Law,
Seattle,
WA,
January 28, 1995.
"Preparing a Parenting/Custody Case in
Washington," National Business Institute, Inc.,
Seattle,
WA,
April 19, 1994.
"Recent Cases," Family Law Skills Training Certificate Program, University of Washington School of Law, Seattle, WA, March 4, 1994.
"Law, Literature and Film: The Bad Mother," University of Washington Law School, Seattle, WA, December 18, 1993.
"How An Advocate Can Be Most Effective In Mediation," Third Annual Northwest Alternative Dispute Resolution Conference, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, September 18, 1993.
"Family Law Litigation in Washington," National Business Institute, Seattle, WA, May 27, 1993.
"Bounds of Advocacy & Ethical Issues in Family Law," 4th Annual Family Law Seminar, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, Seattle, WA, October 29, 1992.
"Preparing a Parenting/Custody Case in Washington," National Business Institute, Inc., Seattle, WA, October 15, 1992.
"Pro Se Litigants in Court," 1992 Washington Judicial Conference, Tacoma, WA, August 23-26, 1992.
"Family Law Legislative Update," Washington State Bar Association Annual Convention, September 10-14, 1991.
"Preparing a Parenting/Custody Case in Washington," National Business Institute, Inc., June 21, 1991.
"Legislative Update," 1991 Family Law Section Midyear Meeting & Seminar, Washington State Bar Association, June 7-9, 1991.
"Trial Techniques, Substantive and Procedural," Washington State Bar Association Family Law Section Midyear Meeting & Seminar, June 1-3, 1990.
"How to Practice Family Law Under the Delay Reduction Rules," Fourth Annual Family Law Institute, Seattle, May 5, 1990.
"Parenting Act Update," November 4, 1989, Washington State Bar Association, Yakima.
"Trial Techniques, Substantive and Procedural," WSBA Family Law Section Midyear Meeting & Seminar, June 1-3, 1990.
"Parenting Act Update," November 4, 1989, WSBA, Yakima
"Parenting Act/Custody/Visitation," CLE Seminar (Seattle), March 9, 1989 and (Fife), March 23, 1989.
"A Parenting Law Update," CLE Seminar, June 11, 1988.
"Family Law Practice Under the New Parenting Act," CLE Seminar, April, 1988.
"The 1987 Parenting Act," CLE Seminar, October, 1987.
"Post Divorce Matters: Planning for the Future When There Are Children," CLE Seminar, June 1987.
"Basic Discovery in Dissolution and Legal Separation Procedures," CLE Seminar, May, 1987.
"Family Law on a Shoestring," CLE Seminar, May, 1987.
"Initial Responses to Report of Child Abuse: Family Lawyer's Response," CLE Seminar, September, 1986.
"Assessment of Violence Potential: The Role of the Family Law Attorney" CLE Seminar, January, 1983.
