Lisa W. Gafken - Seattle, WA

Lisa W. Gafken Overview

Lisa W. Gafken focuses her practice on litigating trust and estate matters under TEDRA, protecting vulnerable adults under Chapter 74.34 RCW, and representing clients in both contested and uncontested probate and guardianship matters. In addition, Ms. Gafken assists clients with probate and guardianship administration. Ms. Gafken has been invited to speak at a number of seminars involving probate and fiduciary matters.

She is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, the King County Bar Association, and Washington State Association for Justice. She currently serves as the Treasurer and is a board member of MAMAS, the Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle. Ms. Gafken is a founding member of the Lawyers Fostering Independence team, a group of lawyers offering legal assistance to foster children aging out of the foster care system. Also, she is a board member of her Rotary club.

Ms. Gafken obtained her Bachelor's of Arts degree in Politics and Government (political science) from the University of Puget Sound in 1998. She graduated cum laude from Seattle University School of Law in 2001. She served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Washington State Attorney General's office for four years until she went into private practice in 2005. In 2008, she and Sheila C. Ridgway founded Ridgway and Gafken, where they continue to provide zealous advocacy and high quality legal services to their clients.

Lisa Gafken's speaking engagements include presentations with the Washington State and King County Bar association, in addition to the National Business Institute's Continuing Legal Education seminars.

Publications and Presentations

How to File an Estate in Probate Court (Speaker and author for the National Business Institute Continuing Legal Education Seminar titled The Probate Process from Start to Finish for Paralegals) January 2007

Fiduciaries and Fiduciary Management in the 21st Century (Co-Speaker and co-author for presentation to the Society of Financial Service Professionals, Seattle Chapter meeting) September 2007

Getting Started: Initiating the Probate Process (Speaker and author for the National Business Institute Continuing Legal Education Seminar titled Fundamental Probate Procedures and Practice) December 2007

Remedies and Strategies for Pursuing Breaching Fiduciaries: The So What of Your Action (Co-Speaker and co-author for the King County Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Seminar titled Probate Litigation CLE) December 2007

Case Law and Legislative Update (Speaker and author for the King County Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Seminar titled Probate Litigation CLE) December 2008

Case Law and Legislative Update (Speaker and author for the National Business Institute Continuing Legal Education Seminar titled Probate: Beyond the Basics) March 2009

Preparing for Challenging Litigation Issues in Probate Proceedings (Speaker and author for the National Business Institute Continuing Legal Education Seminar titled Probate: Beyond the Basics) March 2009

How to File an Estate in Probate Court (Speaker and author for the National Business Institute Continuing Legal Education Seminar titled The Probate Process from Start to Finish) May 2009

Practice Areas

• Trust and Estate Matters
• Probate and Guardianship Matters

Current Employment Position(s)

• Partner, since 2008