Jason Newcombe | Tukwila Criminal Defense Lawyer

• Federal Bar Association (Western District of Washington chapter)
• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• National College of DUI Defense
• National Motorists Association
• Oregon State Bar
• Washington Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
• Washington State Bar Association

How We Got Here There is no secret to building a successful law practice. You do good work. You tell the truth. You show up when it matters. And you do that, day after day, case after case, one handshake at a time, until the phone starts ringing not because of billboards or slick commercials, but because somebody's neighbor said, "Go see those guys. They took care of me." Jason S. Newcombe is an award winning and highly respected Washington State criminal defense lawyer with over three decades of experience in the courtroom. He tried his first criminal cases back in 1996, as a prosecutor in Oregon. He has consistently been ranked as a Washington State Driminal Defense Super Lawyer. And, he enjoys a perfect 10.0 rating on both Justia and Avvo. Washington State Attorneys, PLLC was literally built one handshake at a time. That is the story of Washington State Attorneys, PLLC. For more than two decades, our firm has grown the old fashioned way, by treating each client like the only client, and by caring deeply about the outcome of each case we accept. Managing partner Jason S. Newcombe started his legal career as a deputy district attorney in Lane County, Oregon, where he tried his very first DUI case in 1996. Since then, he has built a practice that spans both sides of the Columbia River, earning recognition as an AV Preeminent attorney, a Super Lawyer, a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100, and a member of the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. More importantly, he has earned over 300 five-star reviews across Google, Avvo, Yelp, Facebook, Martindale Hubbell, and other platforms, spanning many years of practice. Those reviews were not manufactured. They were earned, one case at a time, by a team that actually cares. Today, as one of the more established groups of Washington State DUI attorneys, Washington State bankruptcy lawyers, and Washington State criminal defense attorneys in the Pacific Northwest, we operate thirteen offices across Western Washington. Our bankruptcy division is led by attorney Erin M. Lane. Our family law division is led by attorney Laurie G. Robertson. And our criminal defense team appears in courts from Bellingham to Olympia, from Port Orchard to Redmond, every single day. We are experienced. We are aggressive when aggression serves the client. And we have built the resources, the team, and the courtroom presence to handle any DUI case, any criminal case, any bankruptcy, any divorce, and any traffic infraction that walks through our door. Whatever you are facing, get help and answers today. Call (844) 925-2943 for a free, confidential consultation. Serving Western Washington, One County at a Time One of the reasons clients choose Washington State Attorneys, PLLC is that wherever you live in Western Washington, we have an office nearby and attorneys who appear in your local courts regularly. Our thirteen offices stretch from Bellingham and Whatcom County in the north all the way to Olympia and Thurston County in the south. Between those two anchors, we have offices serving every county in between, which means our clients never have to search far to find an experienced Washington State DUI attorney, a Washington State bankruptcy lawyer, or a Washington State criminal defense attorney “near me” that they can trust. Whatcom County. Our Bellingham office serves clients in Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine, Sumas, Birch Bay, and the rest of Whatcom County. Our attorneys handle DUI defense, criminal defense, and traffic ticket cases in Whatcom County Superior Court, Whatcom County District Court, and Bellingham Municipal Court. Skagit County. From our Bellingham and Everett offices, we serve clients in Mount Vernon, Burlington, Anacortes, Sedro Woolley, and throughout Skagit County. Our team handles DUI, criminal defense, and traffic infractions in Skagit County Superior Court, Skagit County District Court, and the municipal courts of Mount Vernon, Burlington, and Anacortes. Snohomish County. Our Everett and Lynnwood offices serve clients throughout Snohomish County, including Everett, Lynnwood, Marysville, Edmonds, Mukilteo, Bothell, Mill Creek, Monroe, Lake Stevens, Snohomish, Arlington, and Stanwood. We appear in Snohomish County Superior Court, Everett Municipal Court, Lynnwood Municipal Court, Edmonds Municipal Court, Marysville Municipal Court, Mountlake Terrace Municipal Court, Bothell Municipal Court, Snohomish County District Court (Evergreen Division in Everett, Cascade Division in Arlington, and South Division in Lynnwood), and other local courts throughout the county. King County. With offices in Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Tukwila, Federal Way, and Renton, we have more physical presence in King County than almost any other Washington State DUI, bankruptcy, or criminal defense firm. Our attorneys appear in all King County District Court locations, including the Seattle, Shoreline, Bellevue, Issaquah, Redmond, Burien, and Maleng Regional Justice Center courthouses. We also appear in every King County Municipal Court, including Seattle, Auburn, Bellevue, Black Diamond, Bothell, Des Moines, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, Maple Valley, Mercer Island, Normandy Park, Redmond, Renton, SeaTac, and Tukwila. Felony cases are heard in King County Superior Court at the Seattle Courthouse and at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, where our attorneys also regularly appear. Pierce County. From our Tacoma office, we serve clients throughout Pierce County, including Tacoma, Lakewood, Puyallup, University Place, Gig Harbor, Fife, Bonney Lake, Sumner, Orting, Buckley, DuPont, Steilacoom, and Milton. Our team appears in Pierce County Superior Court, Pierce County District Court, and every municipal court in Pierce County, including Tacoma Municipal Court, Lakewood Municipal Court, Puyallup Municipal Court, Fife Municipal Court, Fircrest Municipal Court, Gig Harbor Municipal Court, Bonney Lake Municipal Court, Buckley Municipal Court, Orting Municipal Court, and Roy Municipal Court, along with the satellite courts that operate through those hubs for DuPont, Steilacoom, University Place, Milton, Sumner, South Prairie, Eatonville, Ruston, Carbonado, and Wilkeson. Thurston County. Our Olympia and Lacey offices serve clients throughout Thurston County, including Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, Tenino, and Rainier. Our attorneys appear in Thurston County Superior Court, Thurston County District Court (which, as of February 2026, now handles cases from the former Olympia Municipal Court along with cases from Lacey, Rainier, and Tumwater), Yelm Municipal Court, and Tenino Municipal Court (which also handles cases from Bucoda). Family and juvenile matters are heard in the Thurston County Family and Juvenile Court in Tumwater. Kitsap County. Our Port Orchard office serves clients throughout Kitsap County, including Bremerton, Port Orchard, Poulsbo, Silverdale, Bainbridge Island, and the surrounding communities. Our attorneys appear in Kitsap County Superior Court, Kitsap County District Court, Bremerton Municipal Court, Port Orchard Municipal Court, Poulsbo Municipal Court, and Bainbridge Island Municipal Court. Wherever your case is filed, our team is already there. Get help and answers today. Call (844) 925-2943 for a free, confidential consultation. DUI Defense: Thirty Years of Protecting Drivers on Both Sides of the Columbia DUI defense is where this firm started, and it remains a cornerstone of our practice today. Jason handled his first DUI case as a prosecutor in Oregon in 1996. He has been admitted to the Oregon Bar since 1997 and the Washington Bar since 1999, and he has represented DUI clients in both states ever since. That combination of former prosecutor perspective and three decades of defense experience gives us a view of a DUI file that younger lawyers simply cannot match. As Washington State DUI attorneys, we know what the prosecutor is looking at. We know what the judge expects. And we know what works. We also know that a DUI arrest is frightening. Most of our DUI clients have never been in trouble with the law. They are teachers, engineers, nurses, small business owners, parents, and grandparents. They lie awake at night worrying about jail, about losing their license, about what their employer will think, about whether they will be able to keep driving their kids to school. We get it. Our Washington drunk driving attorneys under exactly what is at stake in every DUI case. That is why when a DUI client calls us, we meet them where they are. We listen. We explain. And we start building a defense the same day. A Washington DUI is not just one case. It is two parallel proceedings that begin the moment a driver is arrested. There is a criminal case, filed in the district or municipal court where the arrest occurred, and there is a separate Department of Licensing administrative case that determines whether the driver\\\'s license will be suspended. The DOL case is often the more urgent of the two because the driver has only seven days from the date of arrest to request a DOL hearing. Miss that deadline, and the administrative suspension is automatic, no matter what happens in the criminal case. We hear from clients who tell us they were told not to worry about that form, and we have to explain that the seven-day window has passed and the license is gone. Do not let that happen to you. Call (844) 925-2943 the moment you are released from custody. Every hour matters. When we take on a DUI, we fight on every front the evidence allows. Was the stop lawful? Reasonable suspicion requires specific and articulable facts, not a hunch. Weaving within the lane is not unlawful. A broken taillight is, but only if the officer can articulate which one. Were the field sobriety tests administered according to NHTSA training? The standardized tests are the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, the Walk and Turn, and the One Leg Stand, and each has specific clues and procedures. If the officer failed to follow them, the test results are much less reliable. Was the Draeger Alcotest 9510 breath test machine properly calibrated? Was the operator currently certified? Was the fifteen minute observation period actually conducted? The Draeger has been the subject of sustained scientific and legal challenges in Washington, including source code review findings about how the machine corrects for breath temperature and handles fuel cell degradation. We know the machine. We know the literature. We know how to cross-examine the officer who operated it and the Washington State toxicologist that supposedly ensured that it was working properly when tested. Our DUI defense work also extends to every related charge. Physical Control, where a person is found behind the wheel but not driving. Minor DUI, where a driver under twenty one is charged under a lower BAC threshold. BUI, boating under the influence. Commercial DUI for CDL holders, where a conviction carries the risk of permanent loss of commercial driving privileges under 49 CFR 383.51. We have been doing this long enough to know how each of these plays out, and to build defenses that fit the specific case in front of us. The stakes in a Washington DUI are very real. A first offense DUI with a BAC below 0.15 carries a minimum of 24 hours in jail, a 90 day license suspension, an ignition interlock device requirement, SR22 insurance, alcohol assessment and treatment, and a fine structure that easily exceeds a thousand dollars. At BAC 0.15 or higher, or with a breath test refusal, the mandatory minimums jump to 48 hours in jail and a full year of license suspension. A second offense within seven years triggers mandatory jail time measured in weeks, not days, and a license revocation of two years or more. A third offense becomes a felony with prison exposure. Given those numbers, even a modest reduction, from a DUI to a wet reckless (reckless driving with a DUI related alcohol assessment), can change a client\\\'s life. We chase those reductions hard when the evidence supports the original DUI, and we fight for outright dismissal when it does not. Our DUI results over the past decades speak for themselves, and many of those results are reflected in the hundreds of client reviews Jason and his team have earned. Get answers today. Call (844) 925-2943. Criminal Defense: The Full Range of Washington Charges, Defended by Lawyers Who Care A criminal charge touches everything. Employment. Housing. Professional licensing. Immigration status. Child custody. Firearm rights. It can follow a person for decades. As Washington State criminal defense attorneys with more than thirty years of experience, we understand that every criminal charge is a crisis, and we understand that the client sitting across from us is often the most stressed they have ever been in their life. We take that seriously. We handle the full range of Washington misdemeanors and felonies, and we bring the same level of care, preparation, and aggression to every case, no matter the charge. Reckless Driving. RCW 46.61.500. A gross misdemeanor requiring willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. A conviction carries up to 364 days in jail, a $5,000 fine, and an automatic thirty day license suspension on top of whatever the sentencing judge imposes. Reckless driving charges often arise from road rage incidents, high speed pursuits, races on the freeway, and accidents involving excessive speed. Because the charge requires proof of a specific mental state (willful or wanton disregard), there is real room to fight on the elements. We challenge the officer\\\'s observations, the speed measurement, and the assumption that mere fast driving equates to willful disregard for safety. In many cases, we negotiate a reduction to negligent driving in the first or second degree, a far better outcome for the client\\\'s record, insurance, and license. Negligent Driving in the First Degree. RCW 46.61.5249. A simple misdemeanor, but with real teeth. To prove the charge, the state must show that the driver operated the vehicle in a manner that was both negligent and that the driver exhibited the effects of alcohol or drugs. It is a common reduction charge from a DUI, and it is also commonly charged on its own when an officer cannot establish enough probable cause for a full DUI. We challenge both halves of the statute: the driving behavior and the indicia of impairment. In many cases, we negotiate a further reduction to negligent driving in the second degree, which is a civil infraction and carries no criminal record. Negligent Driving in the Second Degree. RCW 46.61.525. A civil infraction, but one with significant consequences. The state must prove negligence plus actual or likely endangerment. We challenge the officer\\\'s subjective judgment and demand a specific factual basis for the endangerment element. Without a specific showing, negligent driving in the second degree is not the right charge, and we push for dismissal or reduction to a non-moving violation. Hit and Run. Washington\\\'s hit and run statutes impose duties to stop, provide information, and render aid after any collision. Felony hit and run involving injury is serious business. Misdemeanor hit and run (unattended vehicle or property damage) is also prosecuted aggressively. A frequent weak point in the prosecution\\\'s case is the knowledge element, because in low-speed impacts or parking lot contacts, the driver may not have perceived the collision at all. That is a winnable issue for a good Washington State hit and run defense lawyer who knows how to frame it. We also often find that the state has difficulty positively identifying our client as the actual driver of the vehicle at the time of the alleged accident. We have successfully defended many hit and run cases on precisely this ground. Assault. From gross misdemeanor Assault in the Fourth Degree under RCW 9A.36.041 all the way up to felony Assault in the First, Second, and Third Degrees, we defend every level of assault charge. Our Washington State assault lawyers handle bar fights, road rage incidents, neighbor disputes, family altercations, and workplace confrontations. Self-defense under RCW 9A.16.020 is a complete defense in Washington, and under RCW 9A.16.110, a defendant who is acquitted based on self-defense can recover reasonable costs of defense from the state. We know how to build a self-defense claim from day one, which includes preserving witness statements, gathering medical evidence, and obtaining any surveillance or bystander video before it disappears. In assault cases, speed of investigation matters enormously, which is another reason to call and talk to one of our Washington State criminal assault attorneys today. Call (844) 925-2943 today. Domestic Violence. Domestic violence charges carry mandatory arrests in Washington, mandatory no contact orders under RCW 10.99.040, firearm rights restrictions, and immigration consequences for noncitizens. Once the police are called, the complaining witness cannot simply drop the charges; the decision to prosecute belongs to the prosecutor, not the alleged victim. Our Washington State domestic violence lawyers see many DV cases where allegations are exaggerated, where a mutual argument gets reframed as one sided, or where the allegations are the product of a contentious divorce or custody dispute and are motivated by strategic advantage rather than truth. A good DV lawyer knows how scrutinize the 911 call for inconsistencies, the body camera footage for the condition of both parties, the medical records for the actual injuries (or lack of injuries), and any prior false allegations. We also represent protected parties who wish to modify or lift a no contact or protection order when circumstances change. Domestic violence cases are among the most emotionally charged matters our criminal defense team handles, and our criminal defense lawyers approach each one with the care and discretion the stakes demand. Theft. Whether it is misdemeanor Theft in the Third Degree (property value under $750) or felony Theft in the First or Second Degree, theft is treated as a crime of dishonesty in Washington. A theft conviction is uniquely damaging because it is considered a crime of moral turpitude by many employers, licensing boards, and immigration authorities. A single theft conviction can derail a career. Our Washington State theft lawyers take these cases seriously and work hard to achieve dismissals, diversions, compromise of misdemeanor dispositions, or reductions to non-theft offenses where the evidence supports it. For first time offenders, many jurisdictions offer diversion or community court programs that can result in dismissal upon completion, and we guide our clients to those programs when appropriate. Drug Crimes. After State v. Blake (2021), simple drug possession is no longer a strict liability crime in Washington, and the landscape has continued to evolve. We handle possession, possession with intent to deliver, delivery, and manufacturing. We also handle drug paraphernalia charges, prescription drug offenses, and DUI cases involving drugs rather than alcohol. Many drug cases are won or lost on the validity of the stop, the search, and the seizure, and we file motions to suppress aggressively where constitutional protections were violated. Suppression of evidence often leads directly to dismissal. Our Washington State drug crime attorneys know this area of the well. Many were former prosecutors. Fish and Wildlife Crimes. Washington has a robust set of fish and wildlife statutes, and violations can result in license suspensions, equipment forfeiture, criminal records, and even felony charges for serious offenses. Our firm has experience defending hunting and fishing related charges, including unlawful hunting, waste of wildlife, spotlighting, hunting over bait, trespass while hunting, failure to tag, and commercial fishing violations. These cases often turn on the physical evidence, the chain of custody of seized equipment, and the officer\\\'s observations in the field. An experienced outdoors attorney can often identify procedural and evidentiary weaknesses that a generalist would miss. Fraud, Forgery, and Other Crimes of Dishonesty. Forgery, identity theft, theft by deception, insurance fraud, welfare fraud, unlawful issuance of bank checks, and credit card fraud are all prosecuted aggressively. These are especially damaging to professional licenses and security clearances. Our Washington fraud and forgery attorneys work these cases carefully, often involving forensic accountants, handwriting experts, or digital forensics experts where the evidence warrants. Because crimes of dishonesty can be so uniquely destructive to a career, we take extra care to explore every avenue, including pre charge intervention when we are retained before formal charges are filed. Sex Crimes. From misdemeanor offenses like indecent exposure and communication with a minor for immoral purposes to felony sex offenses, the stakes could not be higher. Consequences include prison, lifetime sex offender registration, restrictions on where a registrant can live and work, and a permanent impact on every future relationship and job. The lawyers at Washington State Attorneys, PLLC handle these cases with the discretion, preparation, and seriousness they demand. We work closely with private investigators, polygraph examiners, and expert witnesses where the evidence warrants, and we approach every sex crime case with the understanding that a client\\\'s entire future hangs in the balance. Across all of these charges, our approach is the same. Our sex crimes attorneys read the evidence carefully. We investigate independently when the facts call for it. We file motions to suppress when the stops, searches, and statements were constitutionally flawed. And we fight for dismissal, acquittal, or the best negotiated resolution available given the evidence in the file. Every client deserves a real defense, not just a plea. Our sex crimes attorneys are tireless and devoted advocates that will ensure that your state and federal statutory and constitutional legal rights are protected. We care about the results we achieve for our clients because we care about our clients. Call (844) 925-2943 today to get started. Our team of Washington State criminal defense attorneys has the resources and the experience to handle any criminal case, from a first-time misdemeanor to a complex multi count felony charge involving allegations of rape and kidnapping charge. Speeding and Civil Traffic Infractions: Small Tickets, Big Consequences Too many drivers pay their tickets and move on, not realizing that paying a Washington traffic ticket is a guilty finding. That finding gets reported to the Department of Licensing, appears on the driving abstract, stays there for three years, and gets shared with insurance carriers. Insurance premiums go up, often for years, costing far more than the ticket itself. For CDL holders, rideshare drivers, teens on an intermediate license, and drivers whose jobs require a clean record, a single ticket can cost the job. Our Washington State speeding and traffic ticket lawyers have been handling tickets throughout Western Washington for decades In that time, our lawyers have successfully secured thousands of traffic ticket dismissals. Under Washington law, after you receive a traffic infraction, you have three basic options. You can pay the fine, which is an admission. You can request a mitigation hearing, admitting the violation but asking for a reduced fine. Or you can request a contested hearing, where the state must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that you committed the infraction. In our opinion, a contested hearing is almost always the better option because it keeps all the doors open. In a contested hearing, a skilled attorney can move to dismiss based on technical issues in the officer\\\'s report, challenge the admissibility of radar or lidar evidence under IRLJ 6.6, challenge improper venue, challenge untimely filing of the infraction, and cross examine the officer if the officer appears. We fight speeding tickets, school zone tickets (which carry double fines), construction zone tickets (also double), too fast for conditions, following too closely, negligent driving in the second degree, red light and stop sign violations, HOV violations, unsafe lane changes, failure to yield to emergency vehicles, no insurance citations, overweight violations, wheels off the roadway, and every other civil traffic infraction on the books. We handle these traffic cases throughout Whatcom County, Skagit County, Snohomish County, King County, Pierce County, Thurston County, and Kitsap County. In most cases, the client never has to appear. We get the report, we work the file, and we go to court for you. Our goal is always to keep the infraction off the driving record entirely. A few specific examples help illustrate how we approach this work. On a speeding ticket, we typically begin by challenging the admissibility of the radar or lidar evidence. Under Infraction Rule IRLJ 6.6 and Washington\\\'s evidence rules, results from speed measuring devices are not admissible unless the proper certifications are on file with the court. If the certification is missing, stale, or improperly executed, we move to suppress. On a school zone or construction zone ticket, we look at whether the proper signage was posted, whether the zone was actually in effect at the time of the citation, and whether any workers or children were present, which matters under the statute. On a following too closely citation, we challenge whether the officer had an unobstructed view for long enough to make a reliable judgment about the distance between vehicles. On a red light or stop sign ticket, we look at the officer\\\'s vantage point and whether the ticket may have been based on an automated camera, because automated tickets have their own set of statutory defenses and a reduced enforcement framework. On a no insurance citation, we work with the client to produce proof of coverage that was in effect on the date of the stop, which is very often available even when the driver could not find it at the roadside. For many clients, we occasionally also pursue a deferred finding, which Washington law allows once every seven years for a moving violation and once every seven years for a non-moving violation. A deferral keeps the infraction off the record entirely if the driver stays out of trouble for the deferral period. Our Washington State traffic lawyers use this tool selectively, because burning a deferral on a small ticket can leave a client exposed later if something more serious comes up. Choosing when to use a deferral, and when to fight for a dismissal on the merits instead, is exactly the sort of judgment call that an experienced traffic attorney is paid to make. Traffic tickets might seem small, but the downstream cost of an infraction (in insurance premiums, in licensing, in employment for professional drivers) can easily reach thousands of dollars. For a modest legal fee, we can often make the problem disappear. Get help and answers today. Call (844) 925-2943. Bankruptcy: One of the Most Powerful Financial Tools on the Planet Nobody plans to file for bankruptcy. Most of our bankruptcy clients are good, hard-working people who ran into a job loss, a medical emergency, a divorce, a business downturn, or years of high-interest debt that no amount of effort could outpace. They feel ashamed when they walk in the door, and we tell them the same thing every time. The bankruptcy attorneys at Washington State Attorneys, PLLC are experienced and aggressive bankruptcy lawyers. We offer affordable, low flat fees and flexible payment plans. Our lawyers have been helping Washingtonians wipe out millions of dollars of debt for decades. Bankruptcy is not a moral failing. It is a legal tool written into federal law by Congress for exactly this moment, and when used correctly, it is one of the most powerful financial tools on the planet. It can erase debt. It can stop foreclosures. It can stop repossessions. It can stop garnishments instantly. It can let a family breathe again. Our bankruptcy division is led by attorney Erin M. Lane, a very experienced Washington State bankruptcy lawyer throughout the Puget Sound region and throughout Washington State. Erin is an extremely experienced bankruptcy attorney who has successfully filed countless Chapter 7 cand Chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions for clients throughout Washington State. That experience informs every filing we do. She knows what trustees look for, what red flags trigger objections, and how to structure a case so that it closes smoothly and the client gets the fresh start they came for. Erin also leads our team of Washington State bankruptcy lawyers with an approach that clients consistently describe in their reviews as kind, patient, and genuinely invested in their outcome. One theme we hear over and over from bankruptcy clients is, \\\"I was terrified to come in, and she treated me like a friend.\\\" That is how we want every client, in every practice area, to feel. Chapter 7. The classic fresh start bankruptcy. Chapter 7 is designed to discharge most unsecured debt, including credit cards, medical bills, personal loans, old utility bills, deficiency balances on repossessed cars, and older tax obligations meeting specific requirements. The process moves quickly. But, our Washington State Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyers will be with you ever step of the way. From filing to discharge typically takes about ninety days. The moment the petition is filed, the automatic stay under 11 U.S.C. 362 kicks in, and every creditor call, every lawsuit, every wage garnishment, every repossession effort stops. Period. The stay is an immediate, powerful, court-enforced cease and desist, and it works. Most of our Chapter 7 clients qualify to keep everything they own. Washington gives filers a choice between the Washington state exemptions and the federal bankruptcy exemptions, and we work through both with every client to see which is more generous in that client\\\'s specific situation. The Washington homestead exemption under RCW 6.13 protects substantial equity in a primary residence. If you have questions about whether or not bankruptcy can protect your home from foreclosure, we encourage you to call our offices for a free initial consultation with one of our experienced Chapter 7 bankruptcy attorneys. The vehicle exemption protects up to $15,000 per vehicle for Washington exemptions or $5,025 under the federal scheme. There are exemptions for household goods, tools of the trade, retirement accounts, and a wildcard exemption that can protect miscellaneous property. Our Chapter 7 clients routinely discharge 100 percent of their qualifying unsecured debt while keeping 100 percent of their property. That is the fresh start Congress had in mind. Our Washington State bankruptcy attorneys have filed Chapter 7 cases for people in every circumstance imaginable. Clients recovering from medical crises with six figure hospital bills. Clients whose small businesses failed during the pandemic. Clients emerging from bitter divorces saddled with joint debt. Clients who simply lost control of credit card debt during years of rising prices and flat wages. Every one of them walked out of bankruptcy with a chance to start over, and most of them are doing well today. Many of them wrote them wrote reviews that expressed their gratitude for our help during one of the most difficult periods of their lives. Chapter 13: The House Saver. Chapter 13 has been called the wage earner\\\'s plan, but the name our firm uses most often is simpler. Our Washington State Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorneys call it the “house saver” plan. And, we have a lot of experience using it for exactly that purpose. Here is why. When a mortgage falls behind, the lender in Washington does not have to sue to foreclose. Washington is a non-judicial foreclosure state, which means the lender can record a notice of default, wait out the statutory period, and then sell the home at a trustee sale. Homeowners often feel the walls closing in because the normal court system that they imagine protecting them is not involved. A scheduled trustee sale can come up fast, and the legal options narrow as the date gets closer. Our Chapter 13 bankruptcy lawyers understand the urgency of the situation. If you are facing a home foreclosure or a trustee sale, a Chapter 13 filing could change everything. The instant the petition is filed, the automatic stay under 11 U.S.C. 362 takes effect. A scheduled trustee sale is halted. Our Washington Chapter 13 bankruptcy home foreclosure lawyers have stopped countless trustee sales and home foreclosures over the years, sometimes at literally the last possible moment before the sale was scheduled to occur. From there, the Chapter 13 plan does something that no other legal tool can match. It lets the homeowner resume the current monthly mortgage payment and cure all of the missed payments over three to five years, while also stopping payments to unsecured creditors like credit cards, medical bills, and personal loans. That is the essence of the house saver. The homeowner gets caught up on the mortgage while not paying unsecured creditors, and at the end of the plan, the remaining unsecured debts are discharged. Chapter 13 offers other powerful tools as well. A wholly unsecured junior mortgage or HELOC, meaning a second mortgage on a home where the first mortgage already exceeds the home\\\'s fair market value, can be stripped entirely. If you have questions about your Washington State home and whether Chapter 13 bankruptcy might be the right solution for you and your family, we encourage you to give our offices a call for a free initial consultation. One of our experienced bankruptcy attorneys will be happy to review the specific facts and circumstances involved in your case and then explain how we can help. Older vehicle loans, generally those taken out more than 910 days before filing, can be crammed down to the vehicle\\\'s fair market value, often saving thousands. Back taxes and HOA arrears can be consolidated into the payment plan. Cosigners on consumer debts get broader protection than they would in Chapter 7. Wage Garnishments. Washington law limits wage garnishments under RCW 6.27.150 to 25 percent of disposable earnings or thirty-five times the federal minimum wage per week, whichever is less. But 25 percent of every paycheck is devastating when the household is already running on fumes. Filing a bankruptcy case stops the garnishment immediately. In some cases, if the garnishment took more than a certain threshold in the ninety days before filing, the funds can actually be recovered as a preference. Bankruptcy is not the end of the road. For most of our Washington State bankruptcy clients, it is the beginning of a real financial recovery. If you are facing any of these pressures (foreclosure, repossession, garnishment, harassment from collectors, or debt that simply will not go away), our Washington State bankruptcy lawyers can help. Call (844) 925-2943 today for a free consultation. You have nothing to lose by picking up the phone, and the call could change your life. Divorce and Family Law: Guiding People Through the Hardest Chapter Few legal matters cut as deep as a divorce or custody case. These cases involve homes, businesses, retirement accounts, and most importantly, children. They happen at the worst moment in a person\\\'s life, when emotions are high, trust has been broken, and the future feels uncertain. The job of a good Washington family law attorney is not just to know the statutes. It is to listen, to plan, to advocate, and to help the client make decisions they can still feel good about ten years later. That is what we do, every day, in every family law case we accept. Our family law division is led by attorney Laurie G. Robertson. Laurie has been quoted in the Daily News and on Fox News on Washington divorce matters, and she is recognized for strong results in contested and complex family law cases. Our Washington State divorce and family law attorneys have the resources and the experience to handle any divorce or family law case in Washington, from a simple uncontested dissolution to a high stakes, high asset, multi week trial involving business valuations, hidden assets, and complex parenting disputes. Every family law client works with an attorney and a team who genuinely care about the outcome. Divorce and Legal Separation. Washington is a no-fault divorce state under RCW 26.09.030. The only requirement to dissolve a marriage is that the marriage is irretrievably broken. What people actually fight about is everything else: the house, the retirement accounts, the business, the children, and the ability to afford life after the split. We handle uncontested dissolutions where the parties agree on everything. Our Washington State divorce lawyers also handle highly contested divorces involving business valuations, closely held companies, stock options, deferred compensation, executive bonuses, retirement accounts subject to QDRO division, real estate portfolios, and significant separate property tracing issues. Washington is a community property state under RCW 26.09.080, but the lines between community and separate property get blurry fast, and tracing takes skill. If you have questions about whether or not your property is properly characterized as separate or community, we invite you to call our offices for a free, no obligation initial consultation. One of our experienced family law attorneys will be happy to discuss the unique facts of your case and then explain how we can help. Child Custody and Parenting Plans. Washington does not use the word \\\"custody\\\" in most statutes anymore. We build parenting plans under RCW 26.09.187, which requires the court to consider the relationship each parent has had with the child, each parent\\\'s history of caregiving, the emotional bond and the parenting abilities of each parent, each parent\\\'s ability to support the child\\\'s relationship with the other parent, the child\\\'s schooling and community ties, and any history of domestic violence, substance abuse, or neglect. Our Washington State parenting plan lawyers build parenting plans that reflect real family life and advocate fiercely for our clients\\\' time with their children. In contested matters, we work with guardians ad litem and parenting evaluators and prepare thoroughly for every hearing. Child Support and Spousal Maintenance. Child support in Washington is calculated under the Child Support Schedule in RCW 26.19. On paper it is a formula. In practice, the inputs can be fiercely contested, especially where one parent is self employed or underemployed. Our Washington State child support lawyers push back on inflated or deflated income claims and ask the court to impute income where appropriate under RCW 26.19.071. Spousal maintenance, governed by RCW 26.09.090, considers the length of the marriage, the standard of living, the financial resources of each spouse, and the ability of the requesting spouse to meet their needs independently. Relocation, Modifications, and Enforcement. When a parent wants to move with the children, Washington has strict notice rules under RCW 26.09.430 through 26.09.560, and failing to follow them can cost a parent custody. When circumstances genuinely change (a job change, a remarriage, a health issue, or a child\\\'s evolving needs), we bring modification actions based on a substantial change of circumstances. When orders are violated, our family law attorneys will not hesitate to file motions for contempt and enforcement. The parenting plan modification attorneys at Washington State Attorneys, PLLC are experienced and aggressive advocates who are very familiar with this state’s parenting plan relocation laws. Protection Orders and Other Matters. Our team also handles domestic violence protection orders, sexual assault protection orders, anti harassment orders, and stalking protection orders under the consolidated Chapter 7.105 RCW. The divorce and family law lawyers at Washington State Attorneys, PLLC also handle prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, adoptions, paternity actions, committed intimate relationship (CIR) property division disputes, parental alienation matters, and fathers\\\' rights cases. Fathers\\\' Rights. Washington family law is written to treat mothers and fathers equally, but many fathers tell us they feel like they are walking into a system stacked against them. Our Washington State father’s rights lawyers take fathers\\\' rights cases seriously. We prepare parenting plan proposals that reflect the father\\\'s real involvement with the children, we document the father\\\'s caregiving history, and we advocate strongly at every stage. When the facts support it, courts absolutely grant primary residential time to fathers, and our divorce and family law lawyers have obtained this result many times. LGBTQ+ Families. Our family law team handles divorce, custody, surrogacy, assisted reproduction, and parental rights for LGBTQ+ clients with the knowledge and respect these cases require. Washington is a welcoming jurisdiction for LGBTQ+ families, and we make sure our clients\\\' legal rights are fully protected. High Asset and Complex Cases. When a marriage includes substantial assets, the process gets more complicated. Business valuations, stock option vesting schedules, executive compensation, closely held company interests, cryptocurrency holdings, investment real estate, and deferred compensation plans all require careful analysis. Our Washington state divorce and family law lawyers work with valuation experts, forensic accountants, and business appraisers to make sure nothing gets missed and nothing gets hidden. We also use subpoenas, interrogatories, and depositions aggressively to uncover assets that a less thorough firm might never find. Military Divorce. With JBLM in our backyard and Naval Base Kitsap across the water, we handle many military divorces and custody matters. These cases involve unique rules under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses\\\' Protection Act (USFSPA), the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), and military retirement division, and they require an attorney who knows the interplay between federal military rules and Washington state family law. Our Washington State military divorce and family law attorneys are very familiar with the unique facts and circumstances that every military family member faces when confronting a divorce other family law matter. Our military divorce attorneys are here to help you understand your legal rights and options. Whatever shape your family law matter takes, you deserve a team that cares about the outcome and has the resources and experience to fight for you. Call (844) 925-2943 today for a free, confidential consultation. Why Our Clients Come Back, and Why They Send Their Friends A law firm does not build a reputation or a thriving law practice, thirteen offices, and more than 300 five star reviews by trying to be everything to everyone. It builds that practice by doing a few things well, over and over, for real people with real problems. We answer the phone. Our initial consultations are free, confidential, and carry no obligation. You will speak with an attorney or a trained member of our team, not a sales pitch and not a call center screener who has no idea what the law says. We listen. Every case starts with your story. Not a checklist, not a script, not a quick intake form. We want to understand what happened, what you are worried about, and what outcome would let you sleep at night again. Then, and only then, do we start talking about strategy. We explain things honestly. If your case has weaknesses, we tell you. If there is a better path than litigation, we point to it. If you should think twice before filing, we say that out loud. We would rather lose the fee today than sell you a case that cannot be won. We prepare. Every DUI file. Every bankruptcy petition. Every parenting plan. Every infraction report. Every criminal defense case. We read the evidence, learn the court, and walk in ready. That preparation is why we win motions that other attorneys do not even file. We show up. In every courthouse from Bellingham to Olympia, from Port Orchard to Redmond. Every day of the week. That daily presence is why judges know us and trust that when we make an argument, we have the facts to back it up. We care. Not as a slogan. Not as a bullet point on a website. As a real commitment. We care about the outcome of your case because we care about you. That is why our clients write reviews like, \\\"They made me feel like I was their only client.\\\" That is why, when a former client runs into us at the grocery store, we stop and ask how their kids are doing. And that is why, ten years after a case closes, the same client sends us their sister when she goes through a divorce. Jason Newcombe has over 300 five star reviews across Google, Avvo, Yelp, Facebook, Martindale Hubbell, and other review platforms. Those reviews span many years of practice and cover DUI defense, criminal defense, bankruptcy, family law, and traffic infractions. They are not paid testimonials. They are the voices of real clients who received real help at real moments of crisis in their lives. If you want to get a sense of who we are before you call, take a few minutes and read them. Over the years, those simple commitments have built something you cannot buy with advertising. They have built trust, one case and one handshake at a time. That kind of trust is the foundation of Washington State Attorneys, PLLC. It is how we got here. It is how we plan to stay. If You Need Help, Get Help Today Whatever you are facing (a DUI arrest, a criminal charge, a traffic ticket that could cost you your job, a mortgage foreclosure, a marriage ending, a custody fight), the first step is always the same. Call us. As Washington State DUI attorneys, Washington State bankruptcy lawyers, and Washington State criminal defense attorneys, we have thirteen offices across Western Washington, from Bellingham in the north to Olympia in the south, from Port Orchard in the west to Redmond on the Eastside. We handle criminal, DUI, and traffic ticket cases in Whatcom County, Skagit County, Snohomish County, King County, Pierce County, Thurston County, and Kitsap County, and we handle bankruptcy and family law matters throughout Western Washington. You can reach any of our offices through our toll-free number, (844) 925-2943, or visit www.washingtonstateattorneys.com. Consultations are free. Conversations are confidential. You have nothing to lose by picking up the phone, and for many people, that call is the moment everything started turning around. The lawyers at Washington State Attorneys, PLLC care about the clients we serve, and we care about the results we achieve. That is how we got where we are, and that is how we operate every day. We have the resources to handle your case. We have the experience to handle your case. And we want to handle your case. Get help and answers today. Call (844) 925-2943. We are ready to fight for you, one handshake at a time.

If you have been arrested for DUI, charged with a crime, or handed a traffic ticket that threatens your license or your job, the attorney you choose will shape the outcome of your case more than any other single factor. A great Washington State criminal defense attorney can win a dismissal, negotiate a reduction, preserve a license, keep you out of jail and protect a future. A mediocre criminal attorney decision, however, can cost you a criminal record, jail time, or years of inflated insurance premiums. So, what should a person actually look for when hiring a Washington State criminal defense, DUI, or traffic attorney? The truth is that a handful of qualities consistently separate the lawyers who win from the lawyers who just show up. Here are the most important ones, with a look at how Jason S. Newcombe of Washington State Attorneys, PLLC measures up on each. There is no substitute for experience. Jason has been consistently recognized as a skilled Washington State criminal attorney. Not a fancy website. Not a slick television commercial. Not an impressive law school pedigree. If the lawyer you hire does not spend real time in court, in front of real judges, arguing real motions, and trying real cases, you are paying for someone who is learning on your dime. Jason Newcombe has been handling DUI, criminal defense, and traffic ticket cases in Oregon and Washington for over 30 years. He has been licensed to practice in Oregon since 1997 and in Washington since 1999. He started his legal career as a deputy district attorney in Lane County, Oregon, where he tried his first DUI case in 1996, and has spent the decades since on the defense side. Over the last twenty years alone, he has handled thousands of Washington criminal, DUI, and civil traffic infraction cases. That kind of experience cannot be taught in a classroom and cannot be bought with advertising. It can only be earned, one case at a time. One of the most valuable things a criminal defense attorney can bring to a case is experience on the other side of the table. An attorney who has worked as a prosecutor knows how prosecutors think, how they evaluate cases, how they decide what to charge and what to reduce, and where they are likely to feel uncomfortable in their evidence. That insight can completely change the outcome of a case. Jason started his career as a prosecutor and has spent the rest of it on the defense side. He brings the unique perspective of a lawyer who has stood at both counsel tables, and he uses that perspective every day when evaluating cases, anticipating the state\'s moves, and building defenses that exploit weaknesses most defense attorneys would never notice. A reliable way to separate the real attorneys from the marketing attorneys is to look at peer recognition. Peer recognition is earned, not purchased, and it signals what other lawyers and judges think about an attorney\'s work. Jason holds the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell, the highest peer review rating in the American legal profession. He has been named a Super Lawyer, a designation reserved for the top five percent of attorneys in a state. He is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. He has earned recognition as an award winning attorney across multiple legal categories over many years of practice. The best criminal defense attorneys are respected by their peers and by the judges before whom they regularly appear. That respect is not given freely. It is earned over years of being prepared, being honest, treating the courtroom with seriousness, and making arguments that are actually supported by the law and the facts. Jason has practiced in Western Washington courtrooms for over twenty five years. Judges and prosecutors throughout the region know him, respect his work, and take his arguments seriously. When Jason stands up to make a legal point, the judge listens. When Jason tells the court that a negotiated resolution is fair, the court gives that representation weight. That kind of credibility translates into real benefits for clients every single day. This one matters more than most clients realize. A criminal case is a crisis. A DUI arrest is frightening. A traffic ticket that threatens a license can upend a family. The client sitting across from the attorney is often the most stressed they have ever been in their life, and they need a lawyer who actually cares, not a lawyer who is just processing files to collect fees. Jason and the Washington State Attorneys, PLLC team are results driven, and we care deeply about the results we achieve for our clients because we care about our clients. Every case gets the personal attention it deserves. Phone calls get returned. Questions get answered in plain English. Strategy gets explained before decisions get made. That approach is not optional at our firm. It is the reason we built the practice in the first place. Peer recognition is important, but so are client reviews. Reading client reviews tells you things no website can. How did the attorney treat the client during the scariest moment of their life? Did the attorney return calls? Did the attorney explain the options clearly? Did the attorney fight, or just push a plea and collect the fee? Jason Newcombe has over 300 five star reviews across Google, Avvo, Yelp, Facebook, Martindale Hubbell, and other review platforms, accumulated over more than a decade of practice. Those reviews are not paid testimonials. They are the voices of real clients who received real help during real moments of crisis. Read them. They will tell you who we are. Local Knowledge Across Western Washington Washington is a big state and its courtrooms are not interchangeable. Every district court, municipal court, and superior court has its own culture, its own practices, and its own informal expectations. A lawyer who regularly practices in your local courthouse knows things that an out of area attorney simply cannot know. Jason and the Washington State Attorneys, PLLC team appear in courts throughout Western Washington every day. We have thirteen offices stretching from Bellingham and Whatcom County in the north all the way to Olympia and Thurston County in the south, with offices serving every county in between. That daily courtroom presence gives us insider knowledge of each courthouse that out of area firms cannot match. If you are facing a DUI, a criminal charge, or a traffic ticket in Washington State, the first step is always the same. Pick up the phone. Call Super Lawyer and award winning attorney Jason S. Newcombe at (844) 925-2943 today for a free, confidential consultation, or visit www.washingtonstateattorneys.com. We have the experience. We have the track record. We care about your case. And we are ready to fight for you.