Ms. Sylvester has dedicated her career to helping families. Her practice is devoted to complex domestic relations matters, including adoption, dissolution of marriage/legal separation, custody/visitation, support, and guardianship. Ms. Sylvester is a highly skilled litigator and negotiator, but also is able to offer collaborative services to her clients. In her more than 40 years of practice working in domestic relations, Ms. Sylvester has had the opportunity to represent clients in all manner of domestic relations, frequently handling complicated dissolutions involving long-term marriages with extensive assets, and highly contested parenting issues. Ms. Sylvester is also able to offer her services as a mediator and arbitrator by helping her clients resolve their disputes out of court, if possible.

Memberships & Affiliations

• Washington State Bar Association, Former Adjunct Investigative Counsel
• Washington State Bar Association, Former Member, Code of Professional Responsibility Committee
• Washington State Bar Association, Former Member, Civil Rights Committee
• Washington State Bar Association, Family Law Section, Member
• Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association, Former Chair, Judicial Qualifications Committee
• Collaborative Law Professionals of Pierce County
• Collaborative Law Professionals of Washington
• International Association of Collaborative Professionals
• Pierce County Juvenile Court, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)
• Former Court Commissioner Pro Tempore, Pierce County Juvenile Court, Counsel for CASA

Education

• University of Puget Sound School of Law, J.D., 1977
• University of Washington, B.A., 1973

Classes/Seminars

• Washington State Bar Association, Presented Variety of Topics Over Many Years
• Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association, Presented on a Variety of Topics Over Many Years 

Community Involvement

• Calvary Community Church, Sumner, Washington – Former Leader and Instructor, Marriage Ministry
• World Association for Children and Parents – Former Board President and Board Member

Practice Areas

• Family Law
• Adoptions
• Alternate Dispute Resolution, including collaborative practice, mediation, and arbitration
• Mediation
• Children