Venable Law Group PLLC
Kitsap County · Washington
Fidelitas, Veritas, Integritas
Fidelity · Truth · Integrity
Wills, trusts, and estate planning for clients anywhere in Washington State — protecting what you have built and making sure it passes the way you intended. For families in Kitsap County we practise collaborative divorce: a structured, out-of-court process that keeps the decisions with you. Military families bring particular questions — pensions, survivor benefits, housing allowances — and those are well-travelled ground here. Attorney Darcy Venable has been representing clients since 1995.
About the Firm
Venable Law Group PLLC is a Washington professional limited liability company founded on three principles: fidelity to the client, truth in counsel, and integrity in every matter we take on.
Admitted to practice in Washington in 1995.
Our founder began her career in criminal law as a public defender — the side of the courtroom where you learn fastest what the legal system actually does to the people standing in it. In 2000 she became a founding member of the Northwest Academy of DUI Defense.
She moved her practice into family law in 2017, and in 2020 committed it to the collaborative process. That was a deliberate choice rather than a drift: after two decades in courtrooms, she had seen how much damage adversarial litigation does to a family on its way to an outcome the family could often have reached themselves.
Estate planning followed as a natural extension of that work. The families she was helping through a divorce were asking the same questions on the other side of it — who should make decisions if I cannot, what happens to what I have built, how do I keep my children out of a process I just lived through. The same conviction runs through both halves of the practice: a plan made deliberately, in advance, spares a family the process that gets imposed on them when no plan exists.
The firm is a member of WealthCounsel, a national organization of estate planning attorneys, which gives our clients the benefit of continually updated drafting standards and planning strategies alongside counsel who knows Washington law.
Talk With Our TeamNot every divorce needs to be contentious — some just need a guiding hand. Collaborative divorce puts you, rather than the court calendar, in charge of the process. You still receive candid advice from your own attorney, backed by a full team of professionals.
See the Collaborative ProcessOur Practice Areas
Proper wills and estate planning safeguard your assets and make sure your wishes are honored. Low-cost or free templates can expose you to avoidable risk, taxes, and fees — and can put your affairs into the public record through probate. Effective planning lets your loved ones receive their inheritance without unnecessary delay.
Start Your PlanWashington probate is a public court process that takes time and costs money. A properly funded trust can keep your estate out of it entirely — keeping your affairs private and getting assets to the people you chose without a court supervising every step.
Trust Options Read: the community property agreement trap →The best results come from the best team effort. Collaborative divorce is a structured way to work through the difficulties of separation while keeping decisions in your hands rather than the court’s — with your own attorney advising you throughout.
Divorce Options Read: collaborative vs. litigation →Not every matter needs full representation. We can advise you behind the scenes and prepare or review your documents while you handle the filing and the appearances yourself — a defined, agreed scope, priced accordingly. It is a practical middle path between going it alone and retaining counsel for everything.
Ask If This FitsServices
Without planning that satisfies both Washington requirements and federal law, your family can face avoidable tax burdens and financial strain — and your legacy may not pass the way you intended.
A thoughtful estate plan should grow with you and keep supporting the people who come after you. It is not a single document signed once and filed away; it is a structure that gets reviewed as your family, your assets, and the law change.
An estate plan generally addresses four questions:
Free guide to download:
Begin the Planning ProcessEstate planning does not require you to be local to us. We work with clients anywhere in Washington State — from the Kitsap Peninsula to Spokane and everywhere between — using remote consultations and secure document delivery.
Washington has its own rules that generic online templates routinely get wrong: it is a community property state, it has a state-level estate tax that starts at $3 million — far below the federal threshold — and it has specific requirements for how documents are executed. A plan that was valid in another state, or generated by a national form provider, may not do what you think it does here.
Ask About Remote PlanningDivorce is difficult, and identifying which rights and entitlements apply — and how to access them — is harder still when military service is involved. We handle the pension division, survivor benefit, and jurisdictional questions that come with a military marriage.
Our team includes a 20-year United States Navy veteran who served as a qualified Command Career Counselor — the role responsible for advising sailors on benefits, entitlements, and service obligations. You will not spend your first meeting explaining how the military works.
How we take military divorce matters
We prepare and file every pleading needed to finish your divorce. What we do not take on is contested motion hearings and trial. We take military divorce matters in two ways:
If your matter is headed for contested hearings or trial, tell us early and we will point you toward counsel who does that work.
When emotions run high we default to gut reactions, and that often complicates an already difficult process. We help you make deliberate decisions that protect your rights and your family.
Free guides to download:
In Their Words
I just wanted to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the amount of hard work and time spent on my case. A year ago I couldn’t imagine being in a place where there is a fair resolution and opportunity for me to continue to build a strong relationship with my son. Darcy and Nick, you both have made that possible for me and I will forever be grateful and indebted for your service and professionalism. My expectations have been exceeded one hundredfold. Thank you again — you both are my heroes!
— J. A.
I want to tell you and Nick thank you so much for getting me through everything over the past 10 months. You guys have been some of the kindest, friendliest people to get through all the stuff we got through. I appreciate the honesty, integrity, and support. Without your help and guidance, who knows where I would be with my current situations. From the bottom of my heart, I truly can’t thank you guys enough for everything you have helped me with.
— T. B.
Darcy and Nick have saved my life. I was drowning, and my daughter and I got out. Darcy was referred to me and she was so on point with all legal matters that I did not have to worry about anything. Even though the divorce was ugly, Darcy helped me and my daughter work through it well. She gave us great advice and helped guide us to a mutual agreement in the settlement. I will recommend her to anyone. Darcy and Nick are the best law group that I ever dealt with!!!
— J.
I highly recommend the Venable Law Group for anyone seeking legal representation. Throughout my entire case, Darcy took the time to thoroughly explain everything, answer all of my questions, and never made me feel rushed or overwhelmed. I always felt supported and confident knowing I had such a dedicated advocate on my side.
— C. W.
Testimonials are provided by former clients and describe their individual experiences. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any other matter.
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