About CLEAR WATER
Meet Our Attorney
CLEAR WATER PNW – Law |Mediation | Coaching Where Your Family is Our Focus
Leslie R. Bottimore created CLEAR WATER PNW – Law | Mediation | Coaching – Where Your Family is Our Focus – after practicing Divorce and Family Law and Estate Planning for over twenty-five (25) years and after successfully running her Law Firm Bottimore & Associates, P.L.L.C. for over twenty (20) years.
Leslie’s Undergraduate Degree from Lewis & Clark College is in Hispanic Studies and Sociology. Prior to entering Law School at Seattle University School of Law where she graduated Cum Laude and before her entry into the Legal Field, Leslie worked as a Social Worker for about eight (8) years – speaking Spanish daily – with Immigrants and Migrant Farmworkers, in the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Field, and in Public Health.
Leslie served as a Pro Tem Judge and Pro Tem Court Commissioner for Pierce County Superior Court for nine (9) years from 2015 to 2024.
Leslie earned the designation as a Super Lawyer for several years in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Leslie’s former Law Firm won the Law Firm 500 Award for being among the fastest growing Law Firms in the Nation for five (5) consecutive years from 2018 to 2022.
Leslie’s former Law Firm earned the “Best Places to Work” designation by Puget Sound Business Journal in 2023.
Leslie is an effective Divorce and Family Law Litigator, having appeared in many courtrooms on behalf of numerous clients in various types of cases involving high net worth, spousal support, custody, parenting plans, domestic violence, trauma, committed intimate relationships, minor guardianships, and other issues, and with varying degrees of conflict for over twenty-five (25) years.
For those aiming to keep their Divorce and Family Law conflicts out of the courtroom, Leslie has engaged in Collaborative Law for over two (2) decades. She guides clients through this high road option of Divorce and Family Law Dispute Resolution. Leslie has been a Trainer, training other Professionals in Collaborative Law, since 2013. She has also written several Articles and Blogs and been a local, statewide, and International Speaker at Conferences, Workshops, and Events. She is very dedicated to local, statewide, and International organizations supporting Collaborative Practice.
Leslie has extensive experience of over twenty-five (25) years in Estate Planning and Probate, working with clients, single and married, and in committed intimate relationships, of all ages, with all sizes and make-ups of Estates, and with minor children, grown children, blended families, no children, pets, etc.
Leslie has been a Mediator for over two (2) decades, trained in various styles of Mediation: Evaluative Mediation with Shuttle Diplomacy, Settlement Conference style, Facilitative Mediation, Narrative Mediation, and Insight Mediation. Leslie is a Certified Mediator with Wthe ashington Mediation Association (WMA) and a Featured Mediator with Mediate.com.
Leslie is a Co-Parent Coach, Certified by CoPS, the Parent Team Expert Program, and Co-Parent Coaching Essentials; a Master Transformational Parent Coach, Certified by the JAI Institute for Parenting; and a Conscious Uncoupling Divorce Coach (Certification in Progress).
Leslie has devoted her career, her life’s work and purpose, her calling to Law | Mediation | Coaching, to facilitate Resolution of Divorce and Family Law Conflicts, one Family at a time.
Meet The Mediator
J.D. – Seattle University – Cum Laude – 1999
Bachelor of Arts – Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon – Hispanic Studies and Sociology – 1988
Bilingual in Spanish and English
The Curious Mediator – Insight Mediation – Jacinta Gallant, J.D. – Our Family in Two Homes and JG Training – 40+ Hours – 2024
Facilitative Mediation – Maralise Hood-Quan, Executive Director, Pierce County Center for Dispute Resolution (PCCDR) – now known as The Center for Dialog and Resolution (CDR) – 32 Hours – 2014
Mediation Skills – Robin N. Amadei, J.D. – 30 Hours – 2008
The Psychological Divorce – Joseph Shaub, J.D., LMFT – 2024 and 2017
Financial Issues in Divorce – King County Collaborative Law (KCCL) – 2017
Complex and High Asset Divorce – The Seminar Group – 2015
Co-Parenting Coaching – Karen Bonnell, M.S. – Collaborative Professionals of Washington – March 2024
Co-Parenting During the Pandemic – Karen Bonnell, M.S. and Anne Lucas, M.A., LCSW – King County Collaborative Law (KCCL) – 2020
Exploring the Impact of Divorce on Children: Major Factors and Recommendations for Minimizing Negative Effects – King County Collaborative Law (KCCL) – 2019
High Conflict Personalities – Bill Eddy, J.D., LCSW – Collaborative Professionals of Washington (CPW) – March 2020
Domestic Violence Screening (HITS) and Family Dispute Resolution – Presenter – International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) – Seattle, WA – October 2018
Working with High Conflict / Coercive / Controlling Personalities – Frances Schopick, J.D., MSW – 2017
Domestic Violence – King County Collaborative Law (KCCL) – 2015
Cultural Relevance of Family Dispute Resolution – Inclusion Diversity Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) – Presenter – International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) – Toronto, Canada – October 2023
Basic Training in Collaborative Law – Trainer – Collaborative Law Professionals of Pierce County (CLPPC) – Lead Trainer / Chair of Training Committee – 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024
Holding the Container – Intermediate Collaborative Law – Trainer – Collaborative Law Professionals of Pierce County (CLPPC) – Lead Trainer / Chair of Training Committee – 2017
The Confluence of Mediation and Mental Health – Flowing with Families – through What, Why, When, and WOW! – Collaborative Professionals of Washington (CPW) – 2012
The Impact of Gender on Communications and Negotiations – Collaborative Professionals of Washington (CPW) – 2012
Sources of Resistance and Moving Beyond Impasse – Wendy Rawlings, M.A., LMHC – Collaborative Professionals of Washington (CPW) – 2012
How We Fight – John Gottman’s Lessons for Family Dispute Resolution Professionals – Collaborative Professionals of Washington (CPW) – 2012
International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) – Annual Forums – Leadership Links Member – 2007 to 2024
Collaborative Professionals of Washington (CPW) – Annual Conferences – Sustaining Member – 2007 to 2024
Family Mediator – 2008 to Present
Pro Tem Judge – Pierce County Superior Court – Settlement Conferences – 2016 to April 2024
Family Law and Elder Law Attorney – June 2000 to July 2024
- Super Lawyer
- Former Judge Pro Tem
- Certified Mediator, Washington Mediation Association (WMA)
- Featured Mediator, Mediate.com
- Certified Co-Parent Coach, CoPS
- Certified Parent Team Expert
- Master Transformational Parent Coach, JAI Institute for Parenting
- Conscious Uncoupling Divorce Coach (Certification in Progress)
- Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association (TPCBA) – Member and Former Board of Trustees Member (2017-2024)
- King County Bar Association (KCBA)
- Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)
- Collaborative Law Professionals of Pierce County (CLPPC), Past President (2013 and 2020), Vice President, Secretary, At-Large Board Member, Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Collaborative Law Trainer, Creator and Former Chair of Training Committee, Protocols Committee, DEI Committee
- King County Collaborative Law (KCCL), Past Vice President (2017), Secretary, At-Large Board Member
- Collaborative Professionals of Washington (CPW), Sustaining Member since 2007, Original Green Team Member, Conference Committee Member
- International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), Ambassador, IDEA Committee, Sustaining Leadership Links Member
- Washington Mediation Association (WMA)
- Mediate.com
- Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM)
Awards and Recognition
Our Core Values and Purpose
The following represent our Core Values at CLEAR WATER PNW –
- Compassion, Care, and Empathy
- Effective Communications and Responsiveness
- Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness
- Culture of Accountability
- Value-Added Services
- Skilled and Experienced Delivery of High-Quality Mediation Services
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Cultural Competency
- Judgment Free
- Trauma-Informed
- Hope, Empowerment, and Positivity
- Transparency, Integrity, and Forthright Approach
- Conflict Resolution to Guide Participants to Reconfigure Families and Create Better Futures with Self-Determination, Renewal, and Growth
Embrace the chance to navigate difficult paths with dignity, grace, and understanding. Our Mediation services offer a gentle hand in times of turmoil, guiding you towards harmonious resolutions that pave the way for brighter tomorrows. Cultivate peace and find solace in our commitment to supporting you through challenging times.
Let us be the beacon of hope amid the storm, illuminating the path toward mutual Agreements and shared understandings. Your journey toward positive outcomes starts here, where Family Conflicts transform into opportunities for growth and understanding.
Experience the transformative power of Mediation, where disputes are not just resolved, but relationships are mended and reinforced. Together, we can embark on a voyage towards amicable resolutions and renewed beginnings.
Empower Communication
Resolve Conflicts Peacefully
Foster Lasting Harmony
Meet The Operations Manager
Sabrina A. Shandle has worked in Management and Customer Service with people in the midst of Family Conflicts for over a decade. She is a Certified Co-Parenting Specialist with CoPS and prides herself on problem-solving with Clients.
Having worked within the Child Care Field for 25 years and having owned her own Child Care Center, she is educated in Child Development and experienced in working with Children and Families. She has been a Volunteer with Tacoma Rescue Mission for over 15 years. She has also Volunteered for The People Center on Martin Luther King, Jr. Way.
Outside of her work with people in the midst of Family Conflicts and as a Volunteer, Sabrina enjoys spending time with her two boys and reading.
Certifications:
- CoPS – Certified Co-Parenting Specialists
Why The Name?
At CLEAR WATER, our mission is to bring clarity and resolution to conflicts through expert mediation. We strive to empower meaningful communication, guide peaceful conflict resolution, and foster lasting harmony in every relationship we touch.
I have worked with diverse people through Family Conflicts and life challenges for almost forty (40) years. In Social Work, in the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Field, through Immigration Services, in Public Health Administration, as a Lawyer for almost twenty-five (25) years, in running a successful Family Law and Elder Law Firm for over twenty (20) years, and as a Family Mediator since 2008.
From my professional experiences, as well as from my own personal experiences, I have learned that Family Conflicts are like having mud and muck and grime in Water – and as we embrace the grief process and empower ourselves to move through the Family Conflicts (not around or aside them) – we find CLEAR WATER.
Like a Lotus that emerges from dark and murky waters – we can create a life of peace and fulfillment.
We can restructure and reconfigure our families to serve our own and our children’s best interests in a more functional and healthy way.
We can create CLEAR WATER.
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