Attorney Dena Pickering Allen has been repeatedly recognized as one of the area’s “Top Lawyers” by the Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living Magazine since 2016. She has also been recognized by the SCBA Volunteer Lawyers Program as their Family Attorney of the Year in 2015, and received their Attorney Partner Award in 2020. She was a contributing author on Family Relationships which appeared in the Handbook for Washington Seniors: Legal Rights and Resources (2012).
As an attorney and mediator, Dena believes that an important contribution she provides to her clients is a supportive atmosphere that emphasizes respect and is focused on her client’s goals rather than divisiveness. Whether it is a divorce or a disputed estate, these are legal matters between family members that are just inherently prone to emotional escalation. Because of that, it is important to focus on both an equitable end result and a process to get there that strives for respect and common decency. Dena’s philosophy: The journey is just as important as the destination. Depending on how it is done, and regardless of the outcome, these most difficult of life events can be something that will be looked back upon with a sense of shame or pride.
For this reason, Dena always strives for settlement before trial when possible. She has many years of experience using mediation, both for her client’s benefit and as the neutral mediator. Additionally, her experience has shown that Collaborative Law can also provide positive results for her clients. Which type of dispute resolution process she uses is dependent upon the circumstances related to the specific case, and the underlying desires and motivations of her clients.
Dena grew up in East Wenatchee, Washington, and graduated from Eastmont H.S. in 1985. She received her undergraduate degree from UCLA in 1990, her law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1994, and was admitted to the Washington State Bar Association in 1994. As a family law attorney, her practice runs the spectrum of legal issues that affect most families at some time: Estate and Trust planning and disputes, Guardianships, Divorce, Custody, Prenuptial Agreements, Adoptions, and Modifications of existing family law Court orders.
Dena and her husband have two grown children, and 5 chickens who call Spokane’s South Hill their home. Dena is both an artist and published fiction author.