Associate Attorney
Jay S. Ritchie is an Associate Attorney at Dellino Family Law Group, where she focuses on a wide variety of family and domestic relations matters. Her practice includes: high conflict divorce, high asset divorce, conscious uncoupling models of separation, pre- and post-nuptial agreement drafting, parenting plans, paternity/parentage, LGBTQIA+ family law, child custody, child support, protection orders, and separation from domestic violence. Jay seeks to be compassionate and collaborative with all parties to resolve all issues in the most cost-effective method possible, while always providing consistent zealous advocacy for her clients.
My Approach
My passion for family law and legal advocacy comes from my youth, watching members of my family interact with the legal system and feeling powerless. I am an enrolled member of the Mississquoi Band of Abenaki, Cree, Japanese and of Mixed European descent. My ancestors had predominantly negative experiences with the legal system, so I was determined to understand it and be able to utilize it for all people, especially those who are currently and historically marginalized.
I take a compassionate and calculated approach to managing client affairs. My team is always armed with a sword and a shield when addressing legal issues. It is always my preference to resolve complex issues by agreement, but when that is not possible, we are able to adjust to employ effective legal strategies to obtain desired outcomes. I am always an advocate, and my clients are the masters of their cases. I want all of my clients coming out of the experience feeling empowered and armed with new skills to advocate for themselves.
Background
I was born in beautiful Bellingham, WA and raised along the Nooksack River. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest is an honor, and I am extremely grateful to the Nooksack and Lummi people and the land in our region. I was privileged to matriculate to the University of Washington where I studied Medical Anthropology and Global Health with a focus on disproportionate negative health impacts to women, children, the unborn and Indigenous Peoples caused by the Hanford Nuclear Waste Site. By way of Seattle, WA, I attended Vermont Law School as an inaugural member of the Accelerated Juris Doctor Program.
Outside of the office I enjoy spending time with friends, family, my twelve-year-old Siberian husky, Tsuki-Yomi and cat, Lavender. I also enjoy martial arts, yoga, weightlifting and any time I get to be with Mother Earth. Indigenous Sovereignty, Language Revitalization, Traditional Song and Dance and Sustainable Development with Tribal Nations are also passions I devote my time to when I am not on the clock.