Gearing Rackner Engel LLP

View the profile as it appeared in Oregon Rising Stars 2008 (PDF)

View the profile as it appeared in Oregon Super Lawyers 2008 (PDF)

Transitions are almost always very difficult. Any time a family law attorney is needed, you can bet there is a lot of emotion involved. The attorneys at Gearing, Rackner & Engel, LLP, one of the premier family and matrimonial law firms in Portland, believe getting past those emotions to the heart of the matter is the most important part of their job.

Many clients come to the firm with some level of uncertainty about the process they are about to undergo. Oftentimes, they’ve been getting advice from well-meaning family and friends. As a result, many clients have tainted or unrealistic objectives or expectations. Gearing, Rackner & Engel attorneys start by delivering professional legal advice. They provide truthful, honest information so that clients can become more grounded and better able to navigate the legal system.

Change within the basic family unit is challenging. A good family law practitioner helps guide a client in creating a palatable new outcome that contributes to the ongoing vitality of the family unit.

Experienced and Involved

Although Gearing, Rackner & Engel just celebrated its third anniversary, its history goes back much farther. The nucleus of the firm has been together for almost 20 years. Together, Gearing, Rackner & Engel’s four partners share nearly 70 years of cumulative experience in subjects such as dissolution, child custody, parenting time, relocation, complex high asset property and support issues, domestic violence, premarital/postnuptial/cohabitation agreements, guardianships, conservatorships, adoptions, grandparent and third-party parenting rights and juvenile dependency issues.

In addition to its tradition of providing quality legal services, the firm is well known for its commitment to the community. Its attorneys frequently volunteer for many youth organizations and charities, and are quick to respond to court requests for pro bono representation of children. David Gearing and Laura Rackner also co-authored the child custody curriculum utilized by the Oregon State Bar’s Continuing Legal Education Program.

Gearing, Rackner & Engel’s trademark is its investment in the welfare of its clients and its community. It imparts honest, legally sound advice throughout the attorney-client relationship. The firm believes that consistent legal advice dampens emotion and increases a client’s ability to make sound personal and business decisions during challenging, transitional times. This shared ethic best defines Gearing, Rackner & Engel.