Straightforward legal help,
start to finish.
Serving Stevens and Ferry Counties, Washington. We handle criminal defense, civil protection orders, and civil rights restoration.
Every case starts with a plan, not a guess.
The full picture, first
We go through the charges, the evidence, and the realistic range of outcomes before any strategy gets decided.
A path you understand
You'll know what each option costs you and gets you, plainly, before you have to choose one.
Prepared like it's trial
Deadlines tracked, filings prepared, and a courtroom-ready case even when it resolves before trial.
We bring you back to solid ground.
gavelCriminal Defense
Felonies and misdemeanors in Stevens and Ferry County courts: DUI, drug charges, assault, domestic violence, theft, probation violations, juvenile matters.
Whatever you're facing, we handle it the same way: read everything, tell you where you actually stand, and lay out your real options.
shieldCivil Protection Orders
All six order types, either side: asking the court for protection, or responding to a petition filed against you.
Handling one on your own is intimidating. Some clients want help with the paperwork and a clear picture of the process; others want us to handle the whole thing.
gavelCriminal Vacates Firearm Rights Restoration
Lost your firearm rights to a conviction, or want an old conviction vacated? Washington allows both, but each is its own petition with its own rules. A state restoration doesn't automatically clear you under federal law, and not every conviction qualifies for either one. Call and we'll tell you where you actually stand.
descriptionTraffic Infractions
Do Not Just Pay It!
Tickets add up in ways that outlast the fine: insurance, licensing, your driving record. We'll look at whether it's worth contesting before you just pay it.
Washington laws can suspend your license after you've paid your tickets. Paying isn't always the end of it.
assignmentWills & Simple Estate Planning
A will, a power of attorney, and a healthcare directive: the basic paperwork that keeps your wishes in writing and keeps the decision out of a stranger's hands if something happens to you.
This isn't complex estate planning. No trusts, no tax strategy. If your situation calls for that, we'll tell you and point you toward someone who handles it.
You may not need a lawyer for the whole thing.
Hiring a lawyer isn't all or nothing. On civil matters, we can take just the piece you need and you keep the rest.
- check_circle Review your paperwork before you file it
- check_circle Prepare petitions and responses for you to file yourself
- check_circle Get you ready for your hearing
- check_circle Explain what you were served and when it's due
- check_circle Appear for one hearing
- check_circle Look at a settlement offer before you sign
Court forms ask specific questions because the judge has to find specific things. A lot of what we do is pull that part to the front and help you present the relevant points of your case to the court.
A few things to know
Not available for criminal charges. We're responsible only for what's in a signed agreement. Your deadlines and court dates stay yours.
Real, not rehearsed.
We don't put on a show for clients. You'll get what we actually think, even on the days that's not what you wanted to hear, and we laugh more than you'd expect from two people who spend this much time in courtrooms. We like this work, and most days, we like the people in it too.
We work just as hard whether this is the first call you've made about this or the fifth. We're also not miracle workers, and we'd rather be upfront about the reality of your case from the start.
Travis W. Phelps
Attorney · U.S. Navy Veteran J.D. Gonzaga UniversityBefore law school, he served in the U.S. Navy, where the job was to prepare for the worst case and execute the plan anyway. That's the same standard he holds a criminal case to: know every fact, anticipate every move the prosecution can make, and walk into the courtroom with a plan you understand.
Twenty-plus years in Washington courtrooms, on both sides of it: Criminal Prosecution, Public Defense, Private Defense, and numerous civil matters. He has practiced in Spokane, Stevens, Ferry, Douglas, and Chelan Counties. He's direct, he's hard to rattle (four years keeping ejection seats working on a carrier flight deck will do that), and he'll give it to you straight: win, lose, or somewhere in between.
He's never worn a white shirt to court. There's a full rack of ties at home, color-coordinated, entirely on purpose. And yes, there's a donkey.
- Education
- Gonzaga University, J.D.
- WSBA #
- 35994
- Service
- U.S. Navy, Veteran (1992–1996)
- Practice
- Criminal defense, protection orders, firearm rights restoration, criminal vacates, traffic infractions, wills & simple estate planning
Terrah Hatch
Firm Administrator & Paralegal B.S. Criminal JusticeTerrah Hatch is not an attorney and does not provide legal advice.
She built this county's first public defender's office out of an empty room and a spreadsheet, and has run the parts of a law practice that don't happen in front of a judge ever since. Years spent inside the court system before that mean she knows exactly what a filing needs to look like before it goes out the door, not after it comes back. People tend to end a conversation with her calmer than they started it.
Outside the law, she's built and fixed systems for most of her career, a geeky streak that shows in how this office runs day to day. She's also worked in healthcare, social work, and for an international training organization.
Get in touch.
Not sure whether you even need a lawyer? Call and describe it. We'll tell you straight. If nobody picks up, we're in court, with a client, or somewhere in the county without cell service. Leave a message. We actually check them.
- Phone
- (509) 563-7400
- Consultations
- By appointment: in person, phone, or video.
- Where we appear
- Stevens and Ferry County District and Superior Court.