Juris Doctor (JD)
University of Toledo School of Law
1981
My greatest accomplishments are being able to provide my clients with resolutions that work. Whether this means pounding out a shared parenting plan, working out the division of property, or presenting a forceful case to the Court for the Court to decide, I am always proud of the fact that I can provide this broad range of skills to each matter I work on. I am also proud of my accomplishments in utilizing available technology in order to provide my clients with easier ways of contacting me, minimizing trips to the office and getting responsive answers in a timely fashion.

You can read my blog at: http://pamelamakowski.blogspot.com/

Columbus Bar Association
Ohio State Bar Association
Geauga County Bar Association
Ohio Supreme Court, 1981
US District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 1984
US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 1985
United States Supreme Court, 1987
Recently, my continuing education has focused on family law matters, and I have presented at a number of CLE courses. In the past, I have presented at CLEs in various litigation areas and have published articles on continuing education matters.

November 6,1981
0024667
OH
1-5

My 27+ years of experience let me give you thoughtful, caring advice, creative resolutions or compassionate advocacy in the courtroom.
My legal career has given me a broad base of experience, including litigation, mediation and advising at all levels in a variety of fields, ranging from family law, special needs children, probate, small business matters, economic issues, housing, personal injury, wrongful death and contract matters.

Since 2000, I have been in private practice, but before that I was a legal aid attorney with Western Reserve Legal Services, Cleveland Legal Aid and Erie County Legal Aid. I also have experience as a Public Defender in New Hampshire and Geauga County, Ohio. I taught at the University of Akron Law School, served as special projects counsel for Owens-Illinois in Toledo, and as Assistant Director of Law for both the City of Akron and the City of Cleveland. Prior to entering the practice of law, I had various jobs, including clerical work and working as a farm hand.

These broad based experiences are very useful because each family law case comes with its own unique twist, whether it is a family-owned business, a child who has special needs that must be addressed through the shared parenting plan, or complex financial records that might be utilized to find additional marital assets. It is important that you have a well-rounded background in order to meet the needs of each individual case.

In addition, with such a broad background, I have learned how to listen to what my clients want in order to craft a resolution that fits into their unique situation. That is why my most rewarding employment is private practice, where I have the freedom to work with my client creatively in order to achieve goals that will have far reaching impact to the whole family.

My small firm gives me the flexibility to work with you rather than trying to fit you into a cookie cutter process. I also find that when you hire an attorney, you have to hire someone who has the experience but who also will take the time to understand what you need. I can provide that to you.
Whether you are dealing with custody of your children, a guardianship for your parents, or simply trying to make sure that all parties are treated fairly and justly economically, every case is significant. However, some cases require a more experienced attorney to deal with difficult issues or to be willing to go into the courtroom to litigate issues that are not capable of resolution, while letting the client make the important decisions at all times.

I have extensive experience in domestic violence matters or cases where there is an imbalance of power.

I also have experience in dealing with children who have special needs and I have dealt with the struggle a family goes through while caring for their elderly or less abled adults. I have used the discovery process extensively to pin down financial records, work out business valuations and provide my client with the information needed to make good decisions.

Each case is significant and each client is significant. In the end, you need to hire an attorney that not only has the skills to represent you, but who will also respect your decisions and make sure that your voice is heard in the process.

I became an attorney because I was always committed to seeking justice on behalf of others. My commitment to family law is based on my strong commitment to family, with special support for what is often called non-traditional families, but which is more and more the typical family situation. My father thinks I became a lawyer because I like to argue, and that might be true, too.
Everyday I meet people who are in difficult situations and who are doing well. I have worked with other professionals, including counselors, financial advisors and mediators, and have learned how to get to the real issues in the situation in order to bring about a just resolution.
I have always been committed to children's causes. I believe that every child should be given every opportunity to succeed. By working in this area, I can help parents and those who have assumed a parental role accomplish this for their children. This can be very demanding, but also very challenging.
A lot of my recent experience (the past 15 years) has involved working with victims of domestic violence. I understand the dynamics of that situation and have been able to help victims effectively through this situation. I also work closely with counselors and therapists and I am familiar with special needs children and the accomodations that may be needed for them. In addition, I have a number of years of experience as a litigator, so I am not afraid to take a case to trial if that is necessary.
An ideal client is someone who is open and honest with me about his or her goals, and who is willing to work together with me to develop a strategy to acheive that goal.
My personal interests are quite diverse. I am very interested in history, particularly Lincoln. I am involved in theater from the production end. I enjoy reading biographies, historical novels, and good fiction. We have two dogs, and I am very interested in dog behavior. I enjoy cooking, cross-stitching and bicycling. I am also interested in working toward making Columbus an even more wonderful place to live.
Most of my charitable work is focused on children's issues, the plight of the poor, and AIDS. Now that my son is older, I find that I have more time to get involved in these issues. Before my son was born, I was very actively involved in these issues as well as other social justice issues. My major involvment has been through my Kiwanis membership.

A free half hour initial consultation is provided.
A retainer fee depends on the amount of work involved. A highly contested case will involve a larger retainer fee. We can discuss that on a case by case basis, and arrangments can be made to make payments on the retainer.

Most family law and probate matters do not fit well into a fixed-price services, but we can discuss that when you meet with me. I will provide you with a detailed explanation of my fees and billing practices.
My usual hourly rate is $200 per hour, and I do try to work with clients to help reduce their overall costs.