Straightforward legal help for Portland families and small businesses.
Work directly with your attorney on wills and trusts, family matters, and business questions. Fees are explained before any work begins.
Member, Oregon State Bar · OSB #000000 (sample)
How we can help
Three practice areas · One attorney
Estate Planning
Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives. Put a plan in place so the people you love are not left guessing.
Common mattersLearn more about estate planningwills and trusts · powers of attorney · advance directives
Family Law
Divorce, custody, and support, handled with steadiness and candor about what to expect.
Common mattersLearn more about family lawdivorce · custody · support
Small Business
Formation, contracts, and leases for owner-operated businesses. Plain answers before you sign.
Common mattersLearn more about small business counselformation · contracts · leases
You should not need a law degree to understand your lawyer.
Every matter starts in plain English: what you are facing, what your options are, and what it is likely to cost. The scope and the fee go in writing before any work begins, and updates arrive in the same plain terms as the work goes on.
Request a consultationMeet your attorney
Elena Barlow has practiced law in Oregon for 14 years (sample), first at a downtown firm and now in her own practice. She started Barlow Law Office on a simple premise: most people do not need a big firm, they need one good lawyer who knows their situation and answers the phone. Elena lives in Southeast Portland with her family.
More about ElenaMember, Oregon State Bar · OSB #000000 (sample) · 14 years in practice (sample) · Portland, Oregon
One lawyer, start to finish.
"Everything was explained before I signed anything. No surprises, start to finish."
- Rosa M.
Direct access.
When you call, you talk to your attorney, not a call center.
One point of contact.
The person you meet is the person who does the work.
Clear fees.
Flat rates where the work allows it, and a plain explanation where it does not.
Request a consultation"She answers her own phone. That told me everything."
- Marcus L.
Fees, explained first.
Estate plans and business formation are quoted flat, in writing, before any work begins. Hourly matters come with a written estimate and updates as the work goes on. No surprises is the whole point.
Simple will package
flat fee, quoted in writing (sample)
Business formation
flat fee, quoted in writing (sample)
Family law matters
hourly, written estimate first (sample)
What to expect
Three steps, no mystery.
Consultation.
We talk through your situation and whether you need a lawyer at all.
Plan and quote.
You get a written scope and fee before any work begins.
We handle it.
You get updates at every meaningful step, in plain English.
Common questions
The questions people ask most often before a first consultation.
Do you offer flat fees?
For most estate planning and business formation work, yes. Litigation and contested family matters are usually hourly, and you will get a clear estimate and updates as the work goes on.
What happens in the first consultation?
We talk through your situation, what the law says, and what your options are. If you do not need a lawyer, I will tell you.
Do I need an estate plan if I do not own a home?
Often, yes. An estate plan also covers who can make medical and financial decisions for you and who cares for your children. Those questions exist whether or not you own property.
Can you help both my business and me personally?
Frequently, and where the two would conflict, I will say so up front and help you find separate counsel for one of them.
Schedule a consultation.
Portland, OR 97202
Weekdays 9-5 · evenings by appointment