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Family Court settlement conferences now 2.5 hours long

The Clallam County Family Court settlement conferences have increased from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours. They are still offered on Mondays and Thursdays.

On Monday, there are two settlement conference start times available, 9:15 and 1:45. (Previously there were four start times to accommodate four cases.)

On Thursdays, there is one settlement conference start time which is 9:15. (There were previously two start times to accommodate two cases.

ClallamCountyBar.com supports the increased time, 1.5 hours was too short, and recommends everyone heading into a settlement conference to be well prepared.

What is a settlement conference?

These are basically a mediation, usually handled by the Family Court Commissioner, but sometimes by a Clallam County Superior Court Judge or a pro tem judge (part time). The Commissioner or Judge is not allowed to tell anyone how to settle their case, and cannot force anyone to settle. Everyone participating has the right to walk away.

The Commissioner/Judge’s job is to try to facilitate both parties to come to an agreement. They cannot give legal advice, but they can offer limited legal information and if requested can offer an opinion about how the case might handled if an agreement is not reached and the parties need to go to trial.

Under Clallam County Local Rules, each case may have one settlement conference. If you can’t settle in the settlement conference, a second one may be available, but only if both people agree.

If you don’t reach an agreement at the settlement conference, you can have a private mediation if both people agree, or you can negotiate directly with the other person. If you don’t reach an agreement somehow, then your case needs to go to trial to obtain a final order ending the case.

You can bring a lawyer or friend to the settlement conference.

You can hire a private mediator if you want. Private mediation can be for a longer time than 2.5 hours if that’s needed (which is common), and mediators can usually offer a mediation date sooner than the next available settlement conference. Mediation can also take place over several days, and any combination of in-person, phone, or Zoom. Private mediation costs money, and settlement conferences are free.

How do I get a settlement conference in Clallam County?

To get a settlement conference in your case, just file a Notice of Hearing (from the Washington Courts forms page, https://www.courts.wa.gov/forms/), set the hearing date for 8:45 a.m. on any Friday at least 9 days before the Friday you choose. If you provide your email address, the Court Administrator will contact both parties by email to find a date that works. If you don’t have email, the Administrator may call you, or else you will have to go down to the Court Administrators window at the Courthouse (second floor, behind the elevator).

When setting a settlement conference, you may be able to get the next available date, which may be several months out from when you ask for the date.

Courthouse Facilitator office is open again

The Clallam County Courthouse Facilitator position has been filled and the office is open as of June 2026. The Facilitator’s office is in room 3003 on the second floor of the Clallam County Courthouse. Facilitator hours, contact and appointments, fee schedule and other information, is posted on the Facilitator’s web page.

Lorraine Rimson appointed Family Court Commissioner

Lorraine Rimson has been appointed to serve as the Clallam County Superior Court Family Court Commissioner. She takes the bench on June 1, 2026. She will handle all family law pre-trial matters, protection order requests, and other matters. The Commissioner position has been vacant since the prior Commissioner was discharged in February, 2026.

Lorraine Rimson and her dog

Commissioner Rimson has been working in Port Townsend. She ran her own law firm and handled family law matters. Since March, 2023, she has served as the Jefferson County Superior Court Commissioner and as a Commissioner Pro Tem (substitute) for the Clallam County Superior Court since January, 2023. She has also served as Commissioner for Clallam County District Court II and Jefferson County District Court, and as Jefferson County District Court Judge Pro Tem. Overall, Commissioner Rimson brings 30 years of experience to the bench.

Prior Clallam County Family Court Commissioners were William G. Knebes (who established the Family Court 37 years ago and served for 20 years), Brent Basden, Brandon Mack, Elizabeth Stanley, and Brian Parker.

ClallamCountyBar.com warmly welcomes Commissioner Rimson and wishes her a long tenure.

WA Supreme Court to hold court in Port Angeles

The Washington State Supreme Court will be holding court and hearing two cases in Port Angeles on May 28, 2026, starting at 9:00 a.m. The Supreme Court is based in Olympia, WA, and normally hears cases there. However the Court has a Traveling Court program and they hear cases in cities across the state.

Cases in the Supreme Court have been appealed from a trial court ruling. Lawyers for both sides file numerous documents in the appeals process, including appeal briefs, and then the lawyers are allowed to present “oral argument,” which is their chance to argue their client’s case to Court. Oral argument is what will happen a Peninsula College in Port Angeles for the two cases below.

The public is encouraged to attend these sessions as observers. After the Court session is completed, the nine Supreme Court Justices will take questions from you, members of the public, about anything you want to ask them.

Two Cases being heard

Traveling Court Program

The Traveling Court program presents a rare opportunity for members of the bench and bar, students, and the broader community to observe the work of the state’s highest court firsthand. The Washington State Supreme Court will hear oral arguments at Peninsula College’s Port Angeles Campus in the “Little Theater” on Thursday, May 28th from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. 

Case 1               State v. Martinez-Loyola, No. 104658-8

Issue: After Martinez-Loyola was convicted, a juror made remarks that suggested racial or ethnic bias that may have affected the proceedings.  The trial court held an evidentiary hearing and concluded the version was not affected by racial bias.  This court will consider what is the proper standard of review of that decision and under that proper standard of review, did the trial court err?

Case 2               Baker v. Seattle Children’s Hospital, No. 104590-4

Issue: Washington’s Privacy Act generally prohibits someone from intercepting or recording private communications without all parties’ consent.  Children’s Hospital used software to collect data on its website users’ actions.  It both used and shared that data with others for marketing purposes.  Did that use violate the Privacy Act?

These briefs are available on the court’s website at www.courts.wa.gov/briefs.  Search under “Supreme Court” by the case number. 

Free legal advice May 16 2026

Free one-on-one legal consultations with a lawyer are available on Saturday, May 16, 2026. These consultations are by Zoom video meetings.

The available meeting times are between 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Pre-registration is required

Pre-registration is required if you want to talk to a lawyer. To register, or for more information, contact Clallam-Jefferson County Pro Bono Lawyers at 360-504-2422 or [email protected].

Free legal advice for tenant rights, April 25 2026

A live presentation on tenant rights and evictions, and free one-on-one legal consultations with a lawyer is happening on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at the Port Angeles Food Bank & Market. The address is 632 N. Oakridge Dr, Port Angeles (next to and behind Walmart).

The time is 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Free legal advice begins immediately after the presentation on a first come first served basis. This is open to the general public.

It’s best to pre-register if you want to talk to a lawyer. To register, or for more information, contact Clallam-Jefferson County Pro Bono Lawyers at 360-504-2422 or [email protected].

E-filing system to change

The Clallam County Clerk’s Office is changing their document management and E-filing systems in April, 2026. During the transition, no E-filing will be possible from April 6 through April 10, 2026. Information from the Clerk’s Office is below.

Clallam County Clerk – Document Management System Transition

Transition to Enterprise Justice DMS

The Clallam County Clerk’s Office will transition from the current OnBase Document Management System (DMS) to the Enterprise Justice (EJ) Document Management System.

  • Go-Live Date: April 6, 2026
  • After this date, the Clerk’s Office will no longer add records to the OnBase DMS.
  • We are currently working to convert existing OnBase records to the Enterprise Justice DMS.

Access for Current OnBase Subscribers

If you currently hold an OnBase subscription:

  • You will continue to have access through the OnBase WebClient for the remainder of 2026 only.
  • You may register for an Odyssey Portal subscription at no additional cost for the remainder of 2026 only, fees will apply for 2027 forward.

Access for Non-Subscribers

For users who do not currently have an OnBase subscription:

  • You will have the option to subscribe to the Odyssey Portal for a fee to access records.
  • The Clerk’s Office is updating its fee schedule, and subscription costs will be finalized soon. The Clerk’s Office will send out additional information on Odyssey Portal subscriptions.
  • The Odyssey Portal will still be available for public use without a subscription, though some features may be limited.

New E-Filing System: e-FileWA

As part of this transition, the Clerk’s Office will implement a new e-filing system.

Temporary E-Filing Downtime

Because of the system transition:

  • No e-filing will be available for Clallam County Superior Court from
    April 6, 2026 – April 10, 2026.

Please plan accordingly during this period.

Questions

If you have any questions about the transition, please contact the Clallam County Clerk’s Office.

Lauren Erickson, Superior Court Judge deceased 2026

Lauren Erickson passed away on February 17, 2026. She retired as a Clallam County Superior Court Judge in January, 2025.

Judge Erickson was the first female to serve as Clallam County Superior Court Judge. She was initially appointed to the bench by the State Governor Jay Inslee in 2019, and was elected in 2020.

Prior to serving as Judge, Erickson had a diverse background in law. She was a private attorney, a deputy prosecuting attorney, an administrative law judge and land use hearing examiner. She served on the Port Angeles City Council from 1999 to 2006.

Erickson was a graduate of Roosevelt High School in Seattle, and earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington. She earned her law degree from Seattle University School of Law in 1989.

Erickson was beloved by the legal community. She brought a level of compassion not found in all judges. She was practical, smart, and worked hard for our community.

Brian Parker terminated from position of Clallam County Family Court Commissioner – effective immediately

Brian Parker, Clallam County Superior Court Family Court Commissioner, was abruptly terminated from his position on February 10, 2026. The Superior Court announced his appointment to the position in September, 2024, and he took the bench on January 13, 2025.

The Clallam County Superior Court has not offered an explanation for the unusual and abrupt termination.

Previously, Parker worked as a lawyer and part time Court Commissioner in Snohomish County.

The Clallam County Superior Court judges will now begin the search for a new Commissioner. It will likely take 1-3 months before a new Commissioner can take the bench. Until then, the Superior Court Judges will take turns handling matters in the Family Court. Changes to the Family Court schedule are not expected.

In Clallam County Superior Court, there are three elected judges, and one Family Court Commissioner who is appointed by the judges. The judges are responsible to search for a suitable candidate and appoint them. They do so in a closed process without oversight, supervision or input from voters or any other government official.

Family Court Commissioner history

The Clallam County Family Court has existed for about 37 years. There have been 5 Commissioners, and soon there will be a sixth.

30 years and 2 Commissioners

During the first 30 years since the Family Court was created, it was fill by two Commissioners.

William Knebes, a Port Angeles lawyer, established the Family Court system in Clallam County and was the first Family Court Commissioner. He served for about 19 years and was awarded the honor of Jurist of the Year. He worked tirelessly and closely with community leaders to develop the Family Court into something that became a blessing for the county.

Port Angeles lawyer Brent Basden next filled the position. He was appointed to replace the retiring Commissioner Knebes in January 2008, and served for 11 years before being appointed as a Clallam County Superior Court Judge in 2019.

7 years and 4 Commissioners

Jefferson County lawyer Brandon Mack took over from Commissioner Basden on January 19, 2019. He served in the position for four years, and then moved back to Jefferson County after being appointed by the Governor to be the Jefferson County Superior Court Judge. He replaced Judge Keith Harper who retired.

Elizabeth Stanley took over the position on February 27, 2023. She left the position two years later, on January 13, 2025, after she won the election for the position of Clallam County Superior Court Judge. Ms. Stanley was originally from New York where she practiced corporate law, then worked for the Arizona Attorney General practicing dependency law before moving to Washington.

Brian Parker took the position on January 13, 2025 when Commissioner Stanley became a judge. Parker served for a total of 13 months.

A fourth Commissioner will take the bench likely before May 2026.