Tracey Coates
Tracey Coates is Co-Chair of the firm's Family Law department and a member of its Litigation practice group. In working in the former capacity, she handles a variety of domestic relations matters, including pre-marital agreements, divorce and separation, child custody, child support modification, enforcement of court orders and agreements, adoption, and guardianships. Her clients include all types of individuals and couples, in a wide range of family structures.
Tracey works hard to engage in background conversations with her clients to understand family dynamics and build rapport and trust. She goes into every case with a caring, but realistic approach with her clients. She is often touted for being accessible to her clients, understanding how important it is to respond to clients when emotions are heightened.
Prior to joining Paley Rothman, Tracey spent three years as an associate with Wendy H. Schwartz and Associates. She was previously a clerk for then-Chief Presiding Judge John S. Leonardo of the Pima County (Ariz.) Superior Court and worked as a Staff Attorney for the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau in Baltimore.
Tracey is a member of several bar associations, including the American Bar Association, D.C. Bar Association, Maryland Bar Association and Montgomery County Bar Association. In 2013, she was selected to participate in the inaugural Leadership Development Academy program for the Montgomery County Bar Association. The Leadership Development Academy was created to develop young lawyers into bar leaders and to encourage them to be more involved not only in the legal community, but in the Montgomery County community, by providing services and programs that will enrich the community.
In addition to her bar memberships, Tracey has a mediation training certificate for completing 40 hours of coursework. Outside of her billable work, Tracey volunteers and is a member of the Board of Directors for the D.C. Volunteer Lawyers Project (DCVLP), an organization whose mission is to provide high-quality, free legal services to low-income D.C. residents in family law cases. She provides pro bono legal representation, doing custody, divorce and guardian ad litem work for survivors of domestic violence and children in high-conflict custody cases.
- "Top Divorce Lawyers," - Washingtonian magazine (2019)
"Top Attorneys," Bethesda Magazine (2019)
- Family/Divorce- "Top Lawyers" - Washingtonian magazine (2018)
- Maryland Super Lawyers "Rising Stars" (2013-2016)
- Washington D.C. Super Lawyers "Rising Stars" (2013-2016)
Bethesda, Maryland 20814-2930
Falls Church, Virginia 22046
