Attorney Profiles

Monica Kaup Cary has nearly 10 years of experience as a lawyer and about 15 years of experience working with families.  Prior to attending law school, Monica volunteered with VISTA (the domestic Peace Corps).  As a VISTA, Monica took a one year "vow of poverty".  She was assigned to work in Seattle with FamilyWorks, a family resource center and food bank in the Fremont/Wallingford area.  As a VISTA, Monica helped create an Employment Resource Center for customers of the Fremont Food Bank.  She recruited workshop volunteers for the family resource center where they offered free workshops for adults and children on topics ranging from bookbinding, photography and cooking to intercultural parenting classes. Coming full circle, in 2010, Monica was nominated to sit on the Board of FamilyWorks.

After graduating from law school and joining the Oregon Bar, Monica was a judicial clerk to the Honorable Elizabeth Welch, Presiding Family Court Judge in Portland, Oregon. Returning to Seattle in 2002, she volunteered with the King County Prosecutor's office and then worked as Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Pierce County, Washington. Through these experiences, Monica gained specific insight into the plight of families in the courtroom.  After a few years in the trenches, she decided to return her focus to working directly with families.

Since 2004, Monica's practice has been entirely devoted to family law.  After successfully returning a child kidnapped by her father, she was recruited by the South Asian Bar Association of Washington to sit on their Board and serve as their Secretary.  While on the Board, she co-authored an article in the Washington State Bar journal. Her legal volunteer efforts include work with Seattle University's Access to Justice Institute, the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington, King County Bar Association's Self Help Plus & Kinship Care Solutions programs, and the Volunteer Advocates for Immigrant Justice. She is a member of Chaya (a local South Asian domestic violence prevention organization), the King County Bar Association, and the Washington State Bar Association, family law section.

As a married person, Monica recognizes that divorce impacts nearly every aspect of life: emotional, financial, physical, social and spiritual.  As a mother, Monica recognizes that navigating the divorce process can be scary for the thoughtful parent who ultimately wants to watch his or her child flourish and thrive. As a daughter, she recognizes that rippling effect the decision to end a relationship has on all your loved ones.  But, she also believes transitioning out of a relationship is a one of the greatest opportunities for personal growth.  Monica's goal is to help clients feel stronger and more secure when they leave her office than when they walked in.

In her free time, Monica enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and checking out her husband's latest fine woodwork and custom metal modern creations.