.png)
About Bigfoot Mediation
A preparation-first approach built for rural and underserved communities.
Bigfoot Mediation was created to expand access to professional mediation services in areas where options are limited. With over 20 years of combined experience, our approach emphasizes education, preparation, and respectful problem-solving—helping clients move forward without unnecessary court involvement.
.png)
Our Mission
Bigfoot Mediation exists to help people resolve conflict with more clarity, less stress, and fewer unnecessary court battles.
Our mission is to expand access to mediation services in rural and underserved communities by providing a process that is practical, respectful, and easier to navigate. We believe people are better served when they understand the process, know what to expect, and are given the tools to participate in a productive way.
Rather than adding confusion, we aim to reduce it. Rather than escalating conflict, we aim to create space for informed conversation, preparation, and workable resolution.
Approach to Mediation
Preparation-first, client-centered, and grounded in practical problem-solving.
Mediation is often most effective when people arrive informed, organized, and ready to work through the issues in front of them. That is why Bigfoot Mediation emphasizes education and preparation before scheduling whenever possible. Clear expectations, thoughtful preparation, and a structured process help sessions stay focused and more cost-effective.
We also understand that many people seeking mediation are under stress. Some may feel overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, or unsure where to begin. Our goal is to make the process feel approachable and manageable by using clear language, simple next steps, and a calm, non-judgmental experience from the first interaction forward.
Why Bigfoot Mediation
Created to expand access where mediation services are harder to find.
Bigfoot Mediation was created to meet a real need in the Inland Northwest: accessible, professional mediation services for communities where options are often limited.
For many individuals and families in rural areas, legal and mediation support can feel far away, difficult to access, or financially out of reach. Bigfoot Mediation was built to help close that gap by offering services designed around real-life barriers, including distance, cost concerns, limited local options, and the need for clear guidance before taking the next step.
This work is not just about offering mediation sessions. It is about creating a better starting point for people who need information, preparation, and a more grounded path forward.
Meet the Mediators
Experienced guidance rooted in clarity, preparation, and practical resolution.
Bigfoot Mediation is led by LeeAnn Cargile and Barbara “Barb” Esselstrom, two professionals with extensive experience helping individuals and families navigate difficult conflict with greater clarity and support. Their work is grounded in the belief that people are better served when they are informed, prepared, and given space to work toward practical resolution in a respectful and structured way.
Together, they bring decades of experience in family law-related matters, mediation, legal process guidance, and conflict resolution. Their shared approach reflects the core purpose of Bigfoot Mediation: helping people move forward with less confusion, less unnecessary conflict, and a stronger foundation for informed decision-making.
LeeAnn Cargile
Practical guidance shaped by experience and real-life understanding.
LeeAnn Cargile brings more than a decade of experience helping individuals and families navigate difficult family law matters in Washington. Her background includes divorce, child custody disputes, parenting plan and child support modifications, contempt matters, and other family-related legal issues. Over the years, she has helped many people better understand the process in front of them and prepare to advocate for what matters most.
Her work is shaped by both professional experience and personal understanding of how overwhelming family transition can feel. Before building her career in family law, LeeAnn spent more than a decade in real estate, where she owned and operated her own real estate group and office. A Spokane native, she earned her A.A. from Spokane Falls Community College, her B.A. in Organizational Business from Whitworth University, and also studied Family Law through the University of Washington Law School while working full time in the family law field.
Barbara Esselstrom
A compassionate, child-focused approach to family conflict resolution.
Barbara “Barb” Esselstrom is a certified mediator and Limited License Legal Technician with more than 15 years of experience helping individuals and families work through family law matters with greater clarity and confidence. Her work focuses on issues such as divorce, child custody, parenting plans, co-parenting concerns, property division, child support, paternity-related matters, and other family-related disputes with a practical approach.
Barb’s philosophy centers on helping families make informed decisions while keeping long-term stability and the wellbeing of children in view. She earned her paralegal Associate of Science degree from Tacoma Community College in 2008, completed her family law coursework through the University of Washington, and fulfilled her required supervised hours under an established family law firm before opening her own practice. She has also supported legal education and professional development through student and advisory involvement.
Together, LeeAnn and Barb bring experience, clarity, and a shared commitment to helping clients move through conflict in a more informed, respectful, and workable way.
Our Philosophy
Bigfoot Mediation is designed for real people facing real conflict
We are especially mindful of the challenges rural and underserved communities often face, including distance, limited access to legal resources, financial pressure, and stressful family or community situations.
At the same time, our services are available to people in communities of all sizes. Whether rural, small-town, or urban, our goal is to reduce barriers and provide a steady, respectful process for resolving conflict.
