Barbara King to retire from Tully Rinckey after 30-plus years in family law

By AI, Created 4:21 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Tully Rinckey PLLC partner Barbara King will step away from full-time practice on May 21 after nearly four decades helping Capital Region families navigate custody, divorce and other emotional legal disputes. Her retirement caps a career marked by leadership, pro bono work and recognition across New York’s family law bar.

Why it matters: - Barbara King is leaving a long-running family and matrimonial law practice that served clients through custody disputes, divorce and other high-stakes family matters across New York. - Her retirement closes out a career that also helped shape Tully Rinckey PLLC’s Family & Matrimonial Law practice and its client-first approach. - King’s departure removes one of the Capital Region’s best-known family law advocates from full-time practice.

What happened: - Barbara King, a longtime Tully Rinckey PLLC partner, will retire from full-time practice on May 21. - King spent almost 40 years helping clients work through difficult legal and emotional family issues. - She built her career in family and matrimonial law after starting on Long Island and later relocating to the Capital Region. - Her retirement was announced from Latham, New York, on May 12, 2026.

The details: - King chaired Tully Rinckey’s Family & Matrimonial Law services and helped grow the practice into a core firm offering. - She mentored attorneys and emphasized responsiveness and practical guidance in emotional cases. - King said custody cases had the biggest impact on her and that helping children and parents through those disputes mattered most. - King said clients need to be heard, given options and offered creative solutions. - She described her philosophy as treating family law matters as problems to solve, not battles to fight. - King credited Christie Galvin as an important mentor and said she worked with Galvin for 11 years. - King said Galvin encouraged her growth and ability to analyze legal problems. - King also did pro bono work and was involved in professional organizations across the Capital Region. - She helped the Schenectady County Bar Association develop the Modest Means Panel, which provides an affordable option for families who cannot pay full legal fees. - King said her interest in pro bono work came from growing up in a family that would have struggled to afford an attorney. - Her recognitions include the Schenectady County Bar Association’s Lawyer of the Year award in 2010, Super Lawyer status from 2014-2026 and selection to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Family Lawyers. - King will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Schenectady County Bar Association at its annual awards reception on Thursday, May 14 at 6:00 p.m. at Mohawk Golf Club in Schenectady. - For more information on her retirement, contact Scott Brewster at (518) 640-1261 or sbrewster@tullylegal.com. - Tully Rinckey shared social media links for LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Between the lines: - King’s comments point to a family law approach built around negotiation, problem-solving and emotional awareness rather than conflict for its own sake. - The firm’s leadership framed her influence as cultural, not just legal, suggesting she helped set expectations for client service across the practice. - Her retirement comes as family law clients continue to face cases that often require both technical precision and steady counseling.

What’s next: - King will focus on retirement and spending time with her husband. - Tully Rinckey will move forward without one of its longest-tenured family law leaders, while her mentorship and practice standards remain part of the firm’s legacy. - The Schenectady County Bar Association will honor King at its May 14 awards reception before her May 21 retirement.