News & Insights from Will Reingold

In Washington family law cases, a Guardian ad Litem (often abbreviated as a ‘GAL’) may be appointed by the court to represent and protect the best interests of the parties’ children. This could be during a divorce, a parenting plan modification, and other family law proceedings. Despite the varying contexts that could lead to the […]

Prenuptial agreements are touchy subjects. Sometimes they can be perfectly fair and fine contracts between soon-to-be spouses. Other times they can grossly favor one spouse over the other. In a previous blog post, I discussed how divorcing spouses may challenge their prenuptial agreement.  Courts apply a two-pronged test to determine whether to uphold the agreement: […]

In 1990, attorney Stuart Webb inadvertently pioneered a new process for divorce aimed to minimize conflict and to resolve matters collaboratively and expeditously. Webb practiced family law and introduced a novel idea: he agreed to represent clients only if both spouses committed to staying out of court. If either spouse filed a motion or initiated […]

If you and your spouse are undergoing a divorce with children, there’s a good chance you are thinking about what kind of custody arrangement you will end up with. In Washington, we refer to these as “Residential Provisions” or more colloquially a “residential schedule.”  They are a mandatory part of every parenting plan. Certainly, this […]

Merriam-Webster defines “defunct” as “no longer living, existing, or functioning.” In Washington, a “defunct marriage” is a term for spouses who have given up any hope of salvaging the relationship, and yet for whatever reason have not filed for divorce.[1] This blog explains why defunct marriages are relevant for purposes of a divorce. It is […]

You have a child with another person—either an ex-partner, ex-spouse, or someone with whom you never actually had a romantic relationship. You’ve gone through the court system and agreed upon or litigated a final parenting plan and child support order. You’ve been trying to coparent under the terms of the parenting plan for some time; […]

Why Appeal at All? People appeal their case because they want a better outcome then what they received at trial.  Maybe that means that the appealing party lost a jury verdict, or felt that they didn’t “win” enough at trial.  Perhaps someone in a divorce trial receives 55% of the assets but no spousal support […]

Most people are aware of the statistic that roughly 50% of marriages end in divorce; but did you know that only 5 – 10% of couples opt for a prenuptial agreement prior to marriage? So, what does a prenuptial agreement entail? Broadly, prenups are agreements between two individuals who plan to marry one another, the […]

In many states, child support obligations do not extend past either the age of 18 or the child’s graduation from high school.  In Washington, however, a parent can file a petition to continue child support after the child turns age 18 and while the child is enrolled in college or vocational school.  This is known […]

Stress and anxiety are unfortunate byproducts of divorce. For some, every aspect of one’s life may be negatively impacted by divorce: productivity at your job may plummet; concern about finances might keep you up at night; social interactions may be more difficult as you try to stoically act as if everything is alright; and, if […]

In a prior blogpost, I discussed the statutory notice you have to give to another parent when you plan to relocate with a child.  If the non-relocating parent objects to the move, then the parents will need to go to court and have a judge determine whether to allow the move.  The governing statutory scheme […]

Sua sponte • inter alia • sine qua non • in pari materia • ex parte • stare decisis • in limine • ejusdem generis • per curiam •   ad litem • in loco parentis • pro se • de novo • sui generis • de jure • intestate • arguendo • ipso facto […]