Insight, Analysis, and Perspective for Businesses and Individuals

Mayor Bruce Harrell officially ended the City of Seattle Civil Emergency Proclamation on October 31, 2022, which affects the requirement for landlords to negotiate payment plans with commercial tenants that qualify as a small businesses or nonprofit organization. Despite the end of the eviction moratorium and the lifting of  the COVID-19 Emergency Orders, commercial landlords […]

The process of selling a home can be a time consuming and complex process. As part of that process, owners looking to sell have the responsibility to disclose known defects in the property. If you are considering a private sale or want to ensure you have completed your due diligence, disclosures are an important part […]

With the rise of planned communities in Seattle, it is becoming more and more common for properties to be organized and operated as a Homeowner Association (“HOA”). An HOA is typically form as a separate entity with the intention of making and enforcing the rules for the properties and residents within the planned community.  The […]

Worried about a financial power grab in divorce?   A power of attorney can be like writing a blank check to your spouse.  Many married couples will sign powers of attorney as part of their estate planning documents, which provide broad authority to act on the other spouse’s behalf.  Estranged spouses have used powers of attorney […]

What you don’t know about your mortgage could hurt you. In Washington State, we are not a “title state.” Accordingly, placing your spouse’s name on the title of a separate real estate does not automatically make it community property. However, beware; if your spouse signs off on the mortgage liability associated with your separate property […]

The lyrics “We only said goodbye with words” were famously written and sung in Back to Black by Amy Winehouse. The song was about the ending of a relationship, and the theme of goodbye. Under Washington law, “words of goodbye” are not enough in a divorce to establish separation and the end of the marital […]

As a divorce lawyer in Washington State, it is common for new clients to come in to our first meeting with the understanding that Washington is a community property state and believing that this means all property and debts are split right down the middle, 50/50.  While this is often a good place to start […]

The world is transforming in the post-covid era and business needs are evolving as consumer habits change.  These changes can directly impact the space where you conduct business and have you contemplating what to do about one of your business’ largest expenses.  Whether your company is growing and in need of a new space to […]

I have previously blogged about Committed Intimate Relationships (“CIR”) and how courts handle them at the trial level, which you can read about here and here.  In addition, CIR have also been reviewed by the Appellate and Supreme Court of Washington. Succinctly, the Supreme Court of Washington recognizes CIR as an equitable doctrine “because the […]

Washington State divorce laws provide that in every case the trial court must order a “just and equitable” distribution of the parties’ property and liabilities, whether community or separate. RCW 26.09.080. This includes real estate. Of course, before the court can decide how to divide and award property, it must first determine the value of […]

Ask any good attorney a question, and you will probably be given the following response: “It depends.”  The answer usually serves as a preface to a more thorough discussion about the specific facts of your case, what the issues are, and a general risk assessment based on the legal grounds you are traversing.  This blog […]

On July 8, 2022, the IRS issued Rev. Proc. 2022-32 that simplified the method for obtaining late relief for failure to timely make an estate tax portability election and extending the time for filing portability returns from two years after the death of the first-to-die spouse to five years.  A portability election allows the surviving […]