In a divorce, there are generally three types of payments that can be made between the divorcing parties. The first is considered an equalizing property transfer payment. For example, if, after the allocation of all real property, bank accounts, retirement accounts, and investment accounts, there is a disparate value between the parties, one party usually Read more >
In today’s online world, more people are turning to the internet as a way to save money and find a do-it-yourself solution. You can watch YouTube videos explaining how to repair items around your house, do your own taxes through programs like TurboTax, and now there are online programs to walk you through the divorce Read more >
On March 28, 2017, the Washington Court of Appeals, Division II, threw certain family law litigants a curve ball when it issued its ruling in In re Marriage of Ruff & Worthley, No. 48462-5-II. In Worthley, the court addressed the question of whether the Child Relocation Act (“CRA”) applies to joint parenting plans where the parents share equal residential Read more >
Seattle elementary school teacher, Mary Kay Letourneau, infamous for her relationship with her 12-year-old sixth grade student back in 1996, recently made national headlines again. After serving multiple jail terms, Letourneau and her student, Vili Fualaau ultimately married in 2005. TMZ recently reported that Letourneau and Fualaau are legally separating. This begs the question, what Read more >
If you’re currently weathering the stress of a divorce, the last thing you may be thinking about is updating your estate planning documents. Your divorce can have a major impact on your estate plan, however, with implications for you, your children, and those who depend on you. You should consider making the following updates to Read more >
Last September it hit the social media circuit by storm: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were divorcing. The initial documents filed by Jolie were not pretty. Jolie requested sole physical custody of the couple’s children and made multiple allegations about Pitt’s parenting including claims of child abuse. Pitt responded by requesting an emergency order to Read more >
According to a recent survey of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), there is an increase in the number of Millennials requesting prenuptial agreements. This rise in Millennials interested in prenups corresponds with an overall increase in the number of clients of all ages seeking prenups. However, a December 21, 2016 opinion piece in Read more >
Interestingly, divorce filings peak in Washington State in the months of March and August—as revealed in a recent University of Washington study. Sociology professor Julie Brines and doctoral candidate Brian Serafini researched divorce filings in Washington State to investigate the effects of recession on marital stability. The pair looked through court records over a 14-year Read more >
If a prenuptial agreement is on your wedding planning checklist, you should ensure that you begin the process well in advance of your wedding date to leave enough time to thoroughly negotiate all of the terms that will be included. A thoughtful and unhurried negotiation can help ensure that the agreement you eventually sign will Read more >
The judge has signed your final decree of dissolution and you are now officially divorced. You probably feel a sense of relief, along with a slew of other emotions, and you are ready to start the next chapter of your life. Before you put your divorce behind you, there are few things you should do Read more >