News Category: Family Law
To Travel or Not to Travel –– What Co-Parents Need to Think About Before Vacation this Summer
It’s been a long, hard year, but things are now starting to open up again, which has many people thinking about that first post-vaccine vacation. However, there are a few things to consider in planning a safe vacation. Even if everyone in your family has been vaccinated, make sure to discuss your travel plans with
TOP TEN TIPS FOR A POSITIVE OUTCOME IN YOUR DIVORCE
Success is not a single achievement, it is a series of continued improvements. When going through a divorce, you may want to turn your fate over to your attorney and courts and hope for the best. However, you play a unique role in the outcome and must be an active thinker and smart participant. What
In re M.A.S.C.: A Framework for Assessing Whether to Terminate Parental Rights of an “Intellectually Disabled” Parent
The decision to sever a child’s relations with his or her natural parent is not to be taken lightly. It has been said that “[a]n order terminating parental rights deprives children of their right to financial support, their right to companionship and guidance, their right of inheritance, and their right to Social Security benefits in
Alimony/Spousal Maintenance in Washington State
Other states have alimony, but in Washington State, we call spousal support or alimony “spousal maintenance.” Here is a quick overview of spousal maintenance in Washington State so that you can be prepared for that first meeting with your divorce attorney. What is it? Spousal maintenance is a monthly payment by one spouse to another
Top Tips for Divorcing Parents From a Child of Divorce (Who is Also a Divorce Attorney)
Several weekends ago, I celebrated a belated Mother’s Day and birthday with my extended family. One of the pictures taken reflects four generations of our family: my mother on one side and my father on the other. That may not seem noteworthy, but they have been divorced for 41 years. If you were to look
COVID Has Brought Your Marital Issues to a Head; is a Collaborative Divorce Right for You?
More and more couples are opting for a process called a “Collaborative divorce” when their marriage is at an end. At its core, Collaborative Divorce is a dispute resolution process that asks each party to determine his/her goals, interests, and priorities for the divorce process which are then openly discussed and used to form the
I Created an Estate Plan When My Spouse and I Had Kids, Why Should I Update it Now?
When you were younger, after getting married and having children, you met with a lawyer and created an estate plan. Now the kids are grown, finished with college, and are is settled in their adult lives. Of your three children, two are married. One has your first grandchild on the way. Your retirement is still
Seven Things to Do Before Announcing Your Intent to Divorce
Your divorce can be one of the most important business decisions that you make in your lifetime. Whether you have years of employment ahead, have stayed home to support the household, or are nearing retirement, a divorce is a life event with long lasting personal, emotional, and financial implications. Some couples are quick to call
DIVORCE DURING COVID – TOP 5 ISSUES TO WATCH
We have all read the headlines that divorce rates are increasing worldwide and those rates are not expected to be dropping soon. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many of us to our limits. People are stressed out and locked down, which has put pressure on relationships that may have already been holding on by a
Easy as 1, 2, 3, 4: How to Legally Change your Name
From time to time a person may want to change their name—maybe their first name, or maybe their full legal name. Maybe it is for a serious and legitimate reason (perhaps they have married), or maybe it is for a more whimsical reason (Instagram stardom?). If you go by what you see on TV, you