The right of a parent to care for his or her children is one of the most fundamental rights in the American legal system. Both the criminal and civil courts recognize that parental rights are more important than just about any other type of right or privilege, and a parent’s right to raise a child…
During a dissolution, a couple is required to split their community property in an equitable way. Community property includes any money, property, debts, or other assets that the couple acquired during the marriage. This is true even if only one spouse earned an income during the marriage. In contrast to community property, an individual may…
If parents share time with their children equally, does one parent still have to pay child support? In the past, many judges awarded mothers primary custody of the children, while fathers were left with limited visitation schedules and an obligation of child support. Today, this is no longer the norm. It is not unusual for…
In Washington State, a married person can file for divorce for whatever reasons he or she wants. In legal terms, the spouse simply has to tell the court that the marriage is “irretrievably broken.” But what happens if the other spouse doesn’t feel the same way? Does it matter if one spouse wants to save…
When divorced parents live far away from each other, it can be difficult to come up with a parenting plan that fairly divides a child’s time with each parent. Parents will need to work together to create a plan that takes distance into account and gives each parent as much time as possible with the…
Many couples who are having marital problems wonder if they should file for separation first, and then decide whether or not they want to get a dissolution. While this idea sounds like a good way to test the waters before splitting up permanently, a legal separation should not be considered a stepping stone to divorce.…
After a divorce, it is common for children to act out in negative ways. While the vast majority of children will bounce back from the emotional stress or turmoil created during the separation, parents may still be alarmed when their child’s behavior changes. Rest assured that your divorce did not ruin your child’s life, and…
Divorce is an expensive process, even without an attorney. The cost of paying for two separate sets of living expenses will often stretch a former couple’s budget to the limit, and there may not be much cash leftover for additional expenses. When this is the case, some couples agree to share a divorce attorney in…
For the majority of married couples, the most expensive item that they own is their house. During a divorce, the house becomes a marital asset whose value must be equitably divided between both parties. In order to divide the marital property fairly, the house must be accurately valued by an experienced appraiser. Depending on the…