The reasons for a sole custody order will vary from case to case; some common reasons for a sole custody order are that the other parent is incarcerated, has drug or alcohol problems, lives out of state, the role of domestic violence, or is otherwise absent in the child’s life. In other cases, one parent may have just…
The laws of some states do recognize the concept of common law marriage, but Washington is not one of those states. Common law marriage typically means that a couple has lived together for a significant period of time and held them out as married. Although Washington does not recognize common law marriages, there are ways…
Washington law uses the term “residential schedule” to describe what is commonly known as visitation. A parenting plan contains information about a family’s residential schedule. In most cases of divorce or separation that involve a child, one parent is designated the residential parent (custodial parent), and the other parent is designated the non-residential parent (noncustodial…
Any couple who intends to or is currently going through a separation or divorce can execute a separation contract in order to settle any issues of dispute. These issues might include the division of property, the payment of debts, the custody and support of children, and the payment of spousal support. A separation contract sets…
The essence of a parenting plan is who lives where, when, and with whom. The parenting plan is a court order that accompanies a petition for divorce, separation, or custody. It outlines the residential schedule of the child and lays out who can make decisions regarding the children involved. Before creating a schedule consider the…
While Washington law does not deal in terms of “custody” and “visitation”, Washington Parenting Plans must designate a custodial parent so that the order can be understood in other states and for purposes of Federal Law. The designation must be made even when both parents have about the same amount of residential time. Under Federal…
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…
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…
Parenting plans are supposed to help parents co-parent their children and avoid conflict. So why is every encounter of conversation with your ex, World War Three? Ever since you remarried, it has been difficult to just get your ex to sit down and talk about the kids. And the kids are getting older every day.…