Mediation is a means of resolving all issues related to the parties’ divorce by agreement. It is an alternative to going to trial to resolve disputed claims. Most courts in Washington require the parties to mediate before going to trial, so you need to know what to expect and how to prepare. In divorce mediation, a mediator,…
When you and your child’s other parent divorce or otherwise separate, one or both of you may turn to the Washington court system for orders related to your child, such as residential schedules and child support. The outcome of any type of family law proceeding involving children is a parenting plan, which sets forth the child’s residential schedule, or…
If you believe that you are in danger or another emergency situation, always call 911 first. However, if you are not in immediate danger, but you think you might need a restraining order with respect to a family member, you need to know the facts and the law about restraining orders in the state of…
In every type of lawsuit, including divorces, you are required to serve the other party with notice of the proceedings by personally serving him or her with documents concerning the lawsuit. In some cases, however, you may not be able to personally serve his or her spouse after making several attempts to do so. In other cases, you…
A kickoff meeting is the time where you and your legal team meet, usually for the first time, and discuss your options. Work is done before, during, and after kickoff meetings. And although all clients and cases are different, there are some general features of Pacific Northwest Family Law kickoff meetings that are typically present every time.…
On June 7, 2018, Senate Bill 5598 took effect. The bill is officially called “An act relating to granting relatives, including but not limited to grandparents, the right to seek visitation with a child through the courts.” These are the criteria that must be met in order to apply for grandparents’ rights under this new…
On June 7, 2018, Senate Bill 5598 took effect. The bill is officially called “An act relating to granting relatives, including but not limited to grandparents, the right to seek visitation with a child through the courts.” We’ll explained the criteria that must be met in order to apply for grandparents’ rights under this new…
Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution that is designed to help people settle legal disputes outside of the courtroom. The courts in Benton, Franklin, Yakima and Walla Walla counties require all parties in most domestic relations cases to go to mediation. In mediation, a neutral third party called a mediator works with the…
While the process for getting a divorce and getting a legal separation are essentially the same, the results are different. When a divorce becomes final, the parties are permanently and legally divorced and free to remarry. At the conclusion of a legal separation, however, the parties are still legally married. This means that they are…