Washington is a community property state. This means that any income, property, or debts that a couple acquires during a marriage is assumed to belong to both partners equally. This is the case even if only one spouse purchased the property or actually owes the debt—under the state’s community property laws, all assets and debts…
Summer vacation is a great opportunity for non-custodial parents to enjoy quality time with their children. Over the summer, it is common for children to spend weeks or even months with their non-custodial parent, giving the family time to go on vacation or simply spend time bonding with each other. With so much time together,…
If money is tight, you may be looking for ways to pursue your divorce without a lawyer. Before you attempt to handle your divorce yourself, there are a lot of hidden costs to consider. A skilled attorney will help identify potential problems with parenting plans or financial arrangements that you and your spouse are considering.…
Many couples assume that a prenuptial agreement is unnecessary. When two people get married at a relatively young age, neither person may have the assets or career that would seem to warrant a prenup. However, as the marriage goes on circumstances may change, and you could end up dealing with a messy, expensive divorce. This…
Marital debts, just like marital assets, are fairly divided between spouses during a divorce. Because Washington is a community property state, all income, property, and debts that either spouse acquires during the marriage belongs to the marital estate and must be split relatively equally between the spouses. The responsibility for a marital debt can be…
According to The Economist, the length of the average American marriage before divorce is eight years. In comparison, the standard length of a mortgage is thirty years. It’s no surprise then many mortgage contracts outlast the marriage of the people who signed them. In Washington State, any property that is acquired during the course of…
Not many people want to continue living with their former spouse during or after a divorce. However, many former couples simply cannot afford to move out as soon as the relationship falls apart. Other couples may need to wait until they find a buyer for their home before either spouse can afford to leave. In…
Statistics show that nearly 40% of all marriages involve a partner who has been married at least once before. Second and third marriages are more common today than ever before, and so are the prenuptial agreements that go along with them. Prenuptial agreements are more common in second and subsequent marriages than they are in…
Dependent Care Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA) allow individuals to keep a portion of their tax-free earnings to pay for dependent care expenses. The Internal Revenue Service allows families to set aside up to $5,000 per year to pay for expenses like daycare or home health care for dependent children or elderly/disabled adults. The $5,000 per…