Many people use the terms “protective order” and “restraining order” interchangeably. However, there are distinct differences under Washington law between these court orders. Learning the difference between these orders is important should you or a loved one ever need to get the type of protection that one of these court orders can offer. A domestic…
In any type of lawsuit, Washington law requires that all parties receive proper notice of the court proceedings. There are strict rules that govern what constitutes proper notice, or “service of process.” Service gives your spouse the opportunity to respond to your divorce petition within a certain timeframe. If you do not comply with these…
There are two basic ways that you can establish paternity in the state of Washington. Parents of a child who are unmarried can sign an Affidavit of Paternity, which is a document that legally establishes paternity for the child under Washington law. The Affidavit is sent to the Washington State Department of Health, which then adds the…
For most children, medical needs include routine matters such as wellness checks, sports physicals, and the occasional sprain or broken bone. Some children, however, have ongoing medical needs or specialized medical needs that necessitate frequent doctor’s visits, therapy, and certain routine services performed at home by a parent or caregiver. When a special needs child…
A parent who either pays or receives child support can ask the court to change the child support order in certain circumstances. If the child support order is less than one year old, the parent must prove that there has been a substantial change in circumstances in order to get a child support modification. If the child…
According to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), there were 24,258 divorces statewide in 2015, which is the most recent year for which divorce data is available. This data also does not include those individuals who divorced out of state and later moved to Washington. The number of divorces makes up about 3.4 per…
According to a 2016 study by the American Bar Association, a majority of people who don’t go to a formal advisor for assistance with a civil justice situation neglect to do so because they believe they have “no need for advice” or that such advice “wouldn’t make a difference.” In family law situations like divorce or…
For the most part, divorce records are public records under Washington law. For example, you can order a certified copy of a divorce certificate from the Washington Department of Health for any divorce that took place in the state of Washington. If you request a divorce certificate in person or by mail, you must pay…
There are several different options for enforcing a child support order that are allowable under federal and state law. When a parent has a court order to pay child support and fails to pay as ordered, the consequences can be quite severe. Many of these enforcement techniques negatively affect a non-paying parent’s career opportunities. The…