Spokane Divorce

Divorce can stir up a lot of negative emotions, which can make the legal process much more difficult. There’s no reason to face divorce alone—let an attorney at Pacific Northwest Family Law stand by your side and aggressively protect your rights throughout the entire process. Schedule a consultation with our team by calling 360-926-9112 today.

The first step in the divorce process is filing the appropriate paperwork. To file for divorce, you must submit a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage form with the court. You will need to serve your spouse with this paperwork in order to notify them of the divorce proceedings.

Filing the paperwork is the easy part, but what comes next is far more complex. Divorcing spouses must address a number of issues before their divorce is finalized, including:

• Child Support
• Child Custody/Visitation
• Spousal Maintenance
• Property Division

The divorcing couple has the right to work together to resolve these issues on their own. But if they are unable to do so, the case will go to court, where a judge will make a final ruling. The judge will finalize the divorce once these issues have been resolved.

Many people are eager to finalize their divorce so they can move onto the next chapter of their lives, but it takes time to end a marriage. In Washington, the minimum waiting period for divorce is 90 days. This means the earliest that a divorce can be finalized is 90 days from the date the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage was filed.

However, it often takes longer than 90 days to finalize a divorce. Disputes over child support, child custody, property division, and other issues can lead to courtroom battles and lengthy delays. If you are able to reach agreements on these issues outside of the courtroom, you will be able to speed up the process and finalize your divorce as quickly as possible.

Washington is a community property state, which means all assets and debts acquired during the marriage are considered community property. During a divorce, these assets and debts must be divided equitably between the two spouses.

Assets and debts that were acquired before the marriage or after the date of separation are considered separate property. In most cases, these assets will remain with the spouse who initially acquired them. However, the judge may choose to award separate property to the other spouse if doing so would help the court equitably divide the assets.

The division of property is one of the most complicated steps in the divorce process. Let our attorneys represent you to ensure you are awarded your fair share of the marital assets. We will aggressively negotiate with the other party in order to protect your financial future.

For more info, read our guide on handling a divorce.

Have you decided to end your marriage? If so, seek legal representation from the family law attorneys at Pacific Northwest Family Law as soon as possible. You can focus solely on the emotional aspect of your divorce while we work tirelessly to reach a fair divorce settlement on your behalf. Schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys by calling 360-926-9112 or booking your appointment online.