Your Instincts to Protect Your Children We understand and respect your urgency and instinct to protect and provide for your children. If you find they are in an unhealthy or possibly dangerous situation, you may find yourself scrambling for answers. You have options, and you are not alone. Though emergency custody is only granted in…
Divorce unleashes different kinds of emotions, and often, parents are caught up in their pain and suffering to notice the emotional turmoil their kids are enduring. Whereas adults have learned to cope through the years, children are still developing their coping mechanisms and may not even know how to express their feelings, let alone deal…
Do you always need a lawyer for divorce? Not necessarily, but certain situations definitely call for it. Here are 5 signs you should seek outside help.
There is an important difference between aggression and strength, and it boils down to emotional maturity. When something as important as marriage comes to an end, emotions run high. When a couple contemplates divorce, it means that they have suffered hurt feelings and often harbor resentment over past wrongs. You may think that you need…
When you and your ex get divorced, the last thing that you probably want is to maintain any sort of relationship with your ex. If you share minor children with your ex, however, you have no choice but to maintain some sort of relationship, if only for your children’s benefit. While it may not be easy to maintain…
When parents separate or divorce, the court will issue a comprehensive parenting plan that addresses when the child spends time with each parent. As the child grows and situations change, one or both parents may seek a modification to the existing parenting plan. All modifications, whether they are major or minor, must be based on…
Under Washington law, a parent must pay child support until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever occurs later. Once that child has graduated, however, he or she may wish to go on to college. It can be difficult for parents in an intact marriage to determine how to pay for college…
In the state of Washington, the child’s preferences are one of the factors that a court will consider in making a determination about the contents of a parenting plan, which includes custody and visitation. The court may give more weight to a child’s opinion if the child is older and sufficiently mature to express a…
Genetic testing occurs in the context of a parentage or paternity action, which is a formal legal proceeding in which a male can establish legal rights to a child as his or her biological father. Either the mother of the child or the alleged father begins a parentage action by filing a petition to establish…