The common thread between annulment and divorce is that each legal proceeding ends a marriage. Legal separation may signal the beginning of the end of a marriage but does not legally end the marriage. However, all three of these legal proceedings do have the potential to impact your finances and your children. An annulment is…
Divorce is an emotional process, and all too often, individuals involved in divorce tend to make decisions that are not in their best interests, especially when it comes to finances. Unfortunately, financial fallout from divorce is more common than not, and it can take years to rebuild your financial health following a divorce. By taking…
In the state of Washington, divorce is “no fault,” which means that the only legal ground for divorce is an “irretrievable breakdown” of the marriage. An irretrievable breakdown simply means that the couple’s marriage is permanently broken and cannot be repaired. Since Washington is a no-fault divorce state, it is unnecessary for both spouses to…
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…
Like most states’ laws, Washington’s laws about child custody cases focus on the best interest of the child. There are a variety of factors that contribute to a child’s best interest, and a judge must consider those factors that are relevant in determining what custody and visitation arrangements are best for a child. The goal…
The Washington Supreme Court recently considered this exact issue and issued a ruling earlier this year that all Washington trial courts now must follow. Previously, the relevant Washington law contained a loophole that arguably allowed a judge to favor a heterosexual parent over a gay parent. According to the Supreme Court, a court in the…
In American society, most people are dependent on electronic devices as a means of communication. For some people, posting status updates on Facebook, pictures on Instagram, and having conversations with multiple people at the same time through texting, is the way that they interact with others the most. And on social media platforms like Facebook,…
When a child is born to married parents, there is no need for either parent to take steps to establish their parental rights; Washington law presumes that a child born during a marriage is the legal child of both the mother and the father. When a child is born outside of a marriage, however, a…
Collaborative or cooperative divorce is a process available under Washington law that allows two spouses to work together with their lawyers to reach an agreement on all of the issues in their divorce that is acceptable to both of them. Lawyers involved in collaborative divorces have special training in mediation that makes the involvement of…