Divorce is not cheap, even in the best of circumstances. Paying attorneys’ fees on an hourly basis can get expensive, especially when there are children involved or when both partners own a substantial amount of property. If you are planning on getting divorced, there are ways to keep the price tag from getting out of…
Over 22% of the country, or nearly 70 million people, identify themselves as members of the Catholic church. For decades, Catholics have faced a serious dilemma when it comes to ending their marriages. The Catholic church does not recognize divorce and believes that it is impossible to dissolve a valid, sacramental marriage that has been…
When you and your spouse file for divorce, how much of your case information is secret? Who has access to your information and what type of access do they have? In general, most court proceedings and records are open to the public. Anyone can attend a hearing in open court, and court records are available…
Everyone is on their best behavior in front of a judge. For many people in the process of a divorce, it can be frustrating to see a spouse act civilly in court but turn nasty in private. To show the judge the way your spouse acts in private, can you record your conversations? While recorded…
A divorce case starts when one spouse files or serves the initial divorce petition. Once the petition is filed, the other party must be served with a copy of the petition as well as a summons which informs the person of the amount of time he or she has to file a response. If the…
Even when a marriage is on the rocks, many people still do not want to get divorced. If you are ready to move on from your marriage, but your spouse won’t sign the paperwork, what are your options? The Initial Petition When a person refuses to sign the initial petition asking for a divorce, his…
Every parent wants to spend as much time as possible with his or her children. In Washington State, parenting time is usually split equally between two parents unless a judge finds that one parent’s time should be restricted based on certain limiting factors. Washington State statutes outline circumstances when a judge may decide to limit…
Sometimes a couple realizes that their marriage is not working and decides to file a joint petition for divorce. In other cases, one spouse may be unaware that the other is filing for divorce until he or she is served with the paperwork. But what happens if each spouse files his or her own petition…
In Washington State, couples who are engaged to be married have the option of creating a prenuptial agreement. This agreement is a contract between the couple that determines what will happen if they get divorced. A prenuptial agreement can be used to pre-determine the amount of spousal support provided (known as alimony in other states)…