During a divorce, couples may disagree about the best way to divide their shared property. In Washington State, all of the couple’s property, including their home, their vehicles, and their businesses, can be appraised and split up. If the couple cannot reach an agreement as to how their assets should be divided or if the…
Making mistakes is part of human nature. Unfortunately for some, these mistakes may result in a criminal conviction. When a parent with a criminal record desires residential time with their children, past offenses could come back and haunt them. Whether or not a criminal conviction affects a decision for residential time depends on several factors,…
Parenting plans are supposed to help parents co-parent their children and avoid conflict. So why is every encounter of conversation with your ex, World War Three? Ever since you remarried, it has been difficult to just get your ex to sit down and talk about the kids. And the kids are getting older every day.…
Divorce is an emotional process even for the most stable adults. For those parents who have children with disabilities, illnesses, or other special needs, getting a divorce can feel like an insurmountable obstacle. Though it is true that obtaining a divorce as a parent of a child with special needs can be difficult, careful planning…
As every parent knows, children get sick and get sick often. Between daycare, school, and other activities, kids are exposed to a massive amount of germs every day. Add in accidents like falls from a bike and tragedies like childhood cancers, and it is easy to see how medical care and insurance premiums can quickly…
In Washington State, both parents have a financial responsibility to support their children. The amount a parent is required to pay is set forth in statute and depends on the total income of both parents. The parent who makes more money is required to pay more money. The amount of time children reside in a…
For many couples, one partner is in charge of the finances. For example, the husband may bring home the paycheck, but the wife may balance the checkbook and take care of household bills. This type of financial separation is also common when it comes to filing taxes each year. Often, a husband or wife will…
Retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration are calculated based on the number of years a person worked during his or her lifetime. The longer that a person worked, the greater number of benefits that person will receive. For many people, older women especially, their spouse may have worked much longer and be entitled to…
For older couples, or those who have been married for a long time, pensions and retirement accounts are extremely important assets for the future. In Washington, money earned in these accounts during a marriage become the community property of the couple, which is subject to being split up in a divorce. Not all accounts will…