If you and your spouse are undergoing a divorce with children, there’s a good chance you are thinking about what kind of custody arrangement you will end up with. In Washington, we refer to these as “Residential Provisions”...more
1/27/2025
/ Best Interest Standard ,
Child Custody ,
Child Support ,
Co-Parenting ,
Custody Agreements ,
Divorce ,
Family Law Courts ,
Joint Custody ,
Mediation ,
Parental Rights ,
Parenting Plans ,
Parenting Time ,
Separation ,
Spouses ,
Washington
You have a child with another person—either an ex-partner, ex-spouse, or someone with whom you never actually had a romantic relationship. You’ve gone through the court system and agreed upon or litigated a final parenting...more
In many states, child support obligations do not extend past either the age of 18 or the child’s graduation from high school. In Washington, however, a parent can file a petition to continue child support after the child...more
Stress and anxiety are unfortunate byproducts of divorce. For some, every aspect of one’s life may be negatively impacted by divorce: productivity at your job may plummet; concern about finances might keep you up at night;...more
In a prior blogpost, I discussed the statutory notice you have to give to another parent when you plan to relocate with a child. If the non-relocating parent objects to the move, then the parents will need to go to court and...more
When custody arrangements are in dispute and the parties cannot agree on a parenting plan, the trial court may order that a “parenting evaluator” be assigned to the case. The evaluator acts as a neutral, third-party who...more
The Washington State legislature defines a “Parenting Plan” as “a plan for parenting the child, including allocation of parenting functions, which plan is incorporated in any final decree or decree of modification in an...more
If a family law case proceeded to trial or ended in any way other than a settlement, then chances are one (or both) of the parties is unhappy with the result. Perhaps one party feels like an important aspect of his or her...more
Civil lawsuits can take a long time. After the complaint and other initial pleadings are filed, the next phase of the case will typically turn to what is referred to as “discovery.” Discovery is the mechanism the parties...more
When you get a divorce in Washington, you can ask the court to change your surname as part of the proceedings. While you can change it to any name your heart desires, the common course of events involves restoring one’s...more
The decision to sever a child’s relations with his or her natural parent is not to be taken lightly. It has been said that “[a]n order terminating parental rights deprives children of their right to financial support, their...more