Washington is a “no-fault” divorce state, which means that you do not need to prove that the other party committed adultery or did something else that would justify a divorce. Instead, all you need to testify to is that the marriage is “irretrievably broken,” i.e., you can no longer get along, and there is no hope for reconciliation.

Thanks to television and movies, many people think that they won’t be able to get a divorce if their spouse doesn’t agree or “sign the papers.” Fortunately, this is not the case in Washington State. While you must notify your spouse that you are seeking a divorce, the law does not require them to consent or agree to the proceeding. If they do not respond to the divorce proceeding, our Seattle divorce attorney will seek a default order that allows you to move forward with your case. 

Finding a good family lawyer is essential, but we place emphasis on finding the right lawyer for you. The internet is a powerful resource, but the search results can be overwhelming. It can be difficult to determine which firm or lawyer is a good fit for you.

When searching for a Seattle family lawyer online, review their websites carefully – read their practice pages and blog posts to get a sense of their approach and experience. For instance, you will find that at our firm we emphasize a less adversarial approach aimed at preserving the ability to cooperate. Finally, we offer a low cost initial consultation. This is your opportunity to meet the lawyer in person and see if they would be a good fit for you.

You need to take full advantage of your first meeting with your prospective lawyer, so you should come prepared to discuss your situation in detail. You should also be ready to ask questions about the following:

• How they bill for their fees and what they estimate it would cost for them to handle your case
• What they believe the outcome of your case will be
• Whether they see any potential issues that could make your case challenging
• How long they think it would take to resolve your case
• What course of action they recommend
• How they approach cases such as yours from the perspective of a general strategy

An experienced Seattle family lawyer should be able to provide you with an answer to these questions (although estimates of final costs are very general given the many things that can happen over the course of a case that affect final cost). Before hiring a lawyer, you want to be confident that they have the knowledge and experience to handle your case efficiently and get the best possible results for you.

While you aren’t obligated to hire a lawyer to negotiate a parenting plan, a Seattle family lawyer can provide valuable guidance on what would be considered reasonable by a court, and how to increase the chances of coming to agreement by proposing a parenting plan that works well for both parents. Your lawyer can also help identify potential issues and use their experience to help navigate the practical aspects of your custody arrangement. They can also provide you with advice if your co-parent isn’t honoring the terms of your parenting plan and take whatever steps are necessary to enforce your current agreement.

Child custody can be a difficult issue, particularly when the relationship between the parents becomes adversarial. When needed, your lawyer can handle the negotiations on your behalf and help diffuse some of the tension while also making sure that your and your child’s interests are protected.

If you and your spouse have already agreed on who will keep the house, then the court will likely honor that agreement. If you are unable to agree, then the answer becomes more complicated. One of the court’s goals in a divorce proceeding is to arrive at the least disruptive solution. As a result, the spouse who has already moved out is less likely to retain possession of the house if the other spouse has remained in the home and wishes to keep it. That said, keeping the house isn’t always in your best interest, depending on the financial impacts your divorce may have. A Seattle divorce lawyer can provide invaluable guidance in deciding what to do about the marital home.