Man counting money

Can I Have My Spouse Pay For Both Divorce Attorneys?

If your spouse agrees to pay for both divorce attorneys, certainly it is possible. Some attorneys may be reluctant to accept payment from the other spouse, citing conflict of interest concerns, but I would expect most would be okay with it. Even if the attorney does not want to take direct paymen...
October 26, 2017
What to ask for in divorce

What To Ask For In A Divorce

The main thing you need to be aware of (at least in Washington State): you don't need to know every detail about what you will ask for at the time the divorce is filed. The Petition, or Response to Petition, can be framed in very general terms. All you need to know are the broad categories. For ins...
October 17, 2017
Chalk heads with question marks

Questions For Your Attorney About Divorce

Last week I discussed questions to help you decide which attorney to hire. This week, I wanted to suggest some questions to ask to help you be better informed about the divorce process itself and to help you make decisions about the divorce....
October 5, 2017
Mother and daughter together

How To Navigate Divorce With Children

Children do make divorce harder. Because they are so easily hurt by the divorce, we have to work much harder to create an outcome that will not only be positive for ourselves, but positive for them as well - and sometimes those two goals are not well matched....
August 31, 2017
Stop sign next to road

Can You Stop A Divorce After Filing?

At least here in Washington, and I imagine in any state, you can stop a divorce action before the divorce has been finalized if both parties agree to the dismissal. A dismissal ends the case so that the divorce does not move forward. Also, if the other party has responded to the Petition for Diss...
July 20, 2017
Woman on laptop

Can We Divorce Without A Lawyer?

It certainly is possible in Washington State to divorce without a lawyer, although as a lawyer I need to clarify that I do not recommend it. I have had clients spend a lot of money trying to undo mistakes they made writing their own court orders (remember the old car care commercial "Pay me now, or...
July 5, 2017
Money , keys, and cars representing assets

How is Property and Debt Split During a Divorce?

In Washington the courts are instructed to make a "just and equitable" division of all property and debt, both community and separate. Some factors the court is to consider include the nature and extent of the property, the duration of the marriage, and the economic circumstances of each spouse....
June 21, 2017

Who Pays for the Divorce?

In Washington State, each party is responsible for hiring and paying their own attorney, including any initial deposits as well as any subsequent bills. So this means that each spouse pays for the divorce based on their personal choice of attorney. However, the court does have the authority to alloc...
June 21, 2017
Man sitting alone at window

How Do I Get A Divorce Without My Spouse?

You can get a divorce in Washington whether or not your spouse chooses to cooperate, but you cannot get a divorce without notifying your spouse that you are seeking a divorce. Notification means serving the divorce papers on your spouse (see my previous article on serving divorce papers). Many pe...
June 1, 2017
Safe house

Removal of Spouse From Home During Divorce: Restraining Order

Unfortunately, at the beginning of a divorce case, it is sometimes necessary to have a spouse removed from the family home. This would most typically be in a high conflict divorce where the other spouse has some history of domestic violence. If a divorce case has not yet been filed, but the home...
May 8, 2017
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