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
womens' soccer team

Seattle Divorce Services Supports Reign FC Women’s Soccer!

Seattle Divorce Services has renewed its partnership with the Reign FC for 2017, Seattle's professional women's soccer team! SDS's support of women's soccer stems in part from the enthusiasm of our business manager for the sport. She has played recreational soccer league for many years. At age 58...
April 5, 2017
Fork in the road

Divorce vs Legal Separation – Child Custody / Parenting Plan

Many people wonder what the difference is between a Divorce and a Legal Separation when it comes to specific issues like child custody and parenting plans, child support, property and debt division, and spousal support. In fact, with regard to those issues, in Washington State it really does not mat...
March 29, 2017
Cog wheels

Sophisticated Solutions to Complex Divorce

What does it mean when we say "our divorce attorneys believe in taking a more sophisticated approach to resolving complex cases"? Many divorce cases are complex. That does not necessarily mean the cases involve great wealth or unusual issues. It does mean there there may be issues of parenting, c...
March 16, 2017
Cooperation through puzzle pieces

What is Cooperative Divorce?

Along with Collaboration and Mediation, you may sometimes hear the term "Cooperative Divorce". Cooperative Divorce is not a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution like Collaboration and Mediation, but is rather a way of approaching a traditional litigated divorce. There are no special rules or pr...
February 28, 2017

Can I Modify My Spousal Support?

In Washington, spousal support, also known as alimony or maintenance, is modifiable under some conditions. First, the decree of divorce must have NOT ordered non-modifiable spousal support. Second, there must be a "substantial change of circumstances". I would add, however, that in my experience, s...
February 16, 2017

Civility Matters in Divorce

I recently read an article by Carol Bailey-Medwell on Why Civility Matters. Carol manages Integrative Family Law, a firm that shares many of the same values we hold here at Seattle Divorce Services. Recently I had the pleasure of reading one of her articles in a member's publication, and I thou...
February 9, 2017
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