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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....
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...

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...
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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...
How Long Does Divorce Take

How Long Does a Divorce Take?

I cannot speak as to other states, but in Washington State there is a minimum 90 day long waiting period from the time the divorce case is filed with the court until the time that the court can finalize the divorce. However, that requires the parties to have reached agreement on all issues and ha...

When Do We Need to Litigate?

Some couples are able to engage in a peaceful dispute resolution process such as Collaboration or facilitative Mediation to work out their own divorce agreements. However, for other couples that may not be a realistic option, in which case, it may be necessary to litigate. Litigation means using the...