What is a Property Settlement Agreement?

A Property Settlement Agreement (or PSA) is a contractual document that sets out the terms of a divorce, and in particular the property settlement. While it is not required in Washington state that the terms of the divorce be set out in a PSA, there are distinct advantages....
August 27, 2012

What Is My Income?

In the divorce cases we do, our attorneys often hear various forms of this question - how is my income calculated? This is usually in terms of figuring out child support and spousal support/maintenance obligations....
June 28, 2012

Is Alimony An Option For You?

In a divorce, all property is to be divided in a fair and equitable manner. However, in some cases a judge may also order alimony, which is commonly called spousal support or maintenance. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines alimony as “an allowance made to one spouse by the other for support pending...
June 1, 2012

Divorcing Couples Rfinancing Their Home: HARP 2.0

A friend of ours, Chris Coggeshall, who is a mortgage broker we work with regularly, wrote the following very helpful article for us:   Deciding what you want to do and what you can do with the house when divorcing is a question that most couples face. In years past, prior to the hous...
May 24, 2012

How do Child Support Orders Work?

If children are involved in a divorce, financial care of a child or children is one of the most important matters to resolve. In Washington State, each parent pays a proportional share of the support of the children. That share of the estimated cost of raising the children is based on each parent's...
May 14, 2012

Dividing Retirement Benefits

Because Washington is a community property state, any asset acquired during the marriage is presumed to belong to both spouses, regardless of whose name it’s in. That includes wages and employment benefits as well as houses, stocks, and cars. Transferring all or part of tax-deferred retirement bene...
April 12, 2012

What am I Entitled To in a Divorce?

In a divorce, the judge is charged with dividing marital property in a fair and equitable way. What's considered fair and equitable depends on the unique circumstances of each party, so there are a wide variety of possible outcomes regardless of what you expect you are entitled to. During a divor...
April 9, 2012

Theories of Fairness

I was recently discussing "fairness" with another divorce lawyer. He explained the concept that there are four different theories of fairness:  they are based respectively on Law, Equity, Needs, and Belief. Fairness based on Law is what we think of most often when we negotiate settlements in divo...
April 2, 2012

How Long Does Spousal Support or Alimony Last?

Divorce laws vary state to state but in modern times the idea of lifetime alimony is becoming less frequent, especially when families have both parents working outside of the home. Still, spousal support can be awarded in a divorce when there is a large income disparity between spouses – in addition...
March 21, 2012

Handling Your Finances During a Divorce

Divorce is not only an emotional split, it's also a financial one. It pays to know your financial rights and responsibilities before you divorce. Divorce can be financially devastating, so there are things to keep in mind before you divorce. Don’t be left in the dark. A Daily Finance article H...
March 14, 2012