Does My Divorce Information End Up in the Public Record - Man doing computer research

Is My Divorce Information in the Public Record?

People contemplating divorce often struggle with how and when it may become known to others. And while divorce obviously does not carry the stigma that it once did, there are many people who simply value their privacy. In addition, your divorce involves far more than your relationship status - it re...
Divorce attorney considering evidence

The Role of Litigation in Divorce

The traditional approach to divorce is litigation, which is primarily court based. In other words we either go to trial to have the court decide the terms of the divorce, or we settle the case based on what we think the court would do if we went to trial. While other methods have been developed t...
Definition of Arbitration

What Should I Know About Divorce Arbitration?

Our Seattle Divorce Lawyers Explain the Arbitration Process for Family Law Conflicts Arbitration represents another approach to settling your divorce case. Basically, arbitration means hiring a private judge. This does require the agreement of both sides, including the choice of who should be the a...
who stays in the house after divorce

Who Stays In The House After Divorce?

Often at the beginning of a divorce, one party chooses to move out because they no longer want to be living with the other person. This can impact later claims that they should be the person awarded the house in the divorce, as the courts tend to lean towards the least disruptive solutions: i.e. le...
Judge Signing Paper - When is My Divorce Final?

When Is My Divorce Final?

In Washington State, a divorce is final as soon as the court signs the Decree of Dissolution. The whole divorce process generally takes anywhere from 3 months to a year, and there is a minimum 90-day waiting period after the divorce has been filed and served. If the case needs to go to trial, the...
two young men talking to your spouse about collaborative divorce

How To Talk To Your Spouse About Collaborative Divorce

Collaborative Divorce is a voluntary process, which means that both parties need to agree to use the process. More than that, both parties need to believe this is the best way to move forward. If one is only paying lip service, participating only because it is what the other spouse wants, they do n...
Scales of Justice and Handshake - Better Divorce Litigation

Better Divorce Litigation

At Seattle Divorce Services, it has always been a goal to find ways to do things better. That includes our bread and butter - divorce litigation. What does 'better divorce litigation' mean? How can we strive for improvement? Better litigation means tailoring the approach to fit the case, NOT s...
compassionate litigation - two people talking calmly - Seattle Divorce Services

Compassionate Litigation

Can compassionate litigation be possible? While I talk a great deal about Collaborative Divorce because it is my preferred dispute resolution method, our office also does a large amount of divorce litigation (court based). However, all divorce litigation is not the same. I like to think of...
Managing Conflict in Divorce Litigation - sometimes down to a phone call. Seattle Divorce Services

Managing Conflict In Divorce Litigation

While we believe in exploring opportunities for alternative dispute resolution in our cases, often we do need to litigate (proceed with court process) for one reason or another. Litigation IS an adversarial process. Still, even in litigation, we prefer to reduce conflict rather than escalate it....
Is litigation necessary in divorce? - Seattle Divorce Services

When Is Litigation Needed In Divorce?

Litigation is the process of submitting issues to the court for decision. While we believe that our clients are better off when we can keep conflict to a minimum and help our clients reach agreements out of court, sometimes litigation is needed. Litigation is generally needed if one side is unwi...