Articles | Seattle Divorce Services

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...