Articles | Seattle Divorce Services

Dr. Phil on Co-Parenting

A friend recently pointed out an article with some good advice for divorcing parents. In "Dr. Phil: Dos and Don'ts For Co-Parenting With Your Ex", he makes a number of points about putting the children's best interests first. Some of my favorites are: Don't disparage each other or allow the child...

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...

Divorce and Children

I recently was alerted (thanks Daniel, Paul, and Rachel!) to an article on the Diefenbach, PLLC (New York divorce attorneys) website. The article is entitled "Divorce and Child Custody: It’s About the Child". It offers some good advice for divorcing parents. Some of the points I particularly liked w...

What is Litigation?

Litigation is the process lawyers engage in to prepare and take a case to court (or an arbitrator) for a decision. The role of the attorney is to build their own case and to find ways to discredit the other side's case. A big part of this is gathering information - obtaining documents, interviewing...

Can We Reach Our Own Agreements?

I am often asked whether a couple can reach their own agreements, or whether a Washington State court is going to refuse the accept those agreements and substitute its own decisions. As a general rule, a couple is able to make their own agreements as to things that are just between them. I have neve...

Non-Traditional Families

Families come in many shapes and sizes. There is the traditional American nuclear family with a husband, wife, and 2.5 children. There are extended families living under one roof. There are blended families, families with spouses of the same gender, families with unmarried adults, families with mor...

Hammer and Nail

I was very impressed with a Boston area law firm's website I ran across today. The Boston Law Collaborative , PLLC really resonated with me, because what they do in Boston is very similar to what we are doing here at Seattle Divorce Services. I ran across the website as I was getting ready to call D...

Tax Issues in Divorce

I saw a good article by Robert Bordett called "What Are The Tax Implications Of Divorce?". Several issues to be aware of are: Your marital status for tax purposes is determined as of the end of the year. In other words, if you finalize your divorce on December 31, 2014, you are considered single...

Tips for Reducing Conflict

Divorce has a reputation of being all about conflict - before, during, and after. It does not have to be like that, however. Here are a few tips for reducing conflict in your relationships: 1. Focus on what is important. Sometimes we just get in the habit of conflict - we'll argue with ANYTHING a c...

The Greek Chorus

In ancient Greek plays, there would often be a group of people in the background who commented (through song, dance, and spoken lines) upon the action going on between the main characters on stage. We call this the "Greek Chorus". Today when divorce lawyers talk about the "Greek Chorus", we are talk...