Articles | Seattle Divorce Services

Congratulations: Mark Alexander Elected to the Family Law Executive Committee!

We just learned that Seattle Divorce Services attorney Mark Alexander has been elected to the statewide Family Law Executive Committee. That is a committee at the Washington State Bar Association that oversees issues related to Family Law in our state. We want to congratulate Mark on his electio...

Should I Go To A Big Downtown Law Firm For My Divorce?

As a general rule, a big law firm does a lot of business/commercial law, which I would guess is because that kind of law often requires a lot of manpower. On the other hand, divorce law is more typically practiced in small and solo law firms. The large commercial law firms may have a few family law...

Do You WANT A Nasty Divorce?

In a recent article entitled How to Have the Nastiest Divorce Possible, Andrea Vacca wrote about several ways to guarantee the a divorce will be long, expensive, and bitter. Of course her purpose is not actually to encourage nasty divorces; it is intended to point out some of the things people can d...

Seeing Things Differently

This week I went in for cataract surgery. The next day when the bandages came off, it was quite amazing how everything looked different than what I was used to. Things are more brightly colored, they look a little closer, I can see great at a distance, but I need reading glasses for close up. Basica...

Does Hiring A Lawyer Increase The Odds of Going to Trial?

There is a common belief that hiring a divorce lawyer increases your chances of going to trial. Actually, we believe just the opposite. We have seen many people representing themselves end up at trial because they did not know how to prepare for settlement discussions or how to negotiate effectively...

Can I Do My Divorce Without a Lawyer?

Yes, you can do all of your divorce without a lawyer, though the paperwork and rules can be intimidating, and it is easy to make costly mistakes. The state has published standard forms for doing it yourself (and lawyers are required to use the same forms). However, if you do find that you need help,...

Should I Use My Regular Attorney For My Divorce?

Today's legal landscape is one of increasing specialization. Lawyers working in a particular area of the law need to be familiar with the statutes, the case law, the court rules, and even the unwritten rules in their area of practice. In some small towns, lawyers still have to be generalists because...

DOMA Struck Down!

We applaud the recent Supreme Court decision striking down the Federal law discriminating against same sex married couples. Some states (like Washington) have now passed laws legalizing same-sex marriage, and where those states have granted married status to residents of those states, the Federal g...

Are Consults Free?

Some lawyers do offer free consults to get people in the door. At Seattle Divorce Services, we believe in charging a reasonable but reduced fee for the initial consultation, and then giving good value for that fee. We don't rush you out the door because the time allotted for the consult is up -- we...

Telling Your Kids

Kate Scharff has written an excellent article "Telling Your Kids About the Split: The Six Most Common (Well-Intended) Mistakes". In it she makes some great points. I often have clients who are trying to figure out the best way to tell their children they are getting divorced. I usually recommend...