Due to ethical guidelines which determine conflicts of interest for both attorneys and firms, only one spouse/person/party can be represented by an attorney from our firm for a given matter. Clients are welcome to inquire whether we can offer the other party referrals to attorneys in the area. If two people are pursuing mediation, an attorney serves as a neutral third party for both spouses/parties.
Yes, this is what is considered pro se support, a service which our attorneys often provide. This route allows you to have an attorney to contact for as-needed legal advice and meetings, without fully hiring them to represent you. Though many people take this route to save on costs, there are many potential drawbacks to be aware of and situations in which proceeding pro se may not be in your best interest. This determination is difficult to make if you are not a family law attorney, and can be well addressed in an initial consultation with a member of our firm. Our page on Uncontested Divorce, under the header “Do I need a lawyer for an uncontested divorce?”, illustrates some of the consequences of choosing the pro se route.
At the moment, our firm is only able to offer services in English.
When a matter is contested, this means that the parties involved are disagreeing over certain aspects of the issue at hand. In family law, this means the matter will likely be litigious, meaning its resolution will need to be overseen by a judge and disputes resolved via the courts.
All client matters are protected under attorney-client confidentiality, even when one is interacting with one of our non-attorney team members or communicating for the first time via our online contact form. Each attorney works closely with one of our paralegals, Sarah or Arianne, on each case they undertake. Clients may also find themselves interacting with Alyssa, our Office Manager, or Milo, our Legal Assistant.
You may be able to appeal the court’s final order in your divorce if you are within a certain timeframe for filing a Notice of Appeal. Our firm does not have an attorney able to support with appeals.
Seattle Divorce Services represents clients in the Washington State Superior Courts, primarily in King county. For the most part, this FAQ should apply to divorces everywhere in the United States, but you should be sure to seek information about your local laws if you live in a different county or state.
Many options exist for going about a marriage dissolution, including litigation, collaboration, and mediation. However you handle your family law matter, we generally need to go through several steps:
- We need to file the case with the court.
- We may need to work out temporary living arrangements (residence, support, parenting, and possibly protective orders).
- We need to spend time gathering information about the facts of your case.
- Then we can work at negotiating a settlement.
- If the negotiations were not successful, the court will hold a trial where a judge settles any unresolved issues.
- Lastly, the final orders are entered with the court (a judge signs them).
- There is a minimum of 90 days between filing and entry of agreed divorce orders. Divorce trials in King County are usually scheduled about 11 months after the initial filing (the trial schedules are different in other counties).
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