While you and your spouse were married, you may have had conflicts over where your child should go to school. Perhaps the two of you were looking for a different type of environment, a different learning system or just a different type of school altogether. For...
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Washington Family Law Blog
Can custody be modified in Washington State?
Custody arrangements in Washington are detailed in a court-approved parenting plan. While these plans are designed to be stable, they are not necessarily permanent. In certain cases, parents may request a modification. When can a parenting plan be changed? Changes...
The divorce waiting period in Washington State
One of the most common questions about divorce is just how long it will take. For many people, it has taken months or years to get to the point where they decide they want to end their marriage. But once they have made this decision, they just want to get divorced as...
Don’t ignore a risk of default when dividing marital debts
Community property rules make the division of debt relatively straightforward during most divorce proceedings. Either spouse may have to remain personally responsible for debts that they accrued before getting married. The spouses share any debts taken on during the...
What are the legal grounds for divorce in Washington?
Those anticipating a divorce filing often need to learn about the law beforehand. They need to know what to expect regarding major decisions during the divorce process. Spouses need to understand the rules that govern property division and child custody...
Getting more parenting time after an improvement in circumstances
Child custody orders carry the full weight of the family courts. Parents typically have to follow custody orders. If they fail to do so, they may be at risk of enforcement attempts in the family courts. Even those who feel frustrated and disappointed by the terms of a...
Why are women more likely to file for divorce?
When you look at the statistics, women file for divorce roughly 70% of the time. Technically, of course, either spouse is allowed to do so, but it is women who initiate the divorce proceedings in most cases. But why is this? You can certainly see some major trends....
Is split custody ever used?
Typically, when parents divide custody of their children during a divorce, the children will stay together. For instance, say that a couple has two children who are six and eight years old. They decide to exchange physical custody every other week. This means that...
What if your spouse won’t respond to the divorce petition?
You and your spouse have not lived together for some time. At first, you thought it was just a temporary separation and that the two of you would reconcile. But the time apart has made you realize that you actually want to end the relationship and file for divorce....
How do courts address the dissipation of marital assets?
One issue that sometimes comes up in divorce cases is the dissipation of marital assets. This is different from hiding assets. It generally means that one spouse has been intentionally spending money in a way that deprives their ex of their fair share during property...