Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
Divorce (Marriage Dissolution)
Legal Separation
Maintenance (“alimony”)
Parenting Plan
Child Support Order
Property Settlement Agreement
Mediation and Arbitration
Collaborative Law
Post-Decree Modifications of Child Support
Post-Decree Modifications of Parenting Plan
Enforcement of Child Support Order
Enforcement of Parenting Plan
For many people, their introduction to the legal system and attorneys is through a divorce. Making a decision to end a relationship is stressful and highly emotional. Feeling overwhelmed is common and expected. Understanding your options is helpful.
Frequently Asked Questions
That attorney represents only the interests of the party who spoke to him or her and entered into a representation agreement. Even if your spouse indicates that an attorney said the documents are fair to both parties, remember that your rights may not be represented in those documents.
Property and debt division and child support orders can have a significant impact on both parties’ finances for years to come. A Parenting Plan can be a complicated document that impacts the relationship you have with your children.
It is absolutely worth consulting with a family law attorney who will review the documents and provide a more complete evaluation of your rights and options.
My ex husband paid child support for years, but stopped when he lost his job. He started working again but claims that he has no money and still isn’t paying child support. What can I do?
The answer depends upon whether you have a child support order signed by a Judge. If you have a child support order, the monthly payment continues to accrue (together with interest), regardless of whether the person has lost their job, unless the order has been modified. Lakeview Law can help you secure the child support that has not been paid.
I want out of this marriage and I don’t care about any of our property.
Regardless of the reasons that your relationship ended, in my experience people feel better in the long term if they make an effort to seek fairness in the distribution of their assets and debts. An understanding of what is fair legally comes with having information. For your own financial security, and for the security of your children, you should consult with an attorney to discuss and determine what is fair.
Absolutely! Lakeview Law offers Unbundled Legal Services and will discuss the issues in your case, what to expect at mediation, whether your position is realistic, and where you can/should compromise. I can also write a mediation statement for you or help revise one that you have drafted. It can be very helpful to have an attorney present at the mediation to negotiate for you. Mediation can resolve all of the issues in your case, so it is extremely important to make a compelling and well-reasoned statement and even be prepared with final documents for everyone to sign.
Can I consult with you over the phone and talk about the documents that I received and what I should do? It’s hard for me to make it to appointments and I’m stressed out about this.
At this time, I do not provide extensive Initial Consultations over the telephone. In my experience, it is most efficient for me to meet with you in person, see all of the documents, and assess the issues.
Lakeview Law offers a free 30-minute Initial Consultation. Most family law matters require a 90 minute consultation; sometimes, we can complete the consultation in less time. During that consultation, we will discuss the documents you received or whether you should file your own paperwork. Your rights will be discussed and options for representation, including full service, Unbundled Legal Services, and lower and no-cost options. At the end of the session, you will have a roadmap and for most clients that is the best stress reducer there is.
Lakeview Law offers appointments during business hours, evenings, and weekend days, for the convenience of clients.
We are doing the divorce ourselves and pretty much agree on everything, but I am not sure that the Parenting Plan we found on the court website is going to work for us.
For the sake of your children, you want to reduce or eliminate sources of conflict in the future. A poorly drafted Child Support Order or Parenting Plan can create havoc for parents, both emotionally and financially, which can affect your children.
The standardized forms provided on the Washington court forms website provide a framework, but you are allowed to modify these forms (except for certain statutory language). Lakeview Law can provide suggested language for sharing holidays, vacation, the transfer protocol, and reimbursement of medical expenses and extracurricular activities that can greatly help reduce conflict in the future.
What should I bring to the appointment?
We will discuss the required documents during our first telephone conference, but it is very helpful to review the Initial Consultation page on this website (under Services).
If you are not sure whether you have all of the documents in your case, you can access the list of filed documents (as well as other events) in your case by searching for cases with your name or the case number on the Washington Courts website: http://dw.courts.wa.gov. There is a separate database for cases filed in Pierce County: https://linxonline.co.pierce.wa.us/linxweb/Search.cfm.
If you need documents from your Superior Court case, you can go the King County Clerk’s Office at either the Seattle or Kent courthouse (http://www.kingcounty.gov/courts/Clerk.aspx) and access/print any documents in your case from the Superior Court Management Information System (SCOMIS) database. Staff in the Clerk’s Office can assist you in using the computers and database. There is a per page charge for printing the documents. Pierce County Superior Court documents must be accessed through link above.
If you are concerned about a potential deadline in your case, talk to an attorney as soon as possible.
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