Though Washington is one of many states that no longer recognizes common-law marriages, it does recognize “marriage-like” relationships. State law refers to these relationships as “Committed Intimate Relationships.” In Washington, if the courts consider your...
With the holidays quickly approaching, you may be looking forward to building memories with your kids. If you share custody of your children with a co-parent, however, you may have to shuffle the young ones in your family between two households. While your parenting...
Child support has a lot of related terminology and processes that can be confusing if you are new to the overall system. One such thing you may hear about is pass-through payments. According to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services,...
You and your current partner want to use mediation for your divorce. Working together may save you time and money, but how do you make the most of the option? American Bar Association offers insights into gaining the upper hand in mediation. Learn how to set yourself...
Washington state judges recognize that when a committed intimate relationship leads to cohabitation, the couples often acquire valuable assets together. As noted by the Seattle Times, unmarried couples contributed 16% toward first-time home purchases in 2017 based on...
When going through a divorce, it is not uncommon for tensions between both parties to rise. With children involved, the tensions often only increase, as parents feel like they have too much on the line to lose. Unfortunately, this can lead to parents making foolish...
If you and your spouse have decided to end your marriage, you may dread stressful litigation in which you have little control over the outcome. Instead, you could choose collaborative divorce, a private and transparent option that has become a process many couples...
Mediation may shorten the time you have to spend waiting for a divorce settlement. An effective mediation may also lessen the emotional trauma of parting ways with your spouse. Knowing how to prepare for your mediation may improve the chances of a satisfactory...
Unlike when married couples have a child, the state does not assume paternity for children born to unwed couples. Therefore, unmarried men must act to legally establish themselves as their children’s fathers. One such path toward creating a legal parent-child...
If you find yourself in the middle of a divorce, you may be on the lookout for anything to help get through the process smoothly. An investment in mediation might be the answer. But mediation is not a one-size-fits-all affair. Depending on your case, there are various...
