Washington State Family Law

 

 

Most of my cases are in family law. This includes divorces, parenting plans, post-decree problems, child support modifications, property settlement enforcement actions, and custody problems. I carry an average case load of thirty five to forty cases. I am in court an average of two to three mornings a week, on the motions calendar, in King and Snohomish Counties.

About two thirds of my cases are in King County, and a third in Snohomish County, so I know both counties, and their quirks. Some of my cases are simple; but many are very complex, with interlocking issues of property, and maintenance, and custody.  It’s very important to be able to analyze the different factors, so you get the best possible result. I am good at that.

Each county has its own rules. Some are written down in the Local Rules; some are not. Some you just have to know by practicing law in that County.  That’s where I come in. For example, child support modifications in Snohomish County are handled by arbitration; but adjustments are done on only certain days of the week. If you file it on the wrong day, you’ve wasted some time.

There are many different kinds of family law problems: everything from “My sixteen year old son won’t come home from his Dad’s house”, to “How do I get more child support?”  Each kind of family law problem needs different kind of handling, and a good idea about what tactics work, and which don’t. The actual statutes only help so much; sometimes you can have a perfectly good legal case, which in practice is almost guaranteed to lose. Many things most people think are the law, aren’t.

Example: “At 12 (or 14, or 16), my son can decide where he wants to live”. That’s simply wrong. Once a parenting plan is entered, the age at which a child gets to decide is 18 years old. Not 12, not 14, not 16.  But if this is a question for your case, call me; let’s talk about how this actually plays out in court.

Example: “My ex’s new wife (or husband) makes a lot of money. I can get more child support because of their income.”  Again, that’s wrong: a new spouse’s income is not (normally) income for child support purposes.  Now, there are ways in which a new spouse’s income can affect child support; but if this is an issue in your case, then we need to talk.

The bottom line is this: I have a lot of experience in family law cases. I tell clients what I think their odds are, one way or the other.  I’ll never tell you a case is good, just to get the billing; I find that always makes for an unhappy client. If your case is good, I’ll tell you, and you’ll have a good idea how much it will cost. If it’s bad, I’ll tell you that too. If you can handle it a different way, cheaper, or better, I’ll tell you that as well. Call me!