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If you are considering or in the process of getting a divorce, you need someone to help you effectively manage your case to help protect your best interests. An experienced Issaquah divorce lawyer at Twyford Law Office is well-equipped to handle the most complex divorce situations.
Having an attorney in your corner can help you through the divorce process as quickly and efficiently as possible while helping you find solutions to sensitive family law disputes that protect your best interests. Divorcing couples often have different views about what is best or fair, creating conflict. With an experienced divorce lawyer’s in-depth knowledge of family law and its complexities, they can offer objective advice to help you decide those matters after considering the long-term impact of those choices. At the same time, your Issaquah divorce attorney will take on the burden of filing the appropriate paperwork and meeting deadlines.
To file for divorce in Washington, also referred to as dissolution of marriage, one spouse must be a Washington resident. Since Washington is a no-fault divorce state, couples do not need to assign blame when filing for divorce and the only grounds for filing is that the marriage is “irretrievably broken.” Once the court has the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, a copy of the petition and a summons must be served to the other spouse (respondent). They then have 20 days to file an Answer to contest the divorce if they disagree to the suggested terms. Alternatively, if a spouse does not respond, it is an uncontested divorce which is a much quicker process. However, if the parties cannot agree to the terms of their divorce, the case will head to trial. At a hearing, a judge will listen to both sides’ arguments, review documentation, make final decisions on all disputed issues, and grant a Decree of Dissolution of Marriage.
Common legal issues involved in a divorce include:
Asset distribution is one of the most complex areas of divorce, and Washington is a community property state, which means assets and debts are distributed 50/50. However, you and your spouse have the opportunity to reach an agreement on property division before a judge decides your case. We will help you protect the assets that you have worked so hard to obtain.
In some cases, a spouse has the right to receive spousal maintenance (alimony). Whether a judge will grant it depends on various factors, such as the length of the marriage, earning potential of each spouse, and asset division.
In Washington, parents must follow a parenting plan, which can be created by the parents together, or each parent can submit their own. If the parents cannot agree on the terms, the court will often require them to attend mediation. However, even if the parents can reach an agreement, a parenting plan will only become official or enforceable once a judge reviews it and makes it a court order.
The factors that determine child support are not simple and include several elements that vary by situation. An Issaquah divorce lawyer can guide you through this process.
To learn more about your rights and the divorce options available to you, contact Twyford Law Office. Our Issaquah divorce lawyers offer free consultations; call (509) 327-0777 or send us a message online today.
Our Seattle Office
814 Second Avenue 515,
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 590-7085
Our Spokane Office
430 W Indiana Ave,
Spokane, WA 99205
(509) 327 0777
Our Bellevue Office
1408 140th Place NE, Suite 400,
Bellevue, WA 98007
(425) 517 3350.
