When a divorce is finalized in Washington, the dissolution decree assigns specific debts and obligations to each spouse. But life does not stop at the decree. Cars break down, financial circumstances shift, and ex-spouses sometimes make informal arrangements to address new realities. The problem is that these side agreements can…
When police tell you that you’re “not under arrest” before questioning you, that statement does not automatically mean you’re free to leave. In State v. Magana-Arevalo, No. 103586-1 (Wash. Jan. 15, 2026), the Washington Supreme Court held that whether a suspect is in custody for Miranda purposes depends on the…
The Washington Supreme Court has held that courts may consider race and ethnicity as relevant, objective factors when determining whether a person was in custody for Miranda purposes. In State v. Wasuge, No. 103530-6 (Wash. Jan. 15, 2026), the court’s unanimous en banc opinion also addressed the admissibility of expert…
A Washington appeals court has confirmed that trial courts cannot order joint decision-making in a parenting plan when both parents have a history of domestic violence. In In re Marriage of Thiess, No. 87345-8-I (Wash. Ct. App. Jan. 26, 2026), Division One held that former RCW 26.09.191(1) prohibits mutual decision-making…
Sometimes when a student has suffered severe disciplinary action following an unfair Title IX investigation and disciplinary proceeding, they may pursue their own Title IX claim against the school. A federal court in Arizona recently considered a motion to dismiss a male student’s Title IX, § 1983, and state law…
In most cases, a person protected by a Washington civil protect order wants the order and limitations it provides. A vulnerable adult protection order, however, is commonly sought by someone else on behalf of the vulnerable person, and in some cases, the allegedly vulnerable person may object to the order. …
In an appropriate Washington drug case, drug court can allow a participant to obtain treatment and have criminal charges dropped. The drug court program requires the participant to obtain treatment, submit to drug testing, and comply with a number of other requirements. Failure to comply with the drug court agreement…
In some cases, circumstances change after a court orders child support. A Washington child support order may be modified if there has been a substantial change in circumstances, if it has been a year or more since the order was entered and it causes a “severe economic hardship. . .”…
A federal court in South Carolina recently granted a university’s motion to compel arbitration of a case involving a former student’s claim arising from his suspension after being accused of sexual harassment and stalking. The plaintiff was a former student at the South Carolina campus of a for-profit university. He…
Washington law affords juvenile suspects additional protections. RCW 13.40.740 which became effective on January 1, 2022, requires law enforcement to “provide a juvenile with access to an attorney for consultation” in certain circumstances, including a custodial interrogation, before they waive any constitutional rights. A juvenile’s statements made under those circumstances…