If child support is not being paid as set forth in a valid court order there are a few steps that may be taken to obtain child support. First, in almost all cases (excluding those involving a protection order or restraining order), the unpaid party should provide the other party…
What happens when after orders are entered in your family law case, the other party violates the order? In some cases, you can file a motion for contempt and ask the court to enforce the order. A motion for contempt can be appropriate in the following circumstances: one parent fails…
Parenting plans are often drafted while both parents are single (or on their way to being single). As they negotiate their plan, the parents consider their lives as single parents. They want to discuss how much time they will have with their kids, and what holidays they will not have…
After Halloween, Thanksgiving will be right around the corner. This holiday is included in Washington’s Parenting Plan Pattern form. Parents can choose to modify the form to schedule the holiday in a way that makes sense for their children (in rare circumstances, the court may choose to overrule the parents’…
Parenting plans plan the schedule for your child for every day (and even every hour) of the child’s life. Well written parenting plans should reflect the needs and interests of the child and the child’s parents. This includes the religious beliefs of the involved parties. Here are three areas of…
For many unmarried parents, the most difficult part of sharing residential time with their child’s other parent is the holidays spent away from their children. While you may not be able to celebrate with trick-or-treating, there are other things you can do to make the Halloween season special. Here are…
When confronted with a family law case, clients are often confused by terms and abbreviations used by lawyers and/or the courts. This article attempts to help explain some of commonly used abbreviations. There are some frequently used initialisms in family law. Here is a list of commonly used initialisms, and…
There are people who walk away from a family law trial or hearing feeling like justice was not done. They may feel like the judge was unfairly biased, that the other party was awarded too much money, or that the order makes for an otherwise unworkable result. In these circumstances,…
When parents are in a committed relationship (like marriage) they usually discuss and agree on what extracurricular activities the children participate in. Parents consider whether their household can afford the activities, whether the activities are safe, and how much say the child will have regarding whether to participate. Extracurricular activities…
We all know (and probably love) a child that does not have typical abilities, or who struggles with certain areas of life. These kids face challenges that typical children do not and as such have different needs. Working in the field of family law it is important to consider the…