Woodinville Family Law

If you're a Woodinville resident considering a divorce, or you've been served with divorce papers by your spouse, it's important to understand your legal rights. All Washington divorce and family matters are handled by the King County Family Court, and you'll need to address issues involving property division, child custody, child support, alimony, and possible others. Make no mistake: Divorce is a difficult process that will likely take a heavy emotional toll on everyone involved, especially if you have kids.

Washington is a “no-fault” state, which means issues like adultery or being a bad spouse won't influence negotiations in any way. The court will take a neutral stance on these issues and seek a fair settlement on each issue. They will also act in the best interests of children, so it's important to understand the law and how motions are made with court so that you can protect your own interests.

If your spouse served you with divorce papers, you may feel like your entire world is collapsing. Oftentimes these things happen with little warning, but you can rest assured that your spouse has been planning this action for some time. Not only do they probably have an attorney, but that attorney has likely already filed motions in family court. If you don't quickly respond, temporary orders could go into effect that cause you to lose your place of residence or even daily contact with your kids.

If your marriage is on the rocks and you're in the early stages of considering a divorce, it's important to understand the ramifications of this action. If you're spouse is amenable to divorce and you agree on how to divide property and resolve child-related issues, you may be able to save time and money by filing for an uncontested divorce. If you want to file for divorce without your spouse's knowledge, you should talk to one of our Woodinville divorce attorneys and make sure that you're prepared for everything that will follow.

Our Woodinville divorce lawyers offer a free consultation, so you can get much needed information without any cost or obligation by simply giving us a call.

Woodinville is part of the Seattle Metro area, but it's really just a small King County city with a population of little more than 10,000 people. The city is known for its wineries and densely wooded neighborhoods. This makes sense when you consider Woodinville's name and the fact that it started out as a logging community back in the early 20^th Century. With a high household median income, Woodinville is one of the more prosperous places to live in Washington. If you would like to learn more about this area, check out the municipal website for Woodinville .

Woodinville is only a 30 minute drive from Downtown Seattle so there is no shortage of things to do, but you would be remiss if you didn't check out at least one of the local wineries. The tasting rooms are the highlight of any winery visit as you're able to sample the wares of some of the state's finest. If you enjoy the outdoors, check out the Sammamsish River Trail, or take a hot air balloon ride at Over the Rainbow. Another popular Woodinville attraction is Adventura , which is like a giant jungle gym for adults.

Sometimes marriages fail and it's hard to pinpoint why. Nobody gets married thinking that they'll one day get divorced, but if it does happen it's important to be well prepared and fully understand the laws that apply to your situation. For Woodinville residents, all family law and divorce matters are heard in the King County Family Court . Our Woodinville family law lawyers have more than 50 years of collective experience, and can help you address any issue including divorce, paternity, and modifications of support.

Whether you're getting a divorce or dealing with some other serious family law issue, what you need most is information about the law and how it applies to your situation. There is a lot of misinformation on the internet, and you'll be hard-pressed to get accurate information on social media. However, you can contact one of our Woodinville divorce lawyers and get the facts. All it takes is one phone call. We do understand that many people simply want to gather information before making any decisions regarding legal representation, so we prepared the following information about the most common divorce-related issues we handle.

• Child custody issues are complex and often cause emotional flareups during divorce negotiations. This makes sense because no parent wants to give up custody of their kids. However, every divorcing parent needs to realize that their relationship with their kids will change, sometimes dramatically. You could lose daily contact with your kids. You may no longer have any say in their schooling or religious affiliation. You may only be able to see them on certain days of the week.

  To protect your interests, it's important to discuss your situation with a Woodinville child custody attorney who will fight to protect your interests. Custody arrangements are outlined in something called a parenting plan, which is a document that must be approved by a judge. It's in your best interests, and the best interests of your kids, to craft a document along with your former spouse. This will require compromise in most situations, which is not always easy for many parents. This doesn't mean you have to acquiesce to the whims of an uncooperative spouse, but it does mean that you have to make some tough choices. Take heart, because your lawyer will be at your side throughout this difficult process.

• Child support is another important issue that requires careful consideration. The needs of your kids are of the highest priority, and it takes money to ensure they have what they need to be happy and healthy. Oftentimes, this means the non-custodial parent pays for child support. The family court in King County uses a schedule to determine the base rate of support payments, but other factors may influence the bottom line.

  If you have a child and are not married, you may want to seek child support from the father. You can petition the court for child support with help from one of our lawyers. If they refuse to acknowledge that they are indeed the father of your child, we can petition the court to administer a paternity test. For help with any of these actions, contact one of our Woodinville child support attorneys.

• Spousal support is more commonly called alimony, and while nobody is eager to make monthly payments to their former spouse, it is a common reality of divorce. How assets are divided between former spouses will influence the dollar amount of alimony payments. Other factors may include the health of each person and their age. The standard of living maintained during the marriage is another key factor. If you were married for 25 years or more, it's likely your alimony payments will be permanent unless the recipient remarries or dies. Talk to one of our Woodinville spousal support lawyers if you have questions about alimony.

• Divorce for men is unique because they often have concerns unique to their gender. Men want to be treated fairly in family court, especially in regards to child custody issues, so it's important to work with a Woodinville divorce for men attorney that understands their needs. We frequently assist fathers with custody issues by aggressively protecting their interests in the King County Family Court.

• Protection orders and restraining orders are used to protect innocent victims from abusive partners. Abuse comes in many forms, both emotional and physical, and it may be directed at spouses and children or both. You don't have to remain in an abusive relationship but we understand the fear that often prevents people from taking action. This is why our Woodinville protection order lawyers offer a free, confidential consultation. Take note that these orders are almost always effective and offer you a way to permanently end the cycle of abuse.

• Modifications of support are sometimes needed when a change in a person's financial situation warrants such an action. Our Woodinville support modification lawyers can petition the court if you think you have a good reason to do so. For example, you may have learned your former spouse got a new job that pays a lot more money, which could mean a reduction in your child support levels. A serious illness or losing your job may also be a good reason for a modification of support.

Other common divorce and family law issues like property division, paternity, and adoption are also covered on this website, so please take time to browse the site and arm yourself with the facts.

Our King County Family Law Lawyers Offer a Free Consultation to All Woodinville Residents

A marriage may fail, but it doesn't mean you have to give up. Protect your rights by first talking to one of our Woodinville divorce attorneys about your situation so that we can provide you with useful counsel. Your consultation is free, so contact us today.