Federal Way Divorce Law Blog

For some people, bringing their marriage to an end can be especially upsetting. The divorce process can generate a great deal of anxiety, uncertainty and even anger. Moreover, it can also trigger depression and there are various reasons why someone in Federal Way or another Washington city may feel sad after splitting up with their spouse. For example, they may be having a hard time adjusting to life without their marital partner, or they could be upset because they are not able to spend as much time with their kids or due to the financial repercussions of divorce (property distribution, child support, alimony payments and so on).

It is pivotal for you to address any negative feelings properly, especially if you are feeling depressed. You can take comfort knowing that these feelings are normal and many people encounter emotional challenges in the wake of a divorce. However, you should do everything you can to prevent depression and other negative emotions from making your life even harder. It could be helpful for you to meet new people, pick up a new hobby or spend more time participating in activities that you enjoy.

Divorced couples with children in Washington often have differences of opinion over custody and visitation issues. Some may even believe that sole custody is best for the kids, especially infants and toddlers. However, joint custody is usually better for children of all ages. This is the main takeaway from a study published by a psychologist who analyzed research on various approaches to post-divorce parenting.

The study also found that worries about toddlers and infants staying overnight with their fathers are unfounded. Another researcher looking at similar studies drew the same conclusion about the positives of joint custody for children. According to her conclusions, there's evidence showing that kids in joint physical custody families do better both emotionally and academically. These kids also tend to have better overall physical health and healthier relationships with other people in their lives.

Washington residents may be interested in learning about upcoming tax changes that will affect alimony payments. Starting on Jan. 1, 2019, new divorcees who have to pay alimony will not be able to deduct support payments from their taxes.

This has led to an increase in individuals seeking to get their divorces finalized before this deadline. The same is true for individuals working as financial planners. However, most people who started their divorce proceedings toward the end of the 2018 calendar year may not get their divorces filed in time to avoid being affected by changes in the tax law.

In a study by Fidelity, around half of all couples said they were in debt when they entered their partnerships. Nearly half disagreed about who was responsible, and 40 percent reported that their relationship was negatively affected by the debt. Washington couples may want to prioritize paying down their debt, and if this is not possible, they might want to consider creating a pre- or postnuptial agreement that specifies their financial responsibilities.

Making an agreement of this type is one way that couples can better manage their finances. These agreements do not just prepare couples for divorce. They also open a conversation about money that could be helpful to the couple in moving forward. Couples may also want to work with a financial planner or another professional to talk about strategies for paying off debt. For example, they will need to decide whether they want to use the snowball or avalanche method. With the first method, they would pay off small debts first. This can give people the psychological satisfaction needed to continue the process. With the second method, they would choose the debt with the biggest interest rate.