Family Law

You and your spouse are divorcing, and custody is a big issue. This is a common problem, and one with no easy answers. Naturally, the best interests of your child should be of top concern. In fact, this is the criteria that a court will use to make custody...

Co-parenting after a divorce presents many challenges even when both parents live in the same area. However, if the custodial parent decides to move to a new city or state with the child, many difficult issues arise. The non-custodial parent will be unable to see the...

In a "'best case" divorce scenario, both parents are friendly and amicable with one another, sharing parenting responsibilities and acting in their child's best interest. Unfortunately, many divorces are not amicable, and parental alienation can result. What is...

This Blog discusses the law and procedure to obtain a court order declaring the validity of a marriage that was mistakenly entered into prior to the termination of another marriage. A Decree of Validity of Marriage may resolve immigration issues that could arise...

Summary:This Legal Guide summarizes Washington State's Relocation Act (RCW 26.09.430 through 26.09.480). If the custodial parent plans to move, that person has to give prior notice of the move to the noncustodial parent (or anyone else with custodial or visitation...

The Constitutional Right to a Jury Trial Does Not Apply to All CasesMost people know that there is a federal constitutional right to a jury trial. This right universally applies to all criminal cases, and most civil cases like personal injury, contract disputes, and...

Previous Child Custody DeterminationPlease review my previous AVVO Legal Guides on Interstate Custody and the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA; in Washington State the statute is RCW 26.26). The UCCJEA provides that when a state in the US...

IntroductionThis Legal Guide is a follow-up to the prior Guide, "Petitions for Custody by Grandparents and Non-Parents." In the current Guide, the following additional topics are covered: Independent custody investigations; non-parental custody when the parents are...

1. The Washington State Relocation Act.RCW 26.09.520 provides: "The person proposing to relocate with the child shall provide his or her reasons for the intended relocation. There is a rebuttable presumption that the intended relocation of the child will be permitted....

When a child is abducted or relocated to a foreign country by one parent, the other parent must take immediate and decisive legal action to protect their right to custody, visitation or other contact. This Legal Guide discusses the basic international framework to do...