Since 1990, our Family Law practice has been achieving the best family outcomes with minimal conflict and expense. Located in Olympia, Washington, we provide compassionate and considered advice and representation in all areas of family law, with the philosophy that respect and sensible negotiation often provide the best results. These are all part of family law:

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• Divorce/Dissolution of Marriage

• Alimony/Spousal Support

• Child custody and visitation/Parenting Plans

• Child support (past/present/future)

• Domestic Violence Protection Orders

• Contempt of court for violations of orders

• Child support modification and enforcement

• Unmarried couple property division

• Mediation/ Collaborative Law/ One Lawyer

• Non Parental Custody

• Adoption

 

Divorce

We focus on helping you figure out what your best options are and cut your losses when making decisions about your divorce, including fair distribution of assets and debts, division of the marital home, tax consequences, child support payments, and child custody rights.

 

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Alimony

Reasonable spousal support is sometimes appropriate in a divorce. Attorney fees awards are sometimes involved to help a less financially able spouse have a lawyer. We work within the boundaries of the law to help get spousal support established in a reasonable amount and for a reasonable length of time so both parties can go on with their lives with dignity.

 

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Child custody and visitation

Washington law protects the constitutional rights of both parents to parent while the primary basis for almost all decisions about parenting plans is "the best interest of the child" standard. Our law firm tries hard to work with our client and the court (and the other side, when possible) to reach toward the very best parenting plan solutions for both parents to have appropriate and meaningful relationships with their children.

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Child support

Washington State Laws provide for a standard set of guidelines for parents to provide support for their children. It is an art, not an automatic result, to work within these guidelines to ensure that children are supported in the correct way as intended by the law. We focus on obeying the law and getting to a reasonable result that both parents can live with to support their children. It is important to do an intelligent cost-benefit analysis in every case and for you to make informed decisions for past/present and future support and interest that may be owed.

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Child support modification and enforcement  - The amount of child support owed can change over time, normally up to every two years. We help you understand the cost/benefit analysis of whether you should seek change and how to do it least expensively. Very importantly, support for kids to go to college or another school after high school has to be dealt with before the child turns 18 or graduates high school, whichever is later. If a custodial or noncustodial parent experiences a significant change in circumstances, we can guide you through the proper legal procedures to modify your child support payments to apply the law correctly to your situation. If someone is not paying court-ordered support, we can help with that, too.

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Mediation

Mediation puts the decisions in your hands and can often provide more expedient, predictable results than a trial. Most of the time, we resolve family law issues without court battles.