In Washington State, Drug Recognition Experts, also known as DREs are regular law enforcement officer’s who have received additional training to recognize impaired drivers who are under the influence of drugs other than, or in addition to alcohol. In the 1970’s the Los Angeles Police Department developed the Drug Evaluation…
Seattle Attorneys Blog
Motions for Contempt in Family Law Cases
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…
Winter Break, Holidays, and Parenting Plans
Parenting plans should be drafted to fit the needs of the particular children whose lives (or residential schedules at least) will be governed by them. This includes spending extra time thinking about how the child will be best served during their winter break from school and during the winter holidays.…
Can My Former Spouse’s New Love Interest Spend Time With My Kids?
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…
What is an Annulment, and How Do I Get One?
Some people come to our office hoping that they can annul their marriage. People may want to annul marriage because they regret their decision to marry their new spouse, or because they feel like their marriage was a sham. They want their marriage (and their spouse) to go away and…
Why it’s Often Best to Be Nice During Your Family Law Case
When people are embroiled in family law cases, being nice is often not their first priority. Instead, people often want to even the score with the opposing party. While the urge to punish the other party for their wrongdoings may be warranted, it is almost always not in your best…
How Will My Criminal History Impact My Divorce?
People from all walks of life have criminal records. Some people have had a DUI. Others have had convictions for assault or theft. When these people get divorced, many of them wonder how their criminal record will impact their dissolution proceedings. Unfortunately, for purposes of this blog post the answer…
Thanksgiving Schedules and Parenting Plans
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’…
3 Ways Religion May Impact Your Parenting Plan
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…
Halloween in Two-House Families
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…