Seattle Attorneys Blog

Relocation

July 9, 2014 | by Blair & Kim, PLLC

We live in a world where people’s careers often require them to move to find work or allow their career room to grow. We also live in a world where many families are dealing with parenting plans and raising children in two separate households. Relocation actions are what happens when these two realities intersect.

Upon receiving a notice of relocation, non-primary parents are often shocked, hurt, and confused. Below please find a few notes about the relocation process. This is by no means a substitution for legal advice or a complete summary of the laws and procedures regarding relocations in Washington.

In relocation cases, timing is very important. Most of the time, notice should be provided by the moving primary parent to the non-primary parent sixty days in advance of the proposed move. RCW 26.09.440(1)(b)(i). After receiving notice of intent to relocate, a person has only thirty days to file an objection with the court. RCW 26.09.500. The objection is made by filing a form with the court (this is not the only way to provide notice of your objection, but it is the most common and perhaps most clear objection). If you do not object within thirty days, the move will be permitted by the court.

Learn More About Your Seattle Criminal Defense Lawyers

July 9, 2014 | by Blair & Kim, PLLC

When charged with a crime, people tend to panic. After all, being charged with a serious crime can be a life altering experience. Some men and women may be nervous about the situations that await them because of their charges. For example, people that are charged with a DUI can be arrested and forced to spend time in jail. They may also need to attend DUI rehabilitation classes and may even lose their job because of their poor choice to drink and drive. A teacher who is charged with a sex crime will certainly lose his or her job if convicted. As well, being convicted of a crime comes with social implications. People may lose contact with their loved ones if they are convicted of serious crimes like murder, drug offenses, or theft crimes. People who are charged and convicted of domestic violence may lose the ability to spend time with their children or may be commanded to avoid friends with a restraining order.

The results of being convicted of a crime can be horrific, but you may not need to suffer these horrible difficulties. With the right Seattle criminal defense attorney on your side, you may be able to go up against the prosecution well-equipped. The right attorney will be willing to work through whatever situation you are involved in. In order to get the representation that you need, you will have to choose a compassionate and caring but aggressive and hardworking attorney. That is what you get when you choose to hire an attorney from Blair & Kim. This is a Seattle criminal defense firm that has been in operation since 1995. The firm understands how to get the best results for people in need and to provide clients throughout the state of Washington with the highest degree of client service and representation.

One of the reasons that Blair & Kim stands apart from other firms in the area is because the founding attorney, Mark Blair, used to be a Washington state prosecutor. While working on the other side of criminal law, he got to know the men and women that make up the courts of Washington with a friendly familiarity. He also learned a lot about how the prosecution thinks through cases and he can now anticipate the actions that they are going to take in almost any situation. After spending some time acquiring knowledge as a prosecutor, Attorney Blair decided that he wanted to help those in need by advocating for the accused in court.

Criminal Defense; The Importance of Continuing Legal Education

June 28, 2014 | by Blair & Kim, PLLC

When facing criminal charges, choosing the right attorney is one of the most important decisions you make. It can also be one of the most difficult. If you or someone you love has recently been charged for a crime, including driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, working with an experienced and proven lawyer should be your first priority.

At Blair & Kim, PLLC, Seattle Criminal Attorney Mark Blair is a former prosecutor and seasoned defense attorney who has handled more than 15,000 criminal cases. He also has a record of success defending clients charged with DUI and DUI-related crimes. Aside from his proven track record, Attorney Blair continually commits himself to remaining up to date with new laws and expanding his legal skills.

What is continuing legal education?

Children’s Personal Items – 3 Considerations

June 25, 2014 | by Blair & Kim, PLLC

When parents of minor children end their relationship, there are often questions regarding who gets to keep the children’s belongings. This issue is usually addressed during mediation or litigation, and resolved in the divorce decree. When it comes to the children’s bedroom furniture, it is often ordered that the kids keep their furniture at the home they will be spending the majority of their time. For more portable items, there may not be any mention of them in the decree, so parents have to figure these issues out on their own. Parents should consider the following:

For special items like teddy bears and other comfort items, it is often best to allow the child to bring the items with the child from house to house. This can make the transition easier, and give the child some consistency.
For clothes and hygiene items (toothbrushes, hairbrushes, etc.) it is best to have items at both houses. This avoids the risk that the child leaves the necessary items at the other parent’s home. We’ve had clients that even have coats waiting in the car so the child doesn’t bring his or her coat from house to house. This works for some families, but is unnecessary for others, who don’t mind sharing clothes.
Special gifts often present tricky situations. A parent may spend a substantial amount on a gift for a child’s birthday or other holiday, and want the exclusive right to watch the child enjoy that toy. That said, it can make the transfer to the other parent’s house difficult for the child. He or she may be really excited to play with the toy and want to bring it along. In these cases, it may be helpful to prepare the child for the fact that they will not be pemitted to bring the toy along to the other parent’s house – don’t leave it for the minute they are supposed to leave. In the alternative, it is sometimes worth it to allow the child to bring the object with them. If you are worried about getting it back, it is helpful to get written agreement from the other parent that they will send it home with the child at the end of their residential time.

Transferring from one home to another can be tough on kids. Consider your kids’ best interests when you decide how to handle their personal belongings. If you have children and are facing divorce, pleasecontact us.

DUI Attorney Mark Blair Receives Training on Washington’s New Breath Test Machine

June 21, 2014 | by Blair & Kim, PLLC

Attorney Mark Blair is committed to providing Blair & Kim, PLLC’s clients with the best possible legal representation. To achieve this, he regularly attends continuing legal education courses and legal seminars that expand his skills in the areas of DUI law and criminal defense. Although he has already earned a proven record of success defending clients charged for driving under the influence, Attorney Blair chose to familiarize himself with Washington’s newest breath test device – the DRAEGER 9510

In May, Mark attended a seminar conducted by the Washington Foundation for Criminal Justice that focused entirely on the state’s latest breath test machine. The seminar covered all aspects of the device, which law enforcement agencies in Seattle and the entire state will be using to test the blood alcohol content (BAC) of motorists suspected of drunk driving.

The seminar program consisted of an intensive course that trained attendees on the entire operation of the device, including basics of infrared spectroscopy and electrochemical analysis. The seminar also featured discussions comparing old equipment to the new machine, the various physiological aspects that affect breath alcohol monitoring, chemical interferants, and mouth alcohol.

Postsecondary Education Expenses – 3 Considerations

June 20, 2014 | by Blair & Kim, PLLC

Parents of high school students planning on heading to college or technical school after high school often spend part of their summer looking at colleges, or helping kids prepare for the SATs. Parents may also spend some of their time planning on (or worrying about) how they will pay for their children’s education. For a parent of a high school student not married to child’s other parent, there is also the consideration of how to share the cost of the child’s education with the other parent.

A parent may choose to ask that the court require the other parent to contribute to the child’s educational expenses. If the parent is considering doing so, he or she should do the following:

Review RCW 26.19.090. This statute provides the things the court will consider when determining whether postsecondary support should be awarded. It is a good starting point for anyone considering requesting postsecondary support.
Gather Information and Documentation. After your review of RCW 26.19.090 is complete, you should start to gather documents that could help you prove that your child is intending to and capable of attending an accredited school, and that the child is dependent on you and the other parent. You will also want to gather documentation and information relating to any of the factors discussed in RCW 26.19.090(1).
Consider the Timing. If your child is not yet applied to any post-secondary school, it may be difficult for the court to determine the costs to be apportioned. It may be best to wait until your child has made a decision about what to do after high school. However, it is very important that you seek postsecondary support prior to the order of child support terminating. In most cases, child support ends when the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is later. You must file your action for postsecondary support prior to that event occuring.

It is generally in your best interest to discuss your likelihood of success in a postsecondary case with a qualified attorney prior to filing anything with the court. If you live in the Seattle area, and have any questions regarding family law, we would be happy to speak with you.

Attorney Mark Blair Completes DUI Training Course

June 17, 2014 | by Blair & Kim, PLLC

Seattle DUI Attorney Mark Blair – one of Blair & Kim, PLLC’s founding attorneys – has dedicated his professional career to protecting the rights, freedoms, and futures of clients facing criminal charges. As a former prosecutor, Attorney Blair understands how the “other side” thinks – an attribute that often proves beneficial for our firm’s clients. In an effort to gain a further understanding of the tactics used by law enforcement officers who administer DUI stops and tests, Attorney Blair recently completed the DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Student Course.

The three-day DUI course – which is conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is the same course officers must complete in order to arrest drivers for DUI and administer Standardized Field Sobriety Tests.

By earning his Certificate of Training, Attorney Blair was able to gain a precise understanding of the procedures officers must adhere to when administering tests to DUI suspects. With this knowledge, he is better equipped to identify mistakes made by law enforcement officers, which can be used to fight charges against his clients.

Summer Residential Schedules

June 15, 2014 | by Blair & Kim, PLLC

Summer vacation has already started for many Washington children, and will be starting soon for the rest. For children of unmarried parents, this often means a change in their residential schedule. During the summer, kids may be spending more time with the non-primary residential parent at his or her home, or they may be vacationing with one or both parents. This can also mean changes in childcare and extracurricular activities.

Parenting plans can help families plan how summer break will be handled. Some families choose to have summer schedules that mimic their school year residential schedules. This is most common in families where both parents are local, and both parents work during the summer. For these families it can make the most sense to have the school year schedule continue year-round. This avoids unnecessary changes for the children and maintains frequent contact with both parents throughout the year.

Other unmarried parents have plans that schedule the children to reside the majority of the summer with a parent living far away from the child’s usual residence. This allows the children to have substantial time with the non-local parent without missing school or compromising their extracurricular schedule. It can be difficult for the child to be away from the primary residential parent. Frequent communication between the primary residential parent and the child should be encouraged.

Three Washington Laws Every Divorcing Person Should Consider

June 7, 2014 | by Blair & Kim, PLLC

If you are contemplating or experiencing a divorce, it is important that you are aware of Washington State Laws and how they might affect your divorce proceedings. Here are three laws that you should review and why they might be important to your case. This is just a brief look at Washington laws, and an attorney can assist you with a more in-depth review.

RCW 26.09.080 – This statute is important because it provides some of the factors that the court will look to when determining how marital property will be divided. The list of factors is not an exclusive list, and the court will consider other relevant factors not listed within the statute.
RCW 26.09.090 – This statute provides the factors the court will consider when determining whether to award spousal maintenance (commonly known as alimony). These factors are also used to determine how much maintenance to order, and for what duration maintenance should be ordered.
RCW 26.09.187 – In dissolution cases involving children, this can be the most important statute of all. Paragraph 3 of the statute provides the factors the court must consider when determining the proper residential schedule for the children. The statute requires that courts give the first factor the greatest weight.

If you would like to speak with a Seattle area divorce attorney, please contact us. We would be happy to discuss these laws and all others that might impact your case and your life.

Stepparent Adoption

June 1, 2014 | by Blair & Kim, PLLC

In some blended families, stepparents take on the role of a primary parent. In these cases, the stepparent and his or her spouse often want to protect that stepparent’s relationship with the child. If the child’s other parent is willing (and sometimes even when they are unwilling), some stepparents choose to adopt the stepchild as their own. Stepparent adoptions are usually simpler and quicker than other adoptions. That said, all adoptions have significant emotional and financial implications, and all issues should be considered prior to deciding whether stepparent adoption is right for your family.

To accomplish a stepparent adoption, the child’s relationship with one of his or her biological parents must be legally terminated. In most stepparent adoptions, this is done by consent of the biological parent, but can also be done if the biological parent’s rights are terminated involuntarily. If the child is over 14 years of age, the child’s consent will be required for the adoption to proceed. See RCW 26.33.160(1)(c). While a pre-placement report will not be required in most stepparent adoption cases, a post-placement report is always required. RCW 26.33.220. After the post-placement adoption is completed, a hearing can be noted to enter the final decree of adoption. After the stepparent adoption, the adopted parent (formerly stepparent) will have the same rights to the child as any adoptive parent would. Should the biological and adoptive parent every end their marriage, the adoptive parent will retain parental rights to his or her adopted child.

If you are considering a stepparent adoption, or if your child’s other parent is requesting that you permit their spouse to adopt your child, you should speak with a family law attorney about your options. We would be honored if you chose to contact us.