Can Washington State Make you Pay for Child that is not Yours? Rick Jones on the Danny Bonaduce Show
We have partnered up the Danny Bonaduce Show and KZOK 102.5 to put Rick Jones on the radio. He will be on for a special Valentine's Day and Divorce for Men episode of lifecoach. Tune in tomorrow at 7:30 am to catch the broadcast.
In the meantime, if you missed the audio from the first show, it is posted below. Rick Jones talks about Divorce for Men, child custody in Seattle, and paternity.
He leads off with the first question:
Can the Washington State make you pay for a child that is not yours?
Why do Divorced Parents Fight over Christmas?
For divorced couples, the end of the year brings not just the thrill of the holidays but also the dread of custody disputes. As divorce lawyers, we consistently see an increase in the number of calls from dads who are fighting to see their kids during the holidays. It is during these battles that ex-spouses will ignore, abuse, or conveniently reinterpret well-established parenting plans to limit the amount of time that dads get to see their kids.
As one family law attorney writing in the Huffington Post recently summarized:
“entire custody agreements, easily negotiated down to the last detail of the other 364 days of the year, have been known to fall apart over Christmas. Judges have been enlisted to decide whether a Christmas day transfer should take place at 12 or 2 p.m. Mom says she should always have the kids on Christmas Eve (and therefore Christmas morning) because she takes them to Mass and Dad won't. Dad says Mom must have just gotten religion - she never went to Mass when they were married.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margaret-klaw/the-twelve-days-of-christ_1_b_1149825.html?ref=divorce
It is unfortunate that some ex-spouses will never learn to play fair when it comes to the holidays. Fortunately, modifying your child custody agreement can help you mitigate these problems before the next round of holidays. If you are tired of custody disputes and looking for a solution, remember that you can get your phone questions answered at no charge by the Seattle child custody lawyers at Goldberg Jones.
Washington Supreme Court rules that Divorcing Father has priority over Bank in Home Sale
It is not everyday that the Washington Supreme Court reviews a family law case. Yet, recently the Court issued an opinion that could affect the way funds are distributed in a complex divorce. While the facts of this case are very specific, I highlight it show how a divorce can become very complicated very quickly.
I’ll summarize the facts. The couple got married, opened a business and bought a house. Four years later, they filed for divorce. In the time between filing for divorce and final resolution, the couple separately filed for bankruptcy.The bankruptcy put a halt on the divorce finalization and the division of the assets were set aside.
It took three years to clear up the bankruptcy. In the meantime, the business closed and the bank came after the wife for loan she had on the business. Between the bankruptcy, divorce, and debt collection proceedings there were several collectors knocking at the door and complicating finalization of the divorce.
The question the Washington Supreme Court had to answer this question: does the bank get to collect the money from the house sale before the divorcing husband? I won’t get into gritty legal details but the result was that the husband had priority and first bite the money from the sale of the house.
My take-away from this case is that divorces can be very complicated. This one took almost 10 years. While you may not “lucky” enough to be fighting over a million-dollar house, many couples are juggling similar problems like a declining relationship, foreclosure, and bankruptcy.
Getting some simple advice from a attorney at the start will make the process much easier, save you headaches, and allow you to move on. 
Goldberg Jones has experience working with clients from all financial situations. From high-asset divorces to those facing foreclosure, we will work to make sure your rights are protected. In any case, if you have questions about divorce we are willing to answer them over the phone for free. Consider calling us at: (206) 448-1010
If you are really interested in the Washington Supreme Court Case, the citation is:
Bank of Am., N.A. v. Owens, 84044-0, 2011 WL 5084586 (Wash. Oct. 27, 2011)
Welcome Family Law Attorney and Seattle Divorce Lawyer, Natalie Rasmussen, to Goldberg Jones!
Goldberg Jones is proud to have added another attorney to our Washington office. Natalie Rasmussen is a competitive, strategic litigator who understands that a person going through a divorce or other family law situation needs a dedicated advocate on their side. She has successfully negotiated settlements in numerous domestic relations cases and has extensive experience both in Seattle family law and civil litigation.
"I emphasize strategy and planning in my practice and do not employ a one-size-fits-all ideology to family law," says Natalie. She prides herself on having a well-reasoned and intelligent approach to her cases.
"Behind Natalie's friendly, outgoing demeanor is an attorney who hates to lose," remarks managing attorney, Ken Alan. "She is always extremely well prepared, whether she is negotiating with another attorney, or arguing her case in court."
Natalie graduated cum laude from Seattle University School of Law, where she was the recipient of the Law Trustee's Scholarship. She is member of the Washington State Bar and admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
Natalie was an NCAA Division I track and cross-country athlete at the University of Tulsa where she received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. Aside from her daily runs, she also enjoys hiking, skiing, boating and generally spending time outdoors.
From Honeymoon Toward Cohabitating Strangerdom – All the Small Things that Pull Us Apart
A client of ours forwarded me an article this week. It pointed out that many divorces are not high conflict. They do not stem from abuse, adultry, or financial devastation. Instead, they stem from lower conflict issues that build over time. Many times these conflicts are distractions that slowly pull the couple away from their relationship to where they become more roommates than spouses.
"The ambient noise of life takes over," Hallowell says. "There's no big conflict; couples have just lost touch with each other, lost the fun, lost the moments of sustained attention because we live surrounded by this buzz. [...]
"People don't realize they're drifting apart because they're so overly bombarded with messages and stimuli and they're crazy, busy, running, keeping up with everything," he says. "In the absence of a major blowup, you just wake up one morning feeling, 'I'm not passionate about this person. At all."'
Source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2016185004_divorce13.html?syndication=rss
I think we can all relate to this phenomenon. Between work, personal interests, and kids, it is all too easy to turn your interactions with your spouse into business meetings. When you see her, it is schedule something, talk about the bills, or bring up some problem you need to solve. It is little wonder that over time whatever chemistry you had has dissolved in the torrent of day-to-day problems.
The author provides one way to help combat this problem that I found particularly poignant:
"Take one half-hour and talk about "stuff," not about work, chores or conflicts, but about stuff you're interested in. Tell stories, ask questions."
While we are a Seattle Divorce Firm, we have seen plenty of times where clients have reconciled while going through a divorce. Most of the time we see a resolution in situations where there have been a number of small conflicts that have pulled the couple apart. After taking time to focus on their marriage and investigate the realities of the divorce, the couple decides that the better path is counseling and time to work their relationship.
That result is perfectly fine with us. Ultimately, our job is to provide you with the service to best support your goals. Wherever you are in the divorce process, if you are ready to move on and try these techniques on a second marriage, or just want information about how a divorce would work, we can help. We are ready to answer any questions you have on the phone. Feel free to contact us for a free consultation at: (206) 448-1010.