Decoupling: Washington Family Law Blog

Recent Posts from Decoupling: Washington Family Law Blog

• The Split: Bringing Home The Check

  The Split is an on-going series in which Decoupling talks to the people who are perhaps most affected by divorce – the kids.  We sat down with adults whose parents divorced when they were kids…

• Am I Entitled To Some Of My Ex-Husband’s Social Security?

  Question My husband and I are divorcing after 18 years of marriage.  I stayed at home with our kids for nearly eight years, and even after I went back to work I never made nearly…

• Pop Quiz: The Contemptuous Mother, The Absent Father, and the Problem Child

  This quiz examines some of the considerations that a court addresses when determining whether to make significant changes to a Parenting Plan, such as by ordering that a child move from living primarily with one…

• I Suspect I’m Paying My Ex Too Much for Daycare – What Should I Do?

  Question When our child support order was entered a few years ago, I was ordered to pay my ex a certain amount each month for our kid’s day care – in addition to what I…

• Am I In a Common Law Marriage?

  Question I’ve lived with my boyfriend for over ten years, are we in a common law marriage? Are these two "married"? Answer No – not if you and your boyfriend live in Washington.   Eleven states…

• Adventures in Community Property, Part Two: The Wasted Hostage Taker and the Amorous Yachtsman

  This is the second part of our two part quiz on community property and a spouse’s liability for injuries caused by his or her spouse to another individual.  In the first part of this quiz,…

• Adventures in Community Property, Part One: The Road Warrior and the Pedophile

  Last week we discussed whether or not a spouse can be criminally liable for damaging his community owned property.  We’re continuing on the theme of community property with this two-part pop quiz. Today we ask…

• Is it a Crime to Damage Community Property?

  As we discussed in a previous article, Washington is a community property state.  This means that, in this state, most property that a couple acquires during their marriage is considered to be the property of…

• Who’s the Daddy?

  The case of “JMK” This pop quiz involves a particularly interesting, and occasionally absurd issue in family law – the question of how the courts determine exactly who is the parent of a child.*  This…

• What’s Community Property?

  Question I’ve heard that Washington is a community property state.  What does this mean? Answer Community property refers to the way that Washington laws treat the property of married people.*  In general, married people in…