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Divorce laws are enacted and interpreted by each of the respective states. This means your state and local family law court determines such things as divorce case filing and pleading procedures, spousal and child support payments, custodial rights of parents and the division of community property. Since laws get amended and new ones get made with some frequency, consult with an experienced family lawyer in your county for the most current status of the law. The family lawyer you choose should also be knowledgeable with the local courts and jury sentiment.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS:

To file for a dissolution of marriage or a legal separation, the following residency requirements apply: A party who (1) is a resident of this state, or (2) is a member of the armed forces and is stationed in this state, or (3) is married to a party who is a resident of this state or who is a member of the armed forces and is stationed in this state. Such proceeding may be filed in the superior court of the county where the petitioner resides.

GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE: The only grounds for a dissolution of marriage in the state of Washington is that the marriage is irretrievably broken. If one party denies that the marriage is irretrievably broken, the court shall consider all relevant factors, including the circumstances that gave rise to the filing of the petition and the prospects for reconciliation and shall: (1) Make a finding that the marriage is irretrievably broken and enter a decree of dissolution of the marriage; or (2) At the request of either party or on its own motion, transfer the cause to the family court, refer them to another counseling service of their choice, and request a report back from the counseling service within sixty days, or continue the matter for not more than sixty days for hearing.

LEGAL SEPARATION: The parties to a marriage may enter into a written separation contract providing for the maintenance of either of them, the disposition of any property owned by both or either of them, the parenting plan and support for their children and for the release of each other from all obligation except that expressed in the contract. [Based on Washington State Revised Code - Title 26 - Chapter 26.09.070]

MEDIATION OR COUNSELING REQUIREMENTS: In any proceeding under this chapter, the matter may be set for mediation of the contested issues before or concurrent with the setting of the matter for hearing. The purpose of the mediation proceeding shall be to reduce acrimony which may exist between the parties and to develop an agreement assuring the child's close and continuing contact with both parents after the marriage is dissolved. The mediator shall use his or her best efforts to effect a settlement of the dispute. [Based on Washington State Revised Code - Title 26 - Chapter 26.09.015]

PROPERTY DISTRIBUTION: Washington state is a community property state, meaning that property and debts acquired during the marriage shall be split equally, unless the parties reach an agreement independent of a court ruling. Should the matter be decided by the court, the following factors will be taken into consideration:

1. The nature and extent of the community property;

2. The nature and extent of the separate property;

3. The duration of the marriage; and

4. The economic circumstances of each spouse at the time the division of property is to become effective, including the desirability of awarding the family home or the right to live therein for reasonable periods to a spouse with whom the children reside the majority of the time.

DIVORCE AND ALIMONY IN WASHINGTON STATE: Alimony may be ordered for either spouse in such amounts and for such periods of time as the court deems just, without regard to marital misconduct, after considering all relevant factors including but not limited to:

* The financial resources of the party seeking maintenance, including separate or community property apportioned in the settlement agreement, and the ability to meet his or her needs independently, including the extent to which a provision for support of a child living with the party includes a sum for that party;

* The time necessary to acquire sufficient education or training to enable the party seeking maintenance to find employment appropriate to his skill, interests, style of life, and other attendant circumstances;

* The standard of living established during the marriage;

* The duration of the marriage;

* The age, physical and emotional condition, and financial obligations of the spouse seeking maintenance; and

* The ability of the spouse from whom maintenance is sought to meet his needs and financial obligations while meeting those of the spouse seeking maintenance.

[Based on Washington State Revised Code - Title 26 - Chapter 26.09.090]

SPOUSE'S NAME: Upon request of a party whose marriage is dissolved or declared invalid, the court shall order a former name restored or the court may, in its discretion, order a change to another name. [Based on Washington State Revised Code - Title 26 - Chapter 26.09.150]

CHILD CUSTODY: The best interests of the child are served by a parenting arrangement that best maintains a child's emotional growth, health and stability, and physical care. Further, the best interest of the child is ordinarily served when the existing pattern of interaction between a parent and child is altered only to the extent necessitated by the changed relationship of the parents or as required to protect the child from physical, mental, or emotional harm. If the parents cannot reach an agreement concerning the custody and parenting provisions for children of the marriage, then the court may establish either sole or mutual decision making authority and residential provisions considering the following factors:

1. The relative strength, nature, and stability of the child's relationship with each parent, including whether a parent has taken greater responsibility for performing parenting functions relating to the daily needs of the child (this factor shall be given the most weight);

2. The agreements of the parties, provided they were entered into knowingly and voluntarily;

3. Each parent's past and potential for future performance of parenting functions;

4. The emotional needs and developmental level of the child;

5. The child's relationship with siblings and with other significant adults, as well as the child's involvement with his or her physical surroundings, school, or other significant activities;

6. The wishes of the parents and the wishes of a child who is sufficiently mature to express reasoned and independent preferences as to his or her residential schedule; and

7. Each parent's employment schedule, and shall make accommodations consistent with those schedules.

The court may order that a child frequently alternate his or her residence between the households of the parents for brief and substantially equal intervals of time only if the court finds the following: (1) There is no evidence of willful abandonment that continues for an extended period of time or substantial refusal to perform parenting functions; physical, sexual, or a pattern of emotional abuse of a child; or a history of acts of domestic violence; (2) The parties have agreed to such provisions and the agreement was knowingly and voluntarily entered into; or have a satisfactory history of cooperation and shared performance of parenting functions; the parties are available to each other, especially in geographic proximity, to the extent necessary to ensure their ability to share performance of the parenting functions; and (3) The provisions are in the best interests of the child. [Based on Washington State Revised Code - Title 26 - Chapters 26.09.002, 26.09.187, and 26.09.191]

CHILD SUPPORT IN WASHINGTON STATE: Washington uses the "Income Shares" model to determine the level of child support to be paid. This means that the combination of both parents income is used to determine the basic child support obligation. The provisions for determining child support and reasons for deviation from the standard calculation shall be applied in the same manner by the court, presiding officers, and reviewing officers. The court shall enter written findings of fact in all cases whether or not the court: (a) Sets the support at the presumptive amount, for combined monthly net incomes below five thousand dollars; (b) sets the support at an advisory amount, for combined monthly net incomes between five thousand and seven thousand dollars; or (c) deviates from the presumptive or advisory amounts.

In entering or modifying a support order under this chapter, the court shall require either or both parents to maintain or provide health insurance coverage, for any child named in the order if: (a) Coverage that can be extended to cover the child is or becomes available to that parent through employment or is union-related; and (b) The cost of such coverage does not exceed twenty-five percent of the obligated parent's basic child support obligation.

HOW TO ENFORCE CHILD SUPPORT IN WASHINGTON STATE – THE FEDERAL OPTION

Federal Options Enforcement (CSE) Program is a federal/state/local effort to locate parents, their employers, and/or their assets; establish paternity if necessary; and establish and enforce child support orders. The federal role is to provide funding, issue policies, ensure that federal requirements are met, and interact with other federal agencies that help support the CSE program.

How and where do I apply?

In most states, CSE offices are listed under the human services agency in the local government section of the telephone directory. If there is not a separate listing, the human services agency information operator should be able to give you the number. State CSE agencies are listed at the end of this brochure; they also can provide telephone numbers for local offices.

Call your Child Support Enforcement office to learn how to apply for enforcement services and what documents (birth certificates, financial statements, etc.) you should provide.

What are the steps to collecting support?

The first step, if a child was born out of wedlock, is to establish paternity - or make a legal determination of who fathered the child. Many men will voluntarily acknowledge paternity. Either parent can request a blood test in contested paternity cases. Your caseworker will help you to establish paternity for your child.

Establishing the obligation is the next step. The fair amount of child support that the non-custodial parent should pay is determined according to state guidelines. Your CSE office will be able to tell you how support award amounts are set in your state. Your CSE office can also request medical support for your child.

The last step is enforcement of the child support order. The CSE office can help with collecting the money due no matter where the non-custodial parent lives.

At any of these steps, the CSE office may need to know where the non-custodial parent is living or where he/she is working. When a parent has disappeared, it is usually possible for the CSE office to find him/her with the help of state agencies, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the Federal Parent Locator Service. Your caseworker can tell you what information is needed to find an absent parent or his/her employer.

The most successful way to collect child support is by direct withholding from the obligated parent's paycheck. Most child support orders require the employer to withhold the money that is ordered for child support and send it to the CSE office. Your Child Support Enforcement office can tell you about this procedure.

Federal and State Income Tax refunds may be withheld to collect unpaid child support. States also have laws, which allow them to use: liens on real and personal property; orders to withhold and deliver property; or seizure and sale of property with the proceeds applied to the support debt. Many states routinely report child support debts to credit bureaus and smart parents are bringing their payments current so that their credit won't be affected.

For More Information write for the 2008 Handbook on Child Support Enforcement by contacting:

ACF OCSE National Reference Center

370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.

4th Floor Washington, DC 20447

(202) 401-9383

IS A LAWYER NECESSARY FOR MY CASE?

If the marriage was less then a year, you have no children, if there is no real estate, and if a marital settlement has been reached, the spouses may and should consider a fast and simplified divorce solution.

No person seeking a divorce is actually required by law to use an attorney. If a person does plan to represent themselves (not recommended) during the proceedings, they should not expect the court clerks, bailiff and/or judge to assist them or provide legal advice in any way. Most spouses do however, at least at some point, consult with an attorney before proceeding with doing the divorce themselves.

Under most circumstances, a lawyer is ethically prohibited from representing both parties in a case. This is called a legal conflict of interest. Lawyers should only represent one party. Notwithstanding, in practice many people choose to have just one lawyer handle most of the paperwork such as the legal documents, including a separation agreement. In this situation, you must keep in mind that the lawyer who drafted the documents should and usually is only be representing one party. In some states, they follow a collaborative divorce process in which the mediator/lawyer works with both parties to achieve one common goal: to reach agreement on settlement of the issues and to have that agreement reduced to a writing and then into a court order.

Most lawyers do not charge a flat fee for a divorce unless the divorce is very simple, and both parties have agreed to the division of property and custodial issues at the outset. Instead, a lawyer will usually request a cash retainer from the client, not unlike a security deposit and charge for the lawyer’s time as the case moves forward. The amount of lawyer fees is one very important factor to consider. However you should also take into account the attorney’s legal experience and the complexity of the case. Lawyers are prohibited from charging a contingent fee for a divorce. Once a fee arrangement has been made, the lawyer is in most cases must prepare a written contract reflecting the agreement if full.

If there is a great disparity of income with regards to payment of the attorney fees, a judge may determine that one person should pay for the other person’s attorney fees. Most often however, a judge determines that each party has the ability and should to pay his or her own fees.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT FAMILY LAWYER

If you have chosen to go with a lawyer you have a very important choice to make.

You could think of the process of choosing a lawyer like any other significant purchase. The same kind of careful consideration you put into a major purchase is not unlike the kinds of considerations you need to make when you are looking for the right divorce and family lawyer.

Before you start, you’ll need to choose what qualities you want in your family lawyer. There are a number of qualities that you should expect your lawyer to have. These basic qualities include:

Good standing with their state bar: In other words, the bar association which licenses the attorneys in your state considers this lawyer is fit to practice law.

No disciplinary sanctions: A disciplinary sanction is an action taken against a lawyer by the state agency that regulates lawyers. If a lawyer has a sanction, be sure to investigate, taking into account the severity of the sanction and how long ago it occurred. A sanction can be a minor reprimand, or it can be a very serious punishment like suspension or disbarment from practicing law.

Experience with cases like yours: Most lawyers concentrate in a few areas of the law such as adoption and mediation. Once you know what these areas are, it’s easier to find lawyers with the experience and skills that are relevant to your situation.

Good communication skills: Regardless of your family law case issues, you want someone who keeps you informed and stays in touch, every step of the way. Legal matters can be confusing and your attorney is your advocate and guide. Don’t settle for anything less.

Once you’ve covered the basics, you may think of other qualities you’d like your lawyer to have. A few questions to consider:

Is this lawyer’s office convenient to your home or office?

How much does the lawyer charge?

GET CURRENT WITH THE 2008 FAMILY LAW CODE OF WASHINGTON:

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=26