Recent News

In general, assets acquired by a spouse before marriage are considered separate property.  Under Washington Law, once property is established as separate “a presumption arises that it remains separate property in the absence of sufficient evidence to show an intent to transmute the property from separate to community property. The character of separate property can be changed to community property only… Read More

It has become much more common for people to generate income using the internet.  It is something that can be done at any time and only requires the amount of commitment that a party is willing to devote to it.  This includes monetizing social media accounts, creating niche or craft businesses (i.e. an Etsy store),… Read More

Nearly everyone with access to a computer or smart phone has at least one social media account.  Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, SnapChat, X, etc. are all now common ways that people communicate with the world at large.  The purpose of these communications is to provide updates as to what is going on in the user’s… Read More

‘Crypto’ was once a niche concept but has now become commonplace.  Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, etc. are now used in everyday vernacular and are becoming more ordinary methods of payment. Most digital asset platforms provide account holders with a degree of anonymity.  This means that it is incredibly difficult to obtain information regarding your partner’s assets… Read More

In a divorce or separation matter, the Court has discretion to value property as of date of separation, the date of trial, or some other date that the Court determines is equitable.  If you or your spouse separated in 2021, but neither party filed a petition for dissolution or separation until 2026, then your property… Read More

In order to determine a fair and equitable division of assets, all community and separate property must be considered.  Life insurance is not often thought of in this context, but it should be.  If you or your spouse has a ‘whole life’ or ‘universal life’ policy, it has a cash value.  That means that whoever… Read More

In this webinar, Attorney Anne B. Bennette discusses "Committed Intimate Relationships" Read More

In any divorce or separation case, the Court must ‘determine the nature and extent of both separate and community property’ before equitably dividing assets and debts.  This means that the Court must first characterize the property as separate or community before deciding on an equitable division.  When disputes arise as to whether property is separate… Read More

In at-fault states, a party filing for divorce must allege that their spouse committed misconduct in the marriage leading to its demise.  Washington is not one of those states.  Here, a spouse must attest that their marriage is irretrievably broken, but misconduct is irrelevant.  The statute specifically states: “the court shall, without regard to misconduct,… Read More