Question: I’m in the military married to (or have recently adopted) a person who is not a U.S. citizen. What do I do if I’m being sent overseas and my spouse/child has not yet met the residency requirement to be naturalized?

You have recently created (or add to) your U.S. military family. From the multiple veterans, military spouses and “brats” at Beresford Booth, welcome to the club! If you have married or have adopted a person who has not yet been naturalized and you have been notified of an upcoming overseas assignment, you are probably feeling pretty...Read More

In many divorce cases, the community’s highest valued asset is real estate.  Whether it be the family home, an investment property, a commercial building, or a second home, it is quite common that the equity in these properties is used to achieve a fair division and either the proceeds or the home itself awarded equitably between spouses.

Can you rely on an appraisal that was done a few months ago?  Should you put your home on the market right now?  Should you obtain another appraisal?  Do you have...Read More

• Lisa H. Do presents on The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Parenting Plans.
• William (Bill) O. Kessler covers Construction Gradually Reopening in Washington State.

A “stay home, stay safe” mandate to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is unfortunately not very safe for many domestic violence victims. Domestic violence in Washington State is legally defined as physical harm, bodily injury, assault, including sexual assault, stalking, or inflicting fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury, or assault between family or household members.

Abusers can take advantage of social distancing, isolation, and increased time at home during a quarantine to further control and abuse victims, including children. Increased stress on families during a pandemic can...Read More

• David C. Tingstad & Per E. Oscarsson will discuss the latest information on the SBA PPP Loan Program.
• Anne B. Bennette will cover issues with pending dissolutions during COVID-19 (i.e. the value of property, effect on retirement, the economic positions of each spouse, etc.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised numerous questions concerning Parenting Plans and whether parents must abide by court-ordered residential schedules during this time. The short answer is yes; although there may be limited exceptions. The following are common questions heard by our Family Law Group. Responses follow the guidelines related to parenting plans issued by Snohomish County Superior Court.

Is the pandemic and Governor Inslee’s Stay Home – Stay Healthy Proclamation reasons by themselves to suspend visitation? No. The mere existence of the COVID-19 pandemic is not by itself...Read More

The Government will soon be issuing COVID-19 stimulus checks to individuals and married couples who qualify based on income.  Individuals making less than $75,000 per year will receive $1,200 and married couples with combined income of less than $150,000 per year will receive $2,400.  If the taxpayer has children, the government will issue an additional $500 per child under the age of 17.

If you have not yet finalized your divorce, or have not yet filed for 2019, this raises several questions about whether these funds should be...Read More

Families face unprecedented challenges in response to COVID-19, and these challenges may impact residential time children spend with a parent and/or the ability of a parent to pay support obligations.  The Family Law Group at Beresford Booth PLLC is available to assist and provide advice, guidance and representation to parents as to their rights and options during this unprecedented time.

Parenting Plan. While Governor Inslee supplemented his Stay Home, Stay Healthy Order to provide, “Nothing in this order is intended to prevent compliance with a private parenting plan.”,...Read More

If you are in a divorce process, you have to think outside the box when you consider division of your estate—your estate may be more than just homes, cars, investments, and retirement accounts. Think about the activities, vacations, and other benefits you’ve enjoyed together, and you may find there are additional items up for discussion. Some of the more uncommon assets requiring division include:

• Airline miles and Reward Points
• Cryptocurrency
• Venmo or Paypal accounts
• Pets (as they are considered property and, therefore, an asset)
• Gold/Silver/Other precious metals...Read More

In a marriage dissolution, individuals frequently ask what assets and debts are subject to the Court’s orders in a divorce.  All separate and community property is subject to division and distribution in a divorce.  As such, it is important to understand what is a spouse’s separate property versus what is the marital community property.  Courts must identify the marriage’s community property and each partner’s separate property in order to understand how to divide the assets upon divorce.  Below we discuss how courts define community and separate property, as well as the complexities involved with defining community...Read More