Recent News

Many employers award stocks to their employees subject to a vesting schedule.  In some cases, these awards will not fully vest for 5 or 10 years.  Microsoft is a prime example of such an employer in our region.  Your unvested Microsoft stock may very well be community property, and the community may be entitled to… Read More

When two people love each other very much…. Or at least enough…. A baby can be the result. One or both of those loved-enough adults may be married at the time, although not necessarily to each other. These circumstances sometimes result in one spouse in a marriage contesting the parentage of a child born by… Read More

Maybe. Imagine… You are just finishing up a divorce. Every property item is split, all the documents are signed, and you are just waiting for the court to bless your disunion. Your soon-to-be ex was entirely uncooperative has stopped all communication. Good riddance, you think. You find your next new home and purchase it by… Read More

Pediatric healthcare and “joint” healthcare provisions in court orders and parenting plans. You are a pediatric healthcare provider. That means you have been - or will be -  dragged into disputes between parents when they cannot agree on the best medical strategy for their children. It is important to keep a clear delineation between your… Read More

Asset valuation is an important part of divorce litigation whether amid a pandemic or not.  However, especially now, it is important to understand that the economy is changing and that it will affect the value of assets and debts in your divorce in determining a fair and equitable award. In addition to determining what assets… Read More

It is generally known that assets such as real property and financial accounts are subject to division in a divorce. But what about accumulated vacation and sick leave? Employees depending on their benefits can accumulate hundreds, even thousands of hours of leave, and this vacation and sick time can be overlooked in a divorce. Unused… Read More

– what happens when your long-term partner dies, but you were never officially married. You built a life together. Lived in and improved the same home, shared your money, worked together to pay bills and invest, and maybe raised some kids. Then, tragically, your partner dies… without a will (called dying “intestate”). In Washington, only… Read More

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,… 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… Read More