Recent News

When a Decree of Dissolution of Marriage is entered, the Court may order a spouse’s name to be changed at his or her request. Often, a spouse will want to assume their maiden name, particularly if the marriage was for a brief period of time. A name change is not limited to divorce proceedings. Anyone… Read More

Your crew has done construction or remodel work at a property, but you are not being paid. You want to file a lien against the real estate, but you are not sure you can legally. You are not even sure exactly how a lien might benefit you. Overview of Liens A “mechanic's lien” is the… Read More

In 2011, the state of Washington adopted amendments to the secured transactions provisions of its Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). These amendments were to become effective on July 1, 2013. One of the amendments dealt with identifying individual persons on financing statements filed with the Washington Department of Licensing. When the National Conference of Commissioners on… Read More

The Washington State Court of Appeals upheld the trial Court’s decision to deny quasi-judicial immunity to a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) because the GAL acted outside his statutory GAL functions, as alleged in the complaint. Slip Opinion BERESFORD BOOTH has made this content available to the general public for informational purposes only. The information on… Read More

When an engaged couple breaks off the engagement, does the recipient of the ring have to give the ring back? The answer is—depends on the circumstances of the broken engagement. If the recipient (unjustifiably) breaks off the engagement, the ring must be returned to the donor. If the donor unjustifiably breaks off the engagement, the… Read More

Dick and Jane have been living with each other for six months. Dick works at a production plant across town and Jane is a student at a community college located close to the couple’s residence. Dick and Jane are not married. Dick drives Jane’s car to work. Dick and Jane got into a fight on… Read More

It’s a Friday night, husband and wife get into a physical altercation and the police are called. Husband is arrested and taken to the police station where he is charged. After reviewing the charge, the prosecutor determines Husband has committed the crime of Assault in the Fourth Degree, a gross misdemeanor. RCW 9A.36.041. A condition… Read More

A trustee is an individual or entity whose function is to administer the terms of a trust. This can involve acquiring, investing, reinvesting, exchanging, selling, transferring, controlling, dividing, and otherwise managing the trust’s property. The trustee often has a wide range of actions it can take in performing this function. But the trustee is held… Read More

What’s on your Facebook profile? Or even your child’s Facebook profile? The answer may end up playing a role in your divorce or child custody matter. Using Facebook as a source of evidence is a growing trend and Washington State is no different. A third of all divorce filings in 2011 contained the word “Facebook.”… Read More