Recent News

The State of Washington recently enacted law to change its estate tax.  Two of the changes are of particular interest. The first change concerns the "applicable exclusion amount", which is the amount that passes free of estate tax.  For the past several years, Washington's applicable exclusion amount has been $2,000,000.  Only the amount in excess… Read More

Beresford Booth is pleased to announce that Tiffany Hansen recently graduated from the Edmonds Community College Paralegal Program with an Associate of Technical Arts Degree.  Tiffany is an asset to the firm and we are proud to have her on our team. Edmonds Washington law firm Beresford Booth provides a variety of legal services including Divorce & Family… Read More

The Supreme Court’s decision this week in United States v. Windsor, striking down a part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as unconstitutional, has repercussions here in Washington State. In states where same-sex unions are permitted, like here in Washington, federal benefits contingent on marital status will now extend to same-sex couples. While the… Read More

On June 20, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in American Express v. Italian Colors Restaurant, holding that contract agreements that require arbitration and prohibit class-action claims are enforceable under the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”), even when the potential recovery is overshadowed by costs of individual arbitration.  The 5-3 opinion, which was authored… Read More

On April 17, 2013, the Hon. Richard A. Jones issued an order dismissing the majority of the pled claims in Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians v. Nelson et. al. Case No. 2:10-cv-00327-RAJ (W.D. Wash) (the “Order”).  A complete copy of the Order can be found here: [wpdm_file id=1] In February 2010, Plaintiff, the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians… Read More

In response to growing issues related to privacy and an employee's online presence, Governor Jay Inslee recently signed s new law making it unlawful for employers to require an employee or applicant to disclose social networking website usernames or passwords, or to force an employee or applicant to add any person to the employee’s list… Read More

Most people know they should have a contract with their business partners.  But too often, they try to perform the legal drafting themselves, or they use a form inapplicable to their specific partnership.  Usually, such contracts do more harm than good.  Most small businesses form as LLCs in Washington, and rightfully so.  By far the… Read More

MILITARY DIVORCE: PENSION ISSUES Service members who retire following 20 or more years of creditable service are compensated with a retirement for the rest of their lives. A military pension is community property.   In a divorce setting, both the service member and their spouse need to understand how and when the military retirement is subject… Read More

The job interview process can be a legal minefield for both employers and prospective employees when it comes to what can and cannot be asked in an interview.  There are both state and federal laws setting the parameters of job interviews.  Beresford Booth has counseled both employers and employees through the interview question minefield, but… Read More