Recent News

In the fall of 2016, Washington State voters approved Initiative 1433, which made four major changes to state law:  (1) it increases the minimum wage; (2) ensures tips and service charges are given to appropriate staff; (3) protects certain employees from retaliation for exercising their legal rights; and (4) requires employers to provide paid sick… Read More

The lawyers can see it coming. By their nature, certain lawsuits are primed from the outset to cost the parties excessive money and time, regardless of the amount in controversy. A certain a piece of litigation might involve a technical or complex area of the law. It might require ongoing and frequent oversight of the… Read More

For the past 75 years, a party who pays Spousal Maintenance/Alimony received the benefit of a tax deductible expense, and the party receiving spousal maintenance/alimony had the burden of paying income tax on the maintenance received. The tax consequences will change dramatically effective January 1, 2019. Under the new Tax Plan, for all divorce decrees… Read More

Daily, the news brings us word of another celebrity termination for allegations of workplace harassment. We’re hearing of politicians, actors, and coaches terminated. It seems no male superstar is safe (we’ve yet to see a woman accused but I feel certain it is coming). We are living in what is being called the “Weinstein Era”… Read More

A power of attorney gives powers to another party (commonly known as an agent or attorney in fact) to act on his or her behalf. A power of attorney essentially allows the agent to step into the shoes of the principal, and perform all acts a principal could perform in his or her own right.… Read More

Typically, creditors have little to no recourse when a debtor files for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Unless the debtor has sufficient non-exempt assets to pay all of his creditors, or the debts are secured by homes, cars, or other tangible items, the debts will likely be discharged – i.e., wiped out – leaving… Read More

A Washington Court of Appeals recently differentiated 50/50 shared parenting plans from plans in which there is a named primary residential parent with respect to the intent to move with the child. “A proposed relocation that would modify a joint parenting plan’s equal residential time to something less than equal residential time is in effect… Read More

Beresford Booth was a proud Silver Sponsor for the Dawson Place Child Advocacy Center's 5th Annual Fundraiser on November 9, 2017. Dawson Place is the primary provider of services for abused children in Snohomish County. Elizabeth Smart was the keynote speaker at the luncheon, attended by David C. Tingstad and Dimitra S. Scott, lawyers at… Read More

Employers face increasing litigation risks from the wrongful acts of their employees as the law of negligent hiring and retention expands. Employers are potentially liable for negligent hiring when employing an unfit applicant who poses an unreasonable risk of harm to others. If an employer should have known of an employee’s unfitness at the time… Read More