Recent News

An easement is the right to use, but not own, the land of another. The “benefitted party” or “grantee” uses the easement area and owns the “dominant estate”, while the “burdened party” or “grantor” owns the property subject to the easement, known as the “servient estate.” Easements may serve a variety of purposes – ingress and egress,… Read More

If you have either purchased or thought about purchasing a home in the past five or so years, there is a good chance you have heard about sellers providing buyers with a pre-listing inspection report and home buyers waiving an inspection contingency. While some often-repeated “facts” are true regarding a seller’s pre-listing inspection report, there… Read More

Divorce ranks among the top five most stressful life events, alongside the death of a loved one, job loss, and major illness. And when your ex is particularly difficult or high conflict, navigating this time can feel nearly impossible. Enter the BIFF Method: a powerful communication strategy designed to help you deal with high-conflict personalities… Read More

They say a parent never has a favorite child—but let’s be honest… you probably do. You know the one: responsible, calm under pressure, didn’t “accidentally” set the garage on fire at age twelve. So why not just pick the kid who always ends up leading the group project anyway? Yet many parents can’t bring themselves… Read More

The Washington Court of Appeals’ decision, Zhi Feng v. Xiaoqiang Wu et al., addressed such a situation. In Feng, a real estate broker represented himself in a lawsuit and subsequent settlement negotiations following a failed real estate deal.  Ultimately, the real broker ended up with some costly unintended consequences.  Misunderstanding the language and terminology used… Read More

Last month, my colleague JP. Diener wrote an excellent article here outlining many considerations that a litigant must review before pursuing an appeal. As he noted, an appeal does not allow a claimant to fully re-argue the case or present new evidence. It is not the proverbial second bite at the apple. Instead, it often focuses on… Read More

In this webinar, Attorney Todd J. Cook discusses "On-Site Mediation of Boundary Disputes." Read More

I recently wrote a blog post here regarding some of the considerations involved for landlords and tenants in commercial leasing. The complex issues pertaining to commercial leasing can sometimes turn into disputes between the parties, and ultimately, litigation regarding the same. While the commercial lease itself will dictate most of the rights and remedies available to both… Read More

Small oversights in contracts can lead to big problems. A new decision from the Washington Court of Appeals, Pacific Shoreline Properties, LLC v. First Liberty Bond, LLC, highlights some important risks for sellers. This case involved a failed sale of an apartment complex. The Court offers valuable insights for property owners who plan to sell. In… Read More