McKinley Irvin Blogs from January 2022

• Financial Obligations of Ending a Long-Term Relationship

  Jan 28, 2022
  Married couples aren’t the only ones entitled to legal rights after a breakup, at least not in Washington state. Although Washington law doesn’t recognize common law marriage, it does protect the rights of certain unmarried couples through the doctrine of “Committed Intimate Relationship.” Although these relationships aren’t legally recognized, couples involved in intimate relationships can seek recourse in court for property and liability distribution. If you were involved in a committed, long-term relationship and you and ...
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• Stopping a Divorce in Washington After the Papers Have Been Filed

  Jan 27, 2022
  In Washington, married couples cannot “undo” or reverse their divorce after a judge has issued the final orders. However, if the divorce action hasn’t been completed and the couple is still in the midst of the pre-trial process, then the divorce can be halted as long as both parties agree to the dismissal and the judge approves the agreement to stop divorce proceedings . Another situation where a divorce can be stopped in the state of Washington is if one party has responded to the Petition for Dissolution. The party who ...
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• McKinley Irvin Welcomes Caitlin Royse in Everett

  Jan 25, 2022
  McKinley Irvin is pleased to welcome family law attorney Caitlin Royse to our Everett Office. Caitlin represents clients in all family law matters, including divorce, child support, child custody, and legal separation. She is particularly passionate about domestic violence advocacy and creating safety plans for clients in high-risk situations. Caitlin obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma and spent her final year of law school at the University of Washington as a visiting student. She has worked in ...
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• What to Know About Unemployment & Child Support Payments

  Jan 24, 2022
  If a non-custodial parent is unemployed or lacks a stable income or employment history, courts can still require them to pay a child support obligation. The purpose of child support payments is to ensure that the child's needs are met. That is why the child support order remains in effect even if a non-custodial parent loses their job. Below, we explain how unemployment can impact your child support payments and alter your unemployment benefits. Are Unemployment Benefits Affected by Child Support Payments? If you miss your ...
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• MI Partners with SU and ROG to Provide Pro Bono Family Law Services

  Jan 21, 2022
  McKinley Irvin is proud to share that we have partnered with Seattle University School of Law and non-profit organization, Reclaiming Our Greatness , to bring pro bono family law services to those who are unable to afford representation. The program will be part of Professor Deirdre Bowen’s Applied Family Law and Applied DVPO Practicum curricula. Under the supervision of McKinley Irvin volunteer attorneys, students will have the opportunity to work with clients from the beginning stage of their legal case through ...
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• Evaluators and Advocates in Child Custody Cases

  Jan 20, 2022
  In a disputed child custody or parenting time (commonly known as visitation) suit, judges make decisions that have life-long effects on a child and his or her family. To ensure that judges receive complete information and are acting in the child's best interest, either the parents or the court may seek the assistance of an expert witness or child advocate. Generally, the expert witnesses are known as child custody evaluators, and the advocates for the children are known as Guardians Ad Litem (a "GAL"). Custody evaluators and ...
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• Child Support for Children with Special Needs

  Jan 15, 2022
  When a court decides how to distribute child support payments, they consider several factors, including the mental and physical health of the child. The child’s well-being will always come first in the eyes of the court, so if a child has a special set of needs, the court will consider how those needs may affect the child’s care and living expenses. Whether you and your child’s other parent share custody or one of you has primary custody, it is important for you to understand how child support could be affected by your ...
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• Valuation of Real Estate in Divorce

  Jan 14, 2022
  Under Washington's community property law, assets must be divided equitably between spouses who file for divorce. Dividing assets equitably does not necessarily mean a 50/50 split between the spouses. During the divorce, both parties must take stock of the assets they own and assign a value, regardless of if the asset is in one spouse’s name or jointly owned. This process is called valuation. Although valuation of property can be fairly simple when it comes to a bank or retirement account, it can be complicated if there is ...
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