Legal support for your divorce
Where to begin?
Maybe you are thinking about ending your marriage and want to know more about your options for the next chapter of your life. Maybe you and your spouse have already decided on the what, but you have not yet figured out the how.
A solid first step: meeting with a divorce professional who can provide information and help you think through your options.
Why do we need to involve a lawyer?
Marriage brings with it certain legal rights and obligations, such as shared property and debts. State law requires a court order to dissolve a marriage to ensure that couples have (1) fully disentangled the legal aspects of their relationship, and (2) made plans for co-parenting and financially supporting children under the age of 18.
Hiring the right lawyer for you is important. At a basic level, a lawyer can shoulder the burden of completing paperwork and moving your divorce through the court’s systems. A lawyer can also help you determine which decision-making process feels right to you, spot potential pitfalls, and help ensure you have planned for next steps. We can also recommend other professionals (such as co-parenting experts, financial planners, real estate professionals, and mental health professionals) when you may need them.
What if I just want to hire a lawyer for advice and consultation?
I love to support clients this way! People sometimes call this “limited scope representation,” “unbundled services,” or “pro se support.” You can read more about my services offered through the links below.
Legal service options include:
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When you decide on Collaborative Divorce, each spouse hires a lawyer who has specialized training in Collaborative law. Everyone agrees, in writing, to keep the decision-making—and any conflict—outside of court.
In addition to two lawyers, you and your spouse will hire a coach and financial professional to serve as neutrals and help guide the process. In a series of meetings, we help guide you through mutual problem-solving and decision-making. The Collaborative process is a great way to get professional support while also maintaining full participation and control in the outcomes of your divorce.
You can read more about Collaborative Divorce on CollaborativeDivorceWashington.com and CollaborativePractice.com.
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In mediation, a neutral third party helps you and your spouse negotiate a settlement. You may or may not have lawyers present. Because the mediator cannot give legal advice, it is strongly recommended that you hire a lawyer to consult and advise you independently. This is a service I can provide, along with any follow-up work needed to turn your mediated settlement into legally binding agreements.
I also often help mediation clients with the follow-up steps of navigating the court process to finalize the divorce.
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Lawyers and clients can agree, in advance, to limit the scope of the lawyer’s services. The work I do for unbundled services clients looks different for each case. For example, for past clients, I have done things like:
Review draft documents
Provide coaching on court processes
Answer specific questions about property division or parenting plans
And more! For these services, I charge my hourly rate (in tenths of an hour) and always discuss budgets in advance.