Category Archives: Ask a Lawyer

Do I Need a Prenuptial Agreement?

Question

My fiance and I are getting married this summer. A couple of nights ago, he mentioned that one of his buddies said we should look into getting a prenup before the wedding.  Neither of us have much property to speak of, and my fiance’s small business is still getting off the ground. Is this really something we need?

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Can I Get Custody of My Niece?

Question

My younger sister has a seven year old daughter. The dad’s been out of the picture for years, and lately my sister has too. While I don’t know for sure, I suspect that my sister is abusing drugs.  She lost her job about a year ago, and since then she’s been relying on me for “baby-sitting” more and more…

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How Do I Change My Legal Separation to a Divorce?

Question

A few years ago, my husband and I agreed to legally separate, and we submitted agreed orders to the court.  I’ve since met someone new.  While I am not ready to get re-married yet, I’d like to have the option and I understand that a legal separation means I’m still technically “married” to my ex.  Is there a way…

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Can My Fiancé Adopt My Child?

Question

I have a ten year old son from a relationship that ended shortly after he was born.  We moved to Washington about six years ago, and my son has had almost no contact with his father since then.  Occasionally, his father sends a check for child support, but otherwise his role in our child’s life is minimal to non-existent.…

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Will the Court Reduce My Child Support Payment Based on How Much Time I Spend with My Kids?

Question

My ex and I have two kids together.  We’re not divorced yet, but we’ve been separated for several months. Since we split up, we’ve been able to work out a schedule where the kids live half of the time with me, and half of the time with my ex.  We have recently decided to move forward with a formal…

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Can I Get An Annulment?

Question

My wife and I got married a month ago.  While we were on our honeymoon, I discovered text messages on my wife’s phone which led me to suspect that she’d been unfaithful to me just days before our wedding.  I confronted her about it, and she admitted that she cheated on me for much of our 3 year relationship. …

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Do Grandparents Have Rights?

Question

I have a beautiful six year old granddaughter.  I have not seen her in over a year because her mother (my daughter-in-law) and I had a falling out over other family issues.  I am heartbroken that my son and daughter-in-law are punishing me by refusing to let me have a relationship with my only grandchild.  Is there anything that…

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What Should I Expect in a Parenting Evaluation?

Question

My wife and I are in the process of getting a divorce.  We have two little kids, and very different ideas about how much time they should spend with each of us.  My wife says that the children should live mostly with her, while I believe that the children should have equal time with both of us.  We recently…

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Will I Lose My Property Rights If I Move Out?

Question

I’ve been considering leaving my husband for several months.  Things between us keep getting worse, and I’d really like to move out of our house.  But I’ve heard that if I leave the house first, I might lose my property rights.  I am hoping that my husband will buy me out of the house, so I don’t want to…

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How Do I Change My Parenting Plan?

Question

I was divorced from my wife about five years ago.  We have two kids, who were toddlers when we split up.  When we divorced, I agreed that the kids would live mostly with their mom, and that I would have them with me every other weekend.  We have a final parenting plan that formalizes this agreement.  Now that the…

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