Summertime is wedding season, which can make the early part of the year, for a family lawyer, “prenup season.” We encourage proactive planning for major life events, and a wedding is definitely a major life event. Part of planning for a wedding should ideally include learning about the financial rules that change when two lives […]
What’s Love Got to Do with It?
Separate and Community Property Considerations for Personal and Estate Planning What’s yours, what’s mine, and what’s ours? In Washington State, it depends. Property interests become blurred once two people enter into a committed intimate relationship (aka “CIR”) or get married. Our laws provide guidelines that determine what is separate property and what is community property. […]
What is the “Dead Man’s Statute” and Why You Should Create an Estate Plan
You might think it is enough to tell your loved ones what you would like them to inherit from you, but your statements alone are not enough, and here is why: The Dead Man’s Statute, RCW 5.60.030, is designed to prevent interested parties from testifying against the decedent’s estate about interactions they had with the […]
Was I Wrongfully Terminated? Common Questions Posed to an Employment Attorney
I receive a lot of phone calls and e-mails from frustrated or embarrassed employees, former employees, managers, and small business owners. These individuals tend to have the same general questions, and though a lawsuit is rarely warranted I try to provide some general wisdom when answering those questions. This series of posts identifies some of […]