Everett Family Law Blog

There are many concerns people have to deal with in the initial stages of a Washington divorce. Your living circumstances may soon change. You may worry about what will happen to your social circle. Other concerns, like child custody, will vary depending on the circumstances of your marriage.

One relatively universal concern involves how the courts will divide assets and debts. Unless you and your spouse signed a prenuptial agreement or have agreed to an uncontested divorce, the courts will have the ultimate say in who gets what from your marriage. While it is difficult to predict actual outcomes, you can better understand likely results by learning about Washington's community property laws.

Washington fans of the TV reality show "Real Housewives of Orange County" may be aware that one of the show's stars, Alexis Bellino, has been going through an emotional upheaval in her personal life. The situation was prompted by her husband's filing for divorce in June. The couple had been married for more than a decade at that time and have three children together.

While Bellino's divorce has made news headlines, the former spouses issued a public statement, stressing their mutual love and respect for each other and informing their fans that they have amicable agreed to share custody of their children. There are several factors that lend themselves toward a successful shared custody arrangement. Those in Washington who are wondering if such an arrangement would work in their situations can refer to Bellino's divorce as an example.

Many Washington spouses, especially those who are parents together, are currently preparing for divorce. Some want to settle the terms of their agreements without going to court, if possible. Thankfully, there are typically litigation alternatives available for doing so, including mediation and arbitration. 

Alternative dispute resolution systems like these are not for everyone, however. Spouses who can barely be in the same room without fighting may want to settle their divorces through litigation. This is because both mediation and arbitration hinge upon amicable discussion and willingness to cooperate compromise in order to succeed. If parents disagree about custody issues, for instance, and are unable to negotiate a fair and agreeable co-parenting plan, it may be best to leave such decisions to the court.  

Many Washington spouses encounter challenges when they decide to end their marriages. Such challenges are often related to child custody matters, property division or financial issues. When spouses disagree about a particular topic, it often leads to a contested divorce, such as that of Donald Trump, Jr. and his estranged wife, Vanessa.  

The former Trump couple has five children together. When their initial petition was filed in court (by then Mrs. Trump), it was reportedly an uncontested divorce. Since then, certain financial issues have arisen that the two have been unable to resolve. Some say the problems have something to do with the mother of five's personal inheritance, said to be worth millions. The inheritance was part of Vanessa Trump's late father's final will and testament.