In Washington, all divorce petitioners must follow local laws when filing for a divorce. Currently, the state doesn’t require a specific time period to establish residency. The petitioner must have a state-issued driver’s license or provide current duty station orders for the state to prove residency. A Divorce Attorney in Bainbridge Island provides the petitioner with clarity on local laws.
Selecting Suitable Grounds
The state provides only one divorce ground. The petitioner cannot use any fault-based grounds in most cases. They can use irretrievable breakdown. This ground doesn’t designate blame against either party. However, special circumstances in which fraud or coercion was used to achieve the marriage provide fault-based grounds. The petitioner must present clear evidence of the allegations.
Explaining Community Property Laws
According to the state, the marital estate consists of properties that were accumulated during the marriage. The marital property doesn’t include properties or assets in which either party owned before the marriage. Under these laws, the couple must divide all marital property equally. If they cannot reach an agreement about an asset, the judge may recommend that it is sold. Under these circumstances, the couple would split the proceeds evenly.
Child Support and Custody
The most common child custody assignment is joint custody. This arrangement provides the parents with equal time with the child. The arrangements may vary based on whether or not the couple lives in the same city. If they live in different states, the arrangement may provide one parent with visitation during the summer and holidays while the other has the child during the school year.
Child support is set up to provide financial assistance for the custodial parent. Typically, it is based on the income of each party. As a general guideline, the parent receives around 10% of the non-custodial parent’s income.
In Washington, all divorce petitioners must review local laws when filing for a divorce. The standard divorce grounds in the state identifies an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. The couple must also split their marital estate evenly.
