Everett is located in the upper eastern region of Washington and serves as the county seat for Snohomish County. The city is major employment center for Snohomish County, so many of its inhabitants include people who are commuting to support their families. With so many family units in and around the city, legal family disputes are quite common in Everett, Washington.
If you’re currently facing divorce or another type of family law issue, then you likely are struggling with worries involving your housing, children, current/projected finances, and your future in general. However, if you have a strong legal advocate by your side, you won’t only resolve these issues, you’ll actually be set up for a better and brighter future. With an experienced Everett attorney on your side, the unanswerable questions you never thought you could address finally become clear.
At Law Offices of Shana E. Thompson, we provide family law services to clients struggling with all types of issues including dissolution of marriage, paternity, challenging or filing a contempt order, restraining orders, prenuptial or postnuptial agreements, among other important matters. Call us now to set up your first consultation with an experienced family law and divorce lawyer in Everett, WA.
Everett Family Law Attorneys | Snohomish County Divorce Lawyer, WA
Family law issues can feel overwhelming at times, but you don’t have face them alone. Contact the Law Offices of Shana E. Thompson to learn your legal options and start protecting your interests. Our experienced Everett divorce lawyers have handled all types of dissolution cases ranging from highly contentious divorces where both parties make a high income to simple uncontested divorces. We’re also skilled at representing clients in other family law matters including restraining orders, protective orders, establishing paternity, and more.
Call Law Offices of Shana E. Thompson at (206) 712-2756 set up your first consultation with a skilled family law lawyer in Everett, WA. We accept clients in the greater Everett and Snohomish County area including Lynnwood, Marysville, Snohomish, Edmonds, Monroe, Arlington, and Marysville. We also accept clients in the Seattle metropolitan and King County, Washington area.
Common Family Law Cases in Everett, WA
The Snohomish County Superior Family Court has jurisdiction over any family-related and divorce matters for the city of Everett. They resolve family law disputes including dissolution of marriage, modifying support orders, filing contempt motions, and granting petitions for restraining orders and protective orders to name a few. The following are some typical family law cases our team at Law Offices of Shana E. Thompson encounters in the Everett, Washington area.
- Divorce
- Restraining Orders
- Protection Orders for Petitioners
- Protection Orders for Respondents
- Contempt Orders
- Committed Intimate Relationship
- State Registered Domestic Partnership Actions
- Invalidity
- Establishing Paternity
- Non-Parental Custody Actions
- Modifications
- Pre-Nuptial and Post-Nuptial Agreements
- Child Custody Issues
- Child Support Issues
How Do I File for Divorce in Snohomish County?
You don’t need a “reason” to divorce in Washington as it’s a “no fault” state. Washington residents can file for divorce anytime and state the marriage was simply beyond repair. If you wish to file for divorce, you’ll need to obtain the appropriate paperwork, which you can find on the Washington courts website. You’ll have to fill out the petition for dissolution and if you have any children you may need to fill out additional paperwork like a parenting plan.
All forms must be filed with the Pierce County clerk and we advise you have another copy so you can serve it to your ex-spouse. The clerk will require you to pay a fee of around $250 and you can waive the fee, but you must meet certain income qualifications first. Once you’ve filed the forms, the next step is to serve your spouse.
When your spouse receives the papers, they will sign an “Acceptance of Service” form to acknowledge they were served. If you and your spouse agree on all divorce-related matters, then your ex will sign that they agree with the terms of the petition. You can then file the paperwork with the Pierce County clerk and from there your divorce will be finalized.
If your spouse doesn’t agree with the terms of the petition, they will respond and from there lawyers will likely get involved. You and your spouse will have to negotiate on all divorce-related issues you disagree on. This communication can be through attorneys or you can schedule an appointment with a mediator to settle the terms of the divorce.
For some divorces, negotiation is simply not possible. The divorce may be too contentious to try and settle outside of court, so if that’s the case you and your spouse will have to go to trial. At the trial both you and your spouse will present your arguments to a judge. That judge will then make the final decision on various issues in the divorce including child custody, spousal or child support, what the parenting plan will be, debt allocation, and other important matters.
Snohomish County Divorce Paperwork
Whether it’s a simple divorce or a highly contested one, you should expect to fill out a lot of paperwork. Which forms you will be required to file will depend on the circumstances of the dissolution. Divorces involving shared minor children tend to have a lot of paperwork addressing parenting plans, child support, child custody, and other matters. If you wish to file a restraining order during pending proceedings, that will also require separate paperwork.
The following are some types of Snohomish County divorce forms you may have to fill out.
- FL Divorce 200 – Notice About the Marriage or Domestic Partnership
- FL Divorce 201 – Petition for Dissolution
- FL All Family 001 – Confidential Information
- FL All Family 002 – Attachment to Confidential Information
- FL All Family 101 – Proof of Personal Service
- FL All Family 119 – Agreement to Join Petitioner
- FL All Family 117 — Service Accepted
- FL Divorce 211 – Response to Petition About a Marriage
- FL Divorce 231 – Findings and Conclusions About a Marriage
- FL Divorce 241 – Final Divorce Order or Dissolution Decree
If the divorce involves minor children, you will probably have to fill out the following forms.
- FL All Family 130 – Child Support Orders
- FL All Family 131 – Financial Declaration
- FL All Family 140 – Parenting Plan
- FL Divorce 243 – Residential Time Summary Report
- WSCSS Schedule
- WSCSS Worksheets
Everett Family Court Resources
Snohomish County Family Court – Visit the official website for Snohomish County if you want to learn more about the family court division. Access their site to learn more about family law civil trials, download court forms you may need, use their court services, and peruse ther resources.
Snohomish County Court Clerk – Visit the official website for Snohomish County to learn more about the services from the court clerk. Access the site to learn how you can file an important form, request a record or a copy of a record, search up a case number, look through court records, divorce resources, and look through their self-help links.
Washington Family Law Handbook – Visit the official website of the Washington Courts to look at the Family Law Handbook provided by the state. Access the handbook to learn the court instructions for ending a marriage, how property and assets are divided in court, how spousal maintenance and child support is granted, and other important family law matters.
Everett Washington Divorce Resources
Family Law Resources – Visit the official website for Snohomish County, Washington to look through their various family law resources. Access the site to read their answers to frequently asked questions, courthouse facilitator services, and other important self-help links.
Everett Divorce Support Groups – Visit the official website for Divorce Care if you’re looking for divorce support groups in the Everett and Snohomish County, Washington area. Access the site to look at the various locations divorce support groups meet up, their contact information, and resources for how to emotionally recover after divorce.
Snohomish County Parenting Seminar Providers – Visit the official website for Snohomish County to find a list of parenting seminar providers near you. Access the list to see which seminar would work best for you and your schedule.
A Guide for Stepparents – Parenting is incredibly difficult, and if your partner is going through a divorce and you’ve become a new stepparent it can feel impossible. Read the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) guide on how to parent as a stepparent during divorce proceedings without crossing boundaries while building a bond.
Washington Divorce Data Statistics – Visit the official website for Washington State Department of Health to read their data and statistics regarding divorce and other information including births, pregnancies, marriages, and abortions. Access the site to look at the trends of divorce in Washington over time from 2010 to 2018.
Everett Divorce Attorneys, Washington
Handling a divorce or family dispute can feel long and arduous. Thankfully, with the right representation from Law Offices of Shana E. Thompson you can finally start to see the end of the tunnel. Our experienced divorce and family law attorneys can put our decades of combined legal experience to use for your case. We will ensure you’re informed of your legal options through every step of the case and guide you to a happier and healthier future for you and your family.
Call us now at (206) 712-2756 to set up your first consultation in Everett, Washington. We also accept clients throughout all parts of King County and Snohomish County.
