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Pierce County Family Law

Our Pierce County Divorce Attorneys can Help You Better Understand the Divorce Process

When you first file for a divorce, an up-welling of emotion takes place that can catch you off guard. Our Pierce County lawyers commonly hear from clients about how they feel sad, angry, or even depressed. This is because they are faced with a great deal of uncertainty about issues involving child custody, alimony, and child support, among others. If they were served with divorce papers unexpectedly, they may even feel like giving up.

Take it from us: The last thing you want to do right now is give up your legal rights. If you were served with divorce papers, your spouse has been planning this action for a while, they have a lawyer, and they have probably already filed motions with the court. If you're thinking about filing for a divorce, keep in mind that it's a major life-decision that will have a lasting impact on you and your family. When you make the decision to follow through with a divorce, it’s important to consider how this choice will affect those you care about.

Still, once the decision is made then it’s important to deal with the issue at hand so that you can move forward with your life. Our Pierce County divorce lawyers understand that you may not be able to cooperate with your spouse on every issue that comes up. Fortunately, our lawyers have the experience needed to help you keep negations moving forward when obstacles arise. In fact, one of the primary goals of our Pierce County divorce attorneys is to minimize conflict between you and your spouse, so that choices can be made that benefit your entire family.

Of primary importance are your goals, so your lawyer will work with you to develop a plan that has the best likelihood of success. Our Pierce County divorce lawyers will work closely with you to determine these goals, and then help you devise a strategy to see them come to fruition.

Your choice of attorney matters because they need experience with Washington family law. This will allow them to help you attain your goals and move forward with the rest of your life. How can you find the Pierce County lawyer that is right for you? You can contact our Pierce County Law Office for a free consultation and then make your choice regarding representation. We aggressively pursue the interests of our clients, protect their legal rights, and always fight for a fair resolution to every divorce and family law case.

Pierce County, the Family Court, and You

Pierce County, Washington has a population of nearly 800,000 people, and is located in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue Metro Area. In fact, the County Seat is located in Tacoma, which is also its largest city. One of the most recognizable landmarks in the entire county is majestic Mt. Rainier, which is the tallest mountain in the state. It's also a volcano, but it's not due to erupt anytime soon so you can enjoy a fruitful life in the area without worrying about being overrun by hot lava or a pyroclastic flow. You can check out the government website for more information about this amazing region.

There is no shortage of things to do in Pierce County. The area boasts a thriving artist's community and culture. A number of fantastic museums, like the Museum of Glass and the Tacoma Art Museum, showcase some truly magnificent works of art. If you love the outdoors, there are endless opportunities within the region to enjoy hiking trails, fishing, skiing, swimming, and boating. Tacoma has a number of fine retail stores and restaurants featuring culinary delights that will make your mouth water.

If you never take your spouse out to eat at one of those fancy restaurants, you may end up getting served with divorce papers. If so, you will have to petition the Pierce County Family Court to protect your own interests. You may want to enter motions relating to child custody, alimony, paternity, or any other matter that qualifies as family law. Fortunately, our Pierce County family law attorneys are ready to help.

Common Issues Involving the Pierce County Family Court

When you're forced to deal with a family law issue, or work through the details of a divorce, there are certain steps that must be taken. Many of these issues our divorce lawyers are common to many cases, but each individual is unique and has specific needs. We never take a cookie-cutter approach to representation because every situation demands personalized care. Still, certain issues are more common than others, so the following information is provided to help you better understand these areas of the law.

Child custody – No issue can become more contentious than child custody issues. Divorcing parents faced with the prospect of losing daily contact with their kids sometimes feel cornered, and they will lash out with anger, resentment, and animosity. Not only is this bad for negotiations, it may also adversely affect their children. Our Pierce County child custody lawyers always urge clients to maintain civil discourse with their ex during negotiations, even when it's hard. If an agreement is not achieved, the court will step in and finalize a parenting plan, and that is a scenario best avoided.

If your former partner and their lawyer simply won't cooperate or treat you in fair way, your Pierce County family law attorney will take your case all the way to court. We never back down from a fight when the situation warrants perseverance. It's also important for you to act fairly, and we will offer your experienced counsel when you need it most. None of our lawyers can promise to tell you what you want to hear, but they will always tell you what you need to hear.

Child support – The Pierce County Family Court uses a Child Support Schedule, or table, to determine the rate of monthly support. Usually this money is paid to the primary custodial parent, but much depends on your custody arrangement. To get an idea what your level of support will be, contact one of our Pierce County child support lawyers and find out more about how this process works.

Divorce for men – Men have equal rights to women in the eyes of the law, so it's important to understand those rights if you're a husband or father. You need to protect your interests in regards to issues involving child custody, child support, alimony, and property division. Your former wife and her attorney may try to attack your character, so you need to be prepared and do everything you can to protect your legal rights as a citizen of the United States. Our Pierce County divorce for men lawyer can help.

Restraining orders and protection orders – if you're in an abusive situation, get out of it now. The very next step you take should be to talk to an attorney about these highly useful legal tools. Protection orders and restraining orders are almost always effective, and they offer the best way to remove yourself from an abusive situation once and for all. To find out more about this option, contact one of our experienced Pierce County protection order lawyers.

Modifications of support – This is more of a family law matter than a divorce matter. Regardless of whether you're divorced, you may need to petition the court for a support modification if you fell on hard financial times because of some major impact to your life. This could be something like a serious illness or losing your job. Usually modifications are made to child support payments, but some situations may warrant a modification to spousal support payments. Contact one of our our Pierce County support modification attorneys to find out more about this process.

You can Contact Us For a Free Case Evaluation and Learn More About Our Dedicated Pierce County Divorce Attorneys

When you retain an attorney from our Pierce County office, you can be certain that they will do the following:

  • Provide you with legal information pertinent to your case.
  • Help you identify your goals, and then work to achieve them.
  • Give you personalized care and attention so that your legal rights are protected.

You can schedule your initial consultation today, confident that anything we talk about will be completely confidential. If you choose to retain one of our Pierce County family law lawyers they will work tirelessly to assist you in making tough choices that benefit your whole family and lay the groundwork for a better future.

When your only alternative is a divorce, then make sure you have an attorney on your side whom you trust implicitly. With decades of experience handling sensitive family law cases, we will earn your trust while resolving your divorce in a timely manner.

Client Reviews
★★★★★
Laurie has worked on my very challenging and contentious divorce and I could not have asked for a better family law attorney. She was able to handle all of the twists and turns of my case with ease. I highly recommend Laurie to anyone looking for an excellent, ethical and hard working counselor. Chandler
★★★★★
Laurie is an incredible divorce lawyer! She did an amazing job with my divorce, and it was a real dog fight the whole way. She is a true fighter. And you can tell that she really cares about her family law clients and the results that she achieves for them. John
★★★★★
My lawyer guided me through a very challenging time in my life when I was going through my divorce. She worked hard and explained every step of the way what was going on so I could understand the process. I was very happy with her work. Barbel