BAINS LAW FIRM

Last night, New Zealand took a huge leap forward by becoming just the second country to grant victims of Domestic Violence ten days paid leave from work each year. (The first country was the Philippines). These ten days exclude annual holiday or sick leave. This additional time provides the victims an opportunity to find a new home, and otherwise protect themselves and their children. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the world. According to

Tips for Co-Parenting with a Difficult Ex Unfortunately, not everyone has an amicable Co-Parenting situation. Effective Co-Parenting requires two parents genuinely invested in putting aside their own differences to best promote the well-being of their children. However, often it is difficult for one or both parents to lay to rest their past conflict. Much of the time, Co-Parenting difficulty stems from a deep or longstanding distrust of the other parent which can turn th

Summer is the time to have fun in the sun, take vacations and generally try to relax. But for divorced and separated parents, Summer often brings its own unique set of challenges. With the kids out of school, a variety of complications may arise from agreeing to allowing the children to participate in sports, music, religious camps, to finding child care while a parent has to work, to negotiating time for extended vacations, and everything in between. Below are some tips th

In Washington State, when a parent wishes to relocate with children, the residential schedule designated in the Parenting Plan may have significant legal consequences for the impending move. Do the parties have a traditional every other weekend schedule, where one parent is clearly the primary residential parent? Or do the parties have a joint custody type of arrangement, often termed as a shared parenting plan or 50/50 residential time? The type of Parenting Plan involved

Kids these days are more active than ever before. Between increased school workloads, various after school clubs, extracurricular activities and sports, it’s astounding how busy (and often cluttered) children's lives have become. While all of these activities may look good on a college application or a job resume as the children get older, the fact is extracurriculars and sports are vital to providing children of any age some sense of normalcy as their parents go through a

1. Educate Yourself About the Process Before filing for any family law action, such as divorce (or Legal Separation and Committed Intimate Relationship) educate yourself about that process. This can be beneficial when you decide to move forward. Consulting with an attorney may be helpful. In addition to seeking legal advice, reading other materials may also be useful. Be selective, as there is a lot of inapplicable and misinformation online. As divorce laws vary from state t

Traditionally, Divorce filings spike dramatically upward in the month of January. In some years, the amount of new Divorce filings are up in January by almost 33% over any other month in the year. Many attorneys see a surge in new Divorce clients in January. In fact, the first Monday of the month is often referred to as "Divorce Monday" by Family Law Attorneys, and the entire month of January, as "Divorce Month." This dramatic increase in January Divorce is also consisten

Women initiate divorce more often than men. According to a study conducted by sociology researchers at Stanford University, nearly 70% of divorces are initiated by women. Marriage itself is no longer burdened by outdated notions or expectations. As a result, there are a variety of reasons why more women are seeking a dissolution of their marriage. 1. Abusive Marriage Increasingly women will not stay in abusive marriages, nor should they. In Washington State there are a vast

Alcohol or Substance Abuse issues often need to be addressed when establishing or modifying a Parenting Plan. Protecting children from exposure to the harmful effects of Alcohol or Substance Abuse often involves placing restrictions or limitations upon a chemically dependent parent. There is no uniform rule as to what type of restrictions or limitations to impose upon this parent; instead, each case is different and the types of restrictions or limitations will depend upon

In our digital age, there are many different types of Co-Parenting Apps that can provide a mechanism for divorced parents to synchronize co-parenting, and alleviate the need for direct communication which can often degenerate or stray from focusing upon the children. Some apps provide shared diaries, expense records, and even children’s profiles. Finding the right Co-Parenting App can simplify and organize all Co-Parenting issues. Here are a few of the options that are availa