It’s hard to know where to start when you’re dealing with a draining family conflict. Below you can find useful articles and videos on subjects such as choosing the right lawyer, how to address substance abuse issues in a custody case, lowering your divorce costs and more.
When parties going through a divorce cannot agree on which parent is to have custody of the parties’ children, the judge makes the decision. The judge strives to determine what is in the children’s best interests. Oregon law specifies six factors a judge will examine in making a custody decision: The judge considers the emotional ties between the child and
Once you and your spouse decide to divorce, one of the first things you need to do is explain what is going on to your children. Make every effort to protect the feelings of the children. You should strive to make the situation as stress-free as possible. Each family is unique, but some general guidelines can be helpful. The conversation
A collaborative divorce is an alternative to the traditional adversarial divorce process. A collaborative divorce aims to end a marriage outside of the court. Collaborative attorneys believe that an amicable settlement is more likely if the process is more flexible and if the environment is more intimate. Guided by attorneys trained in corroborative law, the parties can control the pace
In addition to helping you decide whether or not to hire a particular attorney for your divorce or family law matter, the initial consultation sets the foundation for all other decisions and discussions in your case. What can you do to maximize the value of your initial consultation with a divorce attorney? Read on for five ideas.
Once the decision to divorce has been made, it is only a matter of time until one or both spouses move out of the marital home. Indeed, most divorcing spouses are eager to separate as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the issue can be fairly complex. Below are some of the primary considerations that you should take into account before you
How to Avoid Paying Too Much Alimony Alimony (known in Oregon as “spousal support”) is one of most contentious issues in divorce. Whenever there is a large discrepancy between the incomes of the spouses, there is a possibility of paying alimony. For many, paying alimony is unavoidable. Still, there are things that the primary earner can do to limit the
Co-parenting is the concept of shared parenting duties following separation or divorce. When both parents are capable, a robust co-parenting situation is ideal. Unfortunately, a healthy co-parenting relationship is not always within reach. In the majority of cases where co-parenting fails, the culprit is not a serious deficiency in one parent’s parenting skills but, instead, the conflict dynamic in and of
At the time of their separation or divorce, parents must work out not only a custody arrangement (i.e. who makes decisions with respect to school, medical treatment, etc.), but also a parenting plan. A parenting plan or visitation schedule is a written document detailing the residential schedule for the children. The plan includes the rules of engagement in terms of
Changing Lawyers in the Middle of Your Divorce: Is it the Right Thing to Do? Changing lawyers in the middle of your divorce or custody case is a major decision. In addition to the added costs of starting over with a new attorney, you sometimes run the risk of stigmatization. In particular, the best divorce or custody lawyers (who tend
While many child custody arrangements are the result of an agreement by parents, tensions often arise as parents try to implement their custody and parenting time plans. In some cases, family courts called upon after a divorce or custody case has been finalized to determine if a modified or entirely new plan is best for children. Custody vs. Parenting Time
Gearing Rackner & McGrath provides creative, tailored legal solutions for families throughout Oregon and SW Washington. With offices in Portland and Astoria, we primarily serve the following counties: Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Clatsop, Columbia, Yamhill, Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania, and Klickitat.
