Columbia Family Divorce Law Blog

When families turn to the court system to resolve disputes, they rely on court orders to set boundaries, guide behavior, and bring structure to challenging situations. Whether it's a parenting plan, child support order, or custody agreement, those court directives are legally binding—and not following them can lead to serious consequences.

Divorce often involves more than emotional separation—it also includes the challenging task of dividing property fairly. For couples in Federal Way, Washington, Tacoma, Washington, and Bellevue, Washington, this process can feel overwhelming, especially when shared property includes real estate, savings, retirement plans, and personal belongings.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to any divorce, as each family is unique and you and your spouse or partner may have agreed on most issues, yet still have disagreements on some issues you cannot resolve. You and your spouse or partner may only have one or two small disagreements that you need to work through as you disentangle your affairs, or you may have significant divisions that require a much broader approach to resolve.

Life is full of unexpected changes. There are times these changes can impact a co-parenting situation.

Washington applies community property rules, which treat anything earned during the marriage — including pension contributions — as joint property.

You’ve put years into building your pension, and now that divorce is on the table, you’re wondering if your future income is up for grabs. Maybe your name appears alone on the plan.

Marrying a successful professional or someone with major career ambitions can set people up for a comfortable standard of living. In some cases, spouses choose to leave the workforce entirely. They manage the house or act as a stay-at-home parent for the couple’s children. Their efforts allow the wage-earning spouse to completely focus on their career.

Divorce can be a challenging time, especially when it comes to dividing assets. One of the most significant assets at stake is often a 401(k) retirement account.

In 2022, a former husband of a marriage dissolved in 1994, who was recalled from military retirement to active service and given a promotion and salary increase from 2009-2012, moved to clarify the dissolution decree and Military Qualifying Court Order (MQCO), arguing that his former wife’s portion of the pension should not include the salary increases resulting from the husband’s involuntary recall to active duty service.