As a Portland divorce attorney that enjoys several of the Portland holiday traditions each year such as visiting Peacock Lane with the kids, or watching the local holiday tree lighting, our office began thinking about how our clients might be experiencing the change of traditions in their family … Read More
Getting a Oregon Protective Order Quickly
As is true for most states, Oregon tries to allow people who have been the victim of domestic violence to obtain a protection order quickly and with as little hassle as possible. The State has set it up to be sure that if someone was the victim of domestic violence, that they can get an order as … Read More
Practical Differences Between Ending a Domestic Partnership & Ending a Legal Marriage
With the new development under the law of same-sex marriage becoming widely recognized, the inevitable question arises of how this will impact same-sex couples when their relationship needs to end. What will some of the changes be in ending a domestic partnership versus a legal marriage in Oregon … Read More
Custody and Legal Marijuana in Oregon & Washington
The recent changes to laws in both Oregon and Washington relating to legality of recreational marijuana are likely to have an indirect impact on some custody cases in these jurisdictions. I realize that people in Oregon and Washington are still learning the ins and outs of the new laws pertaining … Read More
Three Things to Look for in a Divorce or Custody Attorney
Finding the right attorney to help with your custody or divorce case is one of the most critical decisions you can make. Divorces and custody cases last for only a few months in Oregon and Washington, but the fallout from the decisions that are reached last a lifetime. There are … Read More
Transitional Spousal Support Reversed Because Job Training Not Needed
In the case of In re Marriage of Stuart and Ely, the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed an order granting transitional spousal support to the wife, who was a professional engineer with a PhD degree in environmental engineering, since there was no evidence that she would be needing or receiving any … Read More
Collaborative Divorce Can Make Divorce Last Longer
When parties sign up for a collaborative divorce, they essentially are both emotionally and financially committing to never go to court. You certainly have the option of backing out of the collaborative agreement and hiring a new lawyer, but it almost always seems a better choice to try "one more … Read More
Top 5 Reasons Why Collaborative Divorce Can Backfire
What is Collaborative Law? Before we get into the list, it is helpful to summarize briefly what collaborative law is. Essentially, when a couple going through a divorce or other family law dispute decides to use the process of "Collaborative Law", they sign a contract with their respective … Read More
Raising grandkids in Oregon: What are your legal custody rights?
More grandparents across the country are raising grandkids. The reasons are varied. Economic circumstances to metal illness could affect a child's parenting ability. Often the grandparent does not have formal custodial rights. Grandparent rights in these "grandfamilies" may allow for custody or … Read More
Collaborative Law Can Result In People Behaving Less Reasonably
While the words, "fine, I'll see you in court" can be utterly terrifying, they also serve a vital purpose. When two people are not able to agree on an issue in their divorce, it often is because someone is asking for more than they reasonably should be entitled to. In these cases mediation and … Read More