Washington Family Legal Questions

Hello, you have the right to fair and equal parenting time with the child/children. However, depending on your current situation and background with CPS, ACS, DHS etc will impact on your utilizing of rights. Of course, the courts and agencies want the child to be in a safe and comfortable environment. Therefore, if you can demonstrate such with the help of a competent and aggressive lawyer you can get what you want. When children services agencies are involved anything you do regarding your children custody, visitation, child support, or parenting time, might interfere with the agencies. You don't have to fight with the agencies alone. A knowledgeable and competent attorney can do that for you with you. Please keep in mind that not all lawyers are the same, therefore be very cautious as to which attorney or law firm you chose to work with. We are based in New York but my network of SMS ATTORNEYS does travel out of state for clients. Feel free to give us a call for a free consultation. If you're facing financial hardship, one option may be to speak with the court clerk about a court-appointed lawyer, known as a Pro Bono, or free lawyer. If you would like to retain our services while on a limited budget, do let us know and we will try to do our best to offer payment plans options. Ahsan Syed answer and comments to questions are for general purposes only and do not constitute legal advice or establish an attorney-client relationship with SMS ATTORNEYS without a signed retainer. Thank You. Toll-Free 1-877-866-8665 // Child Custody Lawyer in WA.... Read More

What you will be doing is a "step parent adoption" and as long as the bio father is agreeable, then it is a pretty simple process. Your husband files an adoption petition in your county's superior court. The father signs a "consent" form and you sign something similar. WA state is the place to do this. Then the court appoints a guardian at litum ( a social worker) who does a short review/interview of you /husband and the two children at your house and will issue a report saying it is in the children' best interests to be adopted. Then there is a short hearing with the judge - takes 10 minutes - and the adoption decree is issued. The father's past due child support will remain owing but his future support is cut off when he is no longer the father. You might be able to do this just using legal aid, but a lawyer would charge you something like $1500 - $2500 since it is not a contested case, just a bunch of paper shuffling.... Read More

If paternity was never established, that is the first step . Then a Petition for step-parent adoption is filed in Wa. state and served on the biological father in Florida. A social worker is appointed by the court in Wa. state who will then either approve or deny the Petition.. A social worker has to be appointed to confer with the biological father and to investigate the potential adopter to determine if the adoption is in the children's best interests.... Read More

Take these facts to court. File a Request for Order, asking the court to get ex to pay all hospital bills. Generally, the parents should split all uncovered medical bills. and At least one parent should be covering the basic medical. But in this case, your husband has a good case to require her to pay all bills. This is a child having a child, and it isn't good for either child.... Read More

Under their child support order, this kid must have medical insurance coverage. Any unpaid portion is either the responsibility of both parents, like any other uncovered medical bill or the responsibility of the 17 yo and the boyfriend assuming she files a parentage action under which the costs of the pregnancy can be covered. He can get coverage under the Affordable Care Act for his child once it's born. There is no joint custody what they probably have is joint decision making. A kid getting pregnant is well outside the control of either parent and has nothing to do with their decision making. She is now an adult, eligible for state assistance if need be since she's gotten herself pregnant. It would be reasonable, for whichever parent carries her on insurance, to keep her on it. If that won't pay for maternity care, she needs to apply under the Affordable Care Act for her own insurance.... Read More

I don't know. Are the payments delinquent? Has the insurance lapsed? Have you been arrested for a DUI? Were drugs found in the car? If yes to any of those questions, then he is just protecting himself. If you had agreed to pay him back for the down payment and you have not done so, then he using self help to collect the debt.... Read More

You need to hire an attorney and start a parentage action to establish yourself as the father.  If you are a fit father (very low standard) and the mother wants nothing to do with the child, you will receive the child.  Grandparents and other family members have very few rights to children when compared to parents.  The mother's mother cannot stop you from being the father of the child.  You can stop the adoption.  Act quickly.  Retain an attorney--you only get one shot at this.  Good luck!... Read More

You need to comply with the relocation statue in RCW 26.09.  You can find that at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=26.09.  You can find the mandatory forms at http://www.courts.wa.gov/forms/?fa=forms.contribute&formID=6.  Relocation can be a little tricky, but as you will read in the statutes, the ability to relocate is presumed, but you must follow the statute.  Good luck.  If you have difficulty, try talking to the family law facilitator at your local superior court, or seek the advice of an experienced family law attorney.... Read More

First of all let me state that this answer in no way establishes a lawyer/client relationship.  If a lawyer drew up the Durable Power of Attorney, I advise seeking his (her) counsel immediately.  If you have no attorney, I would suggest one that deals with Probate, Estate Planning and Elder Law.  I practice both medicine and law in S.C. Michael G. Sribnick, M.D., J.D., LLC Attorney at Law.... Read More

The forms are at http://www.courts.wa.gov/forms/?fa=forms.static&staticid=14.  The precise form or forms that you need depend on your circumstances.  I am presuming that you are asking about obtaining default on a petition and proposed parenting plan.  If that is correct, then you need to file a  Return of Service (or an acceptance of service) showing proper service of the petition, summons and proposed parenting plan.  You will also need to file a motion for entry of default plus you will need to note the motion for a hearing.  You will need to serve the papers you file on the other party.     ... Read More