Decoupling Seattle Family Law and Divorce Blog

Can I Get Out of My Separation Agreement?

liz — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:45:39 +0000

Question

A couple of months after we separated, my husband talked me into signing an agreement that his lawyer wrote for him. At the time I was still reeling from our split and hoping that my husband would eventually have a change of heart. So without even really reading it, I signed. Since then, I’ve finally taken a look at…

The Model and The Mogul – They’re Just Like Us

liz — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:18:47 +0000

Last Friday the New York Times ran a story detailing the messy divorce of supermodel Stephanie Seymour and media mogul/art collector Peter Brant. Seymour and Brant, who’ve been married since 1995 and have three children, have apparently become near-fixtures at a Stamford, Connecticut courthouse as they’ve battled over drug tests, jewels, and Warhol paintings since Seymour filed for divorce…

Will I Have to Pay Alimony?

liz — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:06:02 +0000

Question

My husband and I have been separated for a few months, and we’re headed towards a formal dissolution of our marriage. A few of my friends have told me that I better be prepared to pay a bunch of alimony to him because I make a lot more money than he does. Is this true? I thought alimony…

One Couple, Two Bedrooms?

liz — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:35:28 +0000

In a recent New York Times article, writer Bruce Feiler explores a supposedly emerging domestic trend – couples who live together, but sleep in separate quarters. Feiler points to a recent study which found that 1 in 4 American couples spend their nights in separates bed or bedrooms, with many separate sleeping couples citing their need for a full…

Do I Have to Pay for My Daughter’s Nose Job?

liz — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:46:50 +0000

Question

My sixteen year old daughter has despaired over the size of her nose for years. I think she’s beautiful the way she is, but she says that her less-than-perfect nose is ruining her social life and her self esteem. She recently announced that she wants to “correct” her nose over the summer break so that she can have a…

Will the Court Order My Wife to Abide by the Parenting Provisions in Our Separation Agreement?

katy — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:33:30 +0000

Question

My wife and I separated two years ago. We met with a mediator and worked out a written separation agreement regarding finances and arrangements for our two children. We both signed the agreement in front of a notary. Now that we have decided to go forward with a divorce, she says that she wants a new residential schedule for the…

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith Cordially Invite You to Join Them In Celebration of the Divorce of their Daughter Susie from that No Good, Cheating…

liz — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:04:04 +0000

It’s summer, the season of weddings. Ah, weddings, those meticulously organized displays of love and commitment with all of their conventional trappings: the white satin dress! The champagne toasts! The flowers! The cover bands belting out “We Are Family”! The buffet lines!

Many weddings today are the result of months – if not years – of stressful planning, and lots…

When Households (and Religions) Collide.

liz — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:44:41 +0000

A news story out of Chicago tells the tale of a Laura Derbigney, a Hispanic Catholic woman who claims to have recently been ordered by a court to obey Orthodox Jewish dietary restrictions and keep the Sabbath. The reason? Laura’s husband has a son with an ex-wife – an ex-wife who follows the strict dietary and other rules of…

Can I Afford to Get Divorced in a Recession?

katy — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:28:03 +0000

Question

My husband and I decided 6 months ago to get divorced. Since then he has started dating and now has a girlfriend. I am miserable and desperate to split up, but I don’t see how we can afford it.

We bought our house in 2007. We could probably just about sell it for what we paid for it, but we would have…

Can I File a Joint Return After I’ve Filed for Divorce?

katy — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:44:39 +0000

Question

My husband and I split up at the end of September. He says that we can’t file a joint tax return, because we are living apart and I have already filed for divorce.

He thinks that he will be better off by filing separately. But I still have taxes withheld from my pay checks based on a joint return. …