At Savage Family Law, we help individuals and families navigate divorce with honest guidance and experienced legal representation. Divorce can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone.
Some clients come to us facing serious conflict and need aggressive representation in the courtroom.
Others want a calmer path forward through mediation, guiding them to amicable agreements, wise financial decisions, and giving their kids the great gift of a healthy co-parenting relationship.
Whatever your situation looks like, you will have a team beside you that listens carefully, communicates clearly, and is prepared to handle both straightforward and highly complex cases.
We work hard for people like you who are beginning a new life after the difficulties of moving on from a marriage. Right away, we can answer your questions, put your fears to rest, and begin taking action steps toward the right solutions to important aspects of divorce like property division, child support, spousal maintenance, and parenting plans. Getting qualified, experienced help to manage your family matters is a phone call away.
Compassionate, Strategic Guidance
Experienced in High-Conflict Cases
Mediation & Litigation Experience
Serving Families Across Central Washington
We are licensed, experienced family law mediators.
Mediation is an excellent option for working together with the goal in mind to create mutually agreed-upon solutions that are balanced and viable for both spouses. It’s something that works for many couples seeking dissolution; it’s often more peaceful, private, much faster, and less costly in the long run when compared to a divorce proceeding that requires a judge or family law commissioner to decide the outcomes.
The main idea with mediation is that couples maintain control and decide for themselves how to divide the assets and responsibilities that were once fully shared. Nothing is decided without mutual consensus. And, nothing discussed in mediation can be used against you in court.
Often, mediation can be in one office, with our team in the middle to listen, guide, and help you visualize viable legal solutions. Each party may have its own representation, and we work with other family law attorneys to shape a successful outcome. Either way, you hold onto the option to find solutions that meet your needs, your values, and your goals. In court, your personal matters are not only much more out in the open, but also open to a judge to decide upon, regardless of your story. Mediation can take place at any point in the process, before or even during litigation.
Divorce is always complicated, and some cases involve difficult legal and financial issues. But our experience in family law and civil litigation helps us to understand the emotional, financial, and legal aspects that play a big role in dividing up the things that are most important to hold on to.
We offer guidance as advocates who listen and can walk in your shoes. We offer the experience of facilitators who know the law and know what you’re going through.
When it comes to your property – your house, cars, bank accounts, retirement, debts, businesses, investments, and pets – who gets what can be a complicated question, causing plenty of anxiety.
We’ve walked through difficult cases involving large financial assets and strong emotional connections. It’s rare, if not unheard of in divorce, to find a compromise that doesn’t sting, that comes without contention, and the question of whether each side is getting what Washington law states must be fair and equitable.
Washington is a community property state, meaning that all property acquired during the marriage is subject to fair and equitable division. Assets you owned prior to marriage (except in some cases, personal injury settlements or certain gifts) are usually considered separate property, not common to the marriage. It’s not usual for a judge to award separate property from one spouse to another, but in some cases, it’s possible where it is deemed reasonable for a “fair and equitable” outcome under the circumstances.
All community property needs to be valued, either by the exact amount it holds in the bank, by an appraiser (for a business or valuable that isn’t sold), or through selling the property.
It’s crucial to hire an attorney who has an adequate ability in discovery (compiling information and evaluating assets), is competent in presenting your present and future position to the court (if necessary), and is experienced in the more difficult aspects of division where emotions are often high, and the valuables can’t be weighed on a scale.
At Savage Family Law we have extensive experience in the process of dividing property, both in mediation, in personal counsel, and in the courtroom, where the law is not often black and white. Specific questions about your property are best answered as we hear about your situation. You can also check out our blog, where we try to address common questions and situations people walk through in dividing their assets.
Contact us right away for a consultation.
