LEGAL
SEPARATION IN WASHINGTON
A married
party may initiate an action for legal
separation in lieu of divorce. A
legal separation allows the parties to
remain married but ends the economic
community, allowing each to retain his or
her earnings and be solely responsible
for his or her debts incurred after
separation. Major issues to be
decided either by agreement or by the
Court include division of property and
debts, residential and support
arrangements for any minor children, and
spousal maintenance.
A legal
separation action allows the parties to
have the protection of the courts,
without the necessity of disolving the
marriage that a divorce action would do.
Procedurally, you go through much the
same steps you do in a divorce, except
the 90 day waiting period does not apply.
Substantively, the court does virtually
all the things it does in a divorce,
except at the end of the process, you are
still legally married.
If you
have been served with a Petition for
Legal Separation, your written response
is generally due within 20 days.
After six months following the entry of a
Decree of Legal Separation, either party
may request to the Court that the Decree
of Legal Separation be converted to a
Decree of Dissolution.
Our firm consist of three
lawyers, Peter W. Mogren, Ronald E.
Glessner, and Ruth A. Roti. Our
emphasis is in family law, wills and
probate, and personal injury.
Please click on the topics above for
details about these areas of practice,
including divorce, legal separation,
property division, child support, spousal
maintenance, parenting plans,
modifications, paternity, adoption,
wills, Community Property Agreements,
Durable Power of Attorney, and probate.
Our firm is conveniently located
in Renton, King County, Washington, just
off the freeway at the intersection of
I-405 and I-167. Our attorneys
represent clients throughout the State of
Washington, including the communities of
Renton, Kent, Tukwila, Seattle, Bellevue,
Auburn, Maple Valley, Federal Way, Des
Moines, Mercer Island, Burien, SeaTac,
Enumclaw and most of south King County.
The free
information contained in these pages
is not
intended to be legal advice, and does
not create an attorney-client
relationship. You should always
consult with an attorney before
taking any action. Feel free to call
us at 425-255-4542.
