Family Law

 

Washington County's Premier Family Law Firm

Family Law or Domestic Relations Law is a broad term generally used to describe all legal issue related to family relationships, including:

Prenuptial Agreements

Approved by Oregon statute, they still require special care to make sure all procedures are followed.  A well-negotiated prenuptial agreement should be tailored to the role each spouse plans to have in the relationship and provide a framework for how acquired property will be handled moving forward. For those who choose them, these agreements are just as important as wills or trusts.

 

Divorce

When most marriages end, there will be a division of property. Property division is more complex than “divide everything in half.”  Not all assets are the same and mistakes in this area can have dramatically negative effects.  We make sure you understand the difference between various assets and how these differences influence how an asset is divided.  We take pride in our knowledge of assets and compensation of the many high-tech employees working in the Silicon Forest. Property division commonly affects a person’s retirement savings. Get it done correctly the first time and avoid unpleasant surprises in the future.  For high-tech employees and their spouses, see our high-tech page devoted to the unique issues of these cases.

 

Child Support and Custody

For families with children, divorce will also include custody, parenting time and child support. No one knows your children better than you and the best arrangement for the parents and children are most likely developed by the parents.  However, for those unfortunate cases that are not resolved by settlement, our firm does litigate custody and parenting time disputes. 

 

Spousal Support

In some cases, spousal support is appropriate. There are three types of spousal support recognized by Oregon law and each has a different purpose. Spousal support can be very complex and requires an experienced attorney to protect your interests.

 

Modification

Child custody, parenting time, child support, spousal support and property division may be modified by courts after the first judgment.  Although not uncommon, these cases are very individually specific, and require the careful attention of an attorney before any advice can be given.