One of the most important financial issues to arise during divorce cases is property division, and as any of our experienced Seattle divorce attorneys will advise you, it is an issue that is very complex due to the nature of the laws involving financial and property matters.  As a result, divorce cases bring up many questions such as:

• ·         How can I prevent my spouse or domestic partner from moving our assets?
• ·         Where will my children live after the divorce?
• ·         Where will I live after the divorce?
• ·         How will I be able to support myself?
• ·         How will we divide our assets?

These and many other questions are very difficult to answer, which is why you should always consult with an experienced Seattle divorce attorney.  Only one of our knowledgeable Seattle divorce lawyers with years of experience can assist you in determining how your shared assets will be divided and how to ensure that you have a secure financial future.

Separate Property vs. Community Property

According to our Seattle divorce lawyers, one of the key issues in divorce cases is the difference between separate property and community property because this distinction can dramatically impact how assets are divided.  In Washington State, community property is defined as:

• ·         Any property that is acquired using community or shared funds
• ·         Any property that is acquired using earnings during marriage or a domestic partnership
• ·         Any earnings the husband or domestic partner acquires during marriage or a domestic partnership
• ·         Any earnings the wife or domestic partner acquires during marriage or a domestic partnership

Any of our skilled Seattle divorce attorneys will advise you that separate property on the other hand is any property that a husband, wife or domestic partner brought into the marriage or domestic partnership.  According to Seattle divorce lawyers, any inheritances and gifts, as well as any profits or rents that come from them are also considered to be separate property.  For example, if the wife inherits $20,000 from her father’s estate, even though she has been married for ten years, the $20,000 remains her separate property.  Likewise, if she inherited land as well and decides to rent it out, any profits she earns are also considered to be separate property under the laws of Washington State.

How Separate Property Becomes Community Property

An experienced Seattle divorce lawyer will advise you that the complexities involved with property division are primarily due to the fact that many assets that were originally separate property have since become community property.  And the longer the marriage or domestic partnership, the more complex this issue of community and separate property becomes, which is why you should always consult with one of our friendly and skilled Seattle divorce lawyers. 

Separate property generally comes community property in one of two ways:

·         The funds of spouses or partners become so mixed together with community funds that they can no longer be distinguished from separate funds

·         Both spouses or partners express a clear desire to transform any separate property into community property, usually by having one of our skilled Seattle divorce attorneys draw up a Community Property Agreement

Why You Need to Consult with Experienced Seattle Divorce Attorneys

Property division is a very difficult issue, especially in divorce cases where there are many complex variables to consider such as stock options, retirement and pension plans, real estate investments and many other financial or property matters.  Our skilled teams of Seattle divorce attorneys are experts at researching and acquiring the documentation and records necessary to successfully negotiate or litigate a positive and equitable division of property in divorce cases.

To our Seattle divorce lawyers, you are never “just another client.”  Our skilled team of Seattle divorce attorneys will support you and guide you with the dignity and respect that you deserve while you navigate through a very difficult and emotional time in your life, all while fighting to ensure a positive outcome as quickly and professionally as possible.  In short, our experienced Seattle divorce lawyers are dedicated to helping you put your life back together by ensuring that you walk away with a secure financial future.

Our experienced team of Seattle divorce lawyers proudly serve the greater Seattle metro area and all of King County, Washington