Spokane Family Law Attorney

Family law cases are different from other legal matters, because the other side is rarely a stranger. It is someone you built a life with, and you will likely still be in each other's lives afterward — at graduations, weddings, and every exchange in a school parking lot. That reality shapes how we practice.

Our approach is straightforward: settle what can be settled, and litigate what has to be litigated. Most family law matters resolve by agreement, and a negotiated result is almost always faster, cheaper, and easier on children than a trial. But agreement is only worth having when it is fair, and we are equally prepared to take a case to a Spokane County judge when the other side will not be reasonable.

Whatever brought you here — a divorce you saw coming, one you did not, a co-parent who stopped following the parenting plan, or a support order that no longer matches anyone's income — the first step is the same: understanding what Washington law actually says about your situation.

How we help Spokane families

• Divorce (dissolution of marriage) and legal separation
• Parenting plans, residential schedules, and decision-making authority
• Child support — establishing, calculating, and enforcing orders
• Spousal maintenance, both temporary and post-decree
• Property and debt division, including homes, retirement accounts, and businesses
• Modifications of parenting plans and support orders
• Relocation cases when a parent needs or opposes a move
• Committed intimate relationships for unmarried couples
• De facto parentage, adoption, and guardianship
• Protection orders and family law matters involving domestic violence

What Washington law actually says — the basics worth knowing

Washington is a no-fault state

The only ground for divorce is that the marriage is irretrievably broken (RCW 26.09.030). Adultery and other misconduct are not grounds, and they generally do not affect how property is divided. One spouse cannot prevent a divorce by objecting.

There is a 90-day minimum

A court cannot finalize a dissolution until ninety days have passed from both filing and service. That period cannot be waived, so no Washington divorce finishes faster than three months.

Community property, but not automatic 50/50

Property acquired during the marriage is presumed community property, but the court divides all property — community and separate — in whatever way is "just and equitable" under RCW 26.09.080. That is a judgment call, not a formula.

Washington does not use the word "custody"

Cases involving children produce a parenting plan: a residential schedule, an allocation of decision-making, and a dispute resolution process. There is no presumption of equal time — the court decides based on statutory best-interest factors.

Child support comes from a schedule

Support is calculated from both parents' combined monthly net income using the state economic table, not from a judge's impression of what seems fair. Washington substantially expanded that table effective January 1, 2026.

What working with us looks like

We start with a consultation where you do most of the talking. Before anyone gives advice, we need to know what the marriage or relationship looked like, what you are most afraid of losing, and what a good outcome would actually mean to you. Those answers change strategy more than the legal issues do.

From there we give you a realistic assessment — including the parts you may not want to hear. Clients are poorly served by lawyers who promise outcomes, and family law is an area where confident predictions are usually a warning sign. What we can promise is that you will always know where your case stands and what the likely range of outcomes is.

We also try to keep costs proportionate. Not every disagreement is worth litigating, and part of our job is telling you when the fight will cost more than the thing being fought over.

Where we practice

Most of our family law cases are filed in Spokane County Superior Court, and we regularly represent clients throughout Eastern Washington — including Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney, Airway Heights, Deer Park, Medical Lake, Millwood, and the surrounding communities. Local practice matters: knowing how a particular commissioner handles temporary orders, or how a specific judge views relocation, is genuinely useful information.

When children are involved

Everything gets harder, and the stakes get higher. Washington courts apply the child's best interests as the controlling standard, and they are unimpressed by parents who use children as leverage. Our advice in almost every case with children is the same: keep the conflict away from them, document what matters, follow the plan even when the other parent does not, and let us handle the fight. Judges notice which parent is doing that.

Frequently asked questions