Monday, March 21, 2016

Easter Egg Hunts - March 2016

 
Click the above link for a list of Easter related events taking place around the Tri-Cities during March 2016.

Monday, March 14, 2016

What is Non-parental Custody?

Non-parental custody (third party custody) is simply defined when the child or children do not remain with either of their natural, biological parents, but rather custody is awarded to a third person.  Usually there are two reasons for this to occur, parents are unavailable or are unfit.  For example, either (a) The biological parents refuse to take custody of their natural children, or are unfit parents due to things like drug use, or (b) the parents are simply incapable of caring for their children because of injury or illness.

The reasons why a court may award custody to a non-parental adult are several.  Among them may be the recognition that abuse has occurred that is caused by, or allowed to occur, by biological parents.  They may be subjected to substance abuse by their parents.  They also may have been deemed to have been abandoned.  The non-parent is often a grandparent, but may be anyone with an interest in the well-being of the children.

There are constitutional presumptions in favor of the biological parent.  For a difficult situation such as this you need aggressive representation on whichever side of the issue you may fall.  If you live in Eastern Washington, contact Spokane child custody attorney Craig Mason today at (509) 443-3681, and find out how he can assist you.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Defining Wrongful Death in Eastern Washington.

The legal term “wrongful death” is easy to misinterpret by the layman.  It is defined as the taking of a life of one or more individuals due to a willful or negligent act of another.  We have seen these claims in the news many times where the survivors file a wrongful death suit against the person whom they believed took the life of their loved one in a willful manner.

It is important to understand that such a suit may be brought against someone even if the act was deemed unintentional.  For example if someone is driving and causes the death of another that may well be considered negligence.  Even in an innocuous situation of a home owner who has a swimming pool that is not properly fenced in they may be sued for wrongful death if a child wanders into the area and drowns.

There are many different situations in which a wrongful death suit may be filed.  You may be the defendant or the plaintiff.  Either way, if you live in Eastern Washington you need aggressive representation.  Contact Spokane wrongful death attorney Craig Mason today at (509) 443-3681 and find out how he can assist your legal needs.