Visitation During Divorce

During the chaos in the early stages of a divorce, the courts will be looking to maintain the stability of the children as best they can.  The courts will be looking to provide that stability by trying to determine which parent spent the most time with the children during the marriage (or relationship), and the strength and stability of the bond with each parent.  Of course, the parent should be mentally and emotionally stable, as well, to provide a secure home for the children.

The court does not know you or your children, so you will need to be ready to explain your relationship with the children, and, ideally, have long-standing friends and neighbors who can describe your parent-child relationships in written statements under oath.  "Reality" is reduced to a file of a few pages before your first hearing -- the "temporary order hearing" -- that will set the ground rules during the divorce.

Here at Mason Law, in Spokane, WA, we are accustomed to helping you gather these facts quickly and under pressure to assist you in getting the visitation with your children that will serve their best interests.  Call us at 509-443-3681 to help with your parenting plan hearings, and then, later, to help you get the best parenting plan at trial.

Let’s Begin the New Year with some Important Information.

Washington repealed its Non-Parental Custody Act (RCW 26.10), and as of December 31, 2020, orders final by that date shall remain in effect as final orders, but any pending case is automatically dismissed and must be re-filed under the new Guardianship Statute (RCW 11.130.185 and related statutes).

The key showing that must be made under the new statute is: “clear and convincing evidence” there is no parent of the minor child willing or able to perform “parenting functions.”

Parenting functions are all the ways in which one nurtures a child: feeding, clothing, loving, educating, and financially supporting.

Frankly, no one is sure where this new statute will lead, as statutes require years of court interpretation before the doctrines are clarified.  But Mason Law of Spokane, WA, has been through statutory changes before, and will go through them again.  If you have a grandchild, niece, nephew, or other child, whose parents cannot care for them, and you wish to step in, call Craig Mason of Mason Law in Spokane, WA, at 509-443-3681 to discuss the facts of your situation.

Keeping your Family Together.

If your family has been disrupted by divorce, or a break-up between any pair of parents, in 2019, the underage children get caught in the middle. Washington State courts will probably give you substantial time with your children if you do not have behavioral, criminal, or drug problems.  So, hire a capable family attorney if your former significant other says: “I will take the kids from you.”

Legally speaking, it is in the best interests of the kids to be raised by both parents on terms that most match what went on before the break up, and that is what the court is required, by statute, to arrange.  Some attorneys will promise your angry ex-spouse that they can get "sole custody," and keep you from your children.  They may even try to convince the court that your presence is harmful to the children!

If your break-up or divorce takes this unfortunate turn, Spokane family lawyer, Craig Mason, routinely fights back against such outlandish, and damaging, attempts to keep you from your children.  He has years of experience in helping people just like you prepare and present the real facts, and in developing the relevant witness statements, to defeat such attempts to deprive you of participating in the lives of your children.  Call Spokane Family lawyer Craig Mason at (509) 443-3681.

Children Matter Most

In a divorce, if the parents can cooperate, that is what is best for the children.

Unfortunately, sometimes some parents will use the children as a weapon to harm the other parent in a divorce.  That can mean bitter and heavily litigated divorces, including the use of false allegations of abuse to try to keep the children from the other parent.

Craig Mason is very experienced in combating these damaging divorce tactics, and then, when possible, after restoring normal visitation, and bringing conflict levels back down such that parents can again focus on being parents – just parents who do not live together.

If you face these problems, please contact family-law and divorce attorney Craig Mason.  Craig Mason has represented those involved in messy family issues in Spokane and in the State of Washington for decades.  He will be there for you.  Arrange a meeting at his Spokane office right away by calling (509) 443-3681.

Hold on…That’s my Kid too.

It happens often.  A marriage breaks up and now the kid(s) will live primarily with one of the former spouses.  Now, what happens when that divorcee wants to move out of town to pursue other interests?  Well, obviously your child will be involved in that move as well and you may become estranged from your own child.

More often than not, it is fathers who face this situation. Did you know that three out of four mothers with custody move within four years of separation or divorce?  The reasons why don’t matter so much.  They vary widely, from employment, to being closer to family, to moving in or with a new lover.

Stop…that is my kid too!  You have the right to fight against relocation of your children.  If you have ceased civil communication with your ex, then it is time to seek the advice and counsel of Spokane area family lawyer Craig Mason.  Attorney Mason has been dealing with child custody cases in Eastern Washington for decades.  Call his office right away at (509) 443-3681.

The Importance of Hiring the Right Family Law Attorney.

Your life is in turmoil and the decision on whom to hire as a family attorney is a very important one.  There are so many variables involved.  Maybe you are not married, but you want to establish the right plan for raising your kids.  Perhaps one of the parties involved has changed jobs and needs to relocate; moving the children is governed by very complex statutes.

Each side of these issues has its own version of the facts.  If you do not show up with equal intensity and proper representation you could get buried in a Washington State Family Court.  The court can only know what is in your court file.  The judges have no way to know what has not been presented to them.  The more clear, and less emotional, the factual presentation is, then the better for your case.  

Perhaps you will be too upset or anxious to clearly organize the facts the courts need for these vital decisions.  That is why people involved in divorce proceedings turn to Spokane family attorney Craig Mason.  Attorney Mason will represent your side with knowledge, energy, and above all, expertise in matters of Washington State family law.  Hire the right divorce attorney!  Arrange for a meeting at the Spokane office of Craig Mason by calling (509) 443-3681.

The Proper Focus for Court on Initial Custody Hearings.

In family law court, a bad thing is that there is a lot of perjury.  Many parents want to "win" so badly that they lie under oath to try to achieve it.  A good thing is that such a lie might be the first, second, or third time that parent has told a lie to a judge or commissioner, but it is the 1000th time that the judicial officer has heard a similar lie.  And so it is harder to get away with lying than the dishonest person thinks.

However, "truth" does not exist in court, only "evidence" exists in court.  Your facts for your argument -- indeed, your "life," as it applies to your case -- is boiled down into a thin file of written documents that will be the basis for decision.  Remember, your "life," as the judge sees it, is just the file.  And so preparing your facts is what is important, and what you want are the facts to show your parenting history, your bond with your children, and your financial situation.

"Bashing" the other parent is largely useless, short of the other parent being a child-abusing heroin addict. (And it hurts you to falsely allege such a thing.)  Instead, you must present carefully supported facts that show that you have spent your life serving the best interests of your children, and that you will continue to do so. 

Attorney Mason is very experienced in helping you present what actually matters to the court decisions.  Do not get misled by animosity or attorneys who inflame it.  Keep your focus on the best interests of the children.  Call Spokane family lawyer Craig Mason for a consultation today at (509) 443-3681.