Brook A. Goddard - Family Law Attorney
Goddard Wetherall Wonder, PSC

Practice Areas and Legal Definitions
Divorce:
A court of law is the only way one can obtain a divorce decree, legal separation, nullity, or other form of marriage termination. In addition to termination of the marital estate, the Court also has jurisdiction to resolve issues such as custody and visitation rights, division of property, spousal support, child support, and restraining orders, and a wide range of other marital issues requiring equitable resolution.

Mediation:
Resolution of conflict may be best obtained through mediation rather than trial, as mediation focuses on solving problems rather than winner takes all. Mediation is a voluntary process wherein parties are given the opportunity to voluntarily reach an agreement with respect to finances and parenting disputes without the distress and needless expense of litigation. The strength of a mediated agreement is that it is built by both parties together in an open process that requires all participants to recognize and make accommodations, often without having to compromise one’s own. While no two situations are alike, the emphasis in a mediated approach is to achieve a satisfactory settlement in an efficient and cooperative manner.

Property and Debt Division:
The Court has authority to consider and divide community as well as separate property, regardless of whose name the property is under. This includes a wide range of assets, including real estate, pension plans, vehicles, bank accounts, income tax refunds, and household furnishings. Likewise, the Court may divide responsibility of mortgage, credit card, and other debts.

Child Custody:
Custody is the charge and control of a child, including the right to make decisions with respect to issues such as education, health care and counseling decisions, and religious upbringing. Custody usually refers to a combination of physical custody and legal custody. Many factors influence an award of custody, and the way a case is presented in court can have a large impact on the result for you and your children. If you are awarded the children as a primary custodial parent, it has far reaching consequences both to you and to their well-being.

Child Support:
Child support is a periodic payment made by the non-primary parent to the primary parent to assist with the child's food, clothing, and other living expenses. When one parent is awarded primary custody, as in the event of a divorce, the non-primary parent is required to fulfill his or her child support obligation by making set payments, whereas the primary parent meets his or her support obligation through the custody itself. In circumstances of roughly 50/50 parenting, this child support obligation is frequently reduced significantly, as both parents generally will incur the same costs.

The obligation to support minor children cannot be waived by either parent and is a right enjoyed by the child, not the parent. Washington State has guidelines that factor the amount of child support, such as the amount of time spent with the child, the income of both parents, and the standard of living the child is accustomed to. The Court may allow deductions for items such as health care costs, travel expenses, and other extraordinary costs.

Spousal Support (Alimony):
Spousal maintenance is temporary or permanent financial support paid from one spouse to the other, either in one lump sum or in installments. This support is designed to place the parties in roughly equal financial positions, and is provided above and beyond any division of assets and child support awarded. There are many factors considered by the Court when deciding whether to grant spousal support, including the parties' relative ability to earn money, both now and in the future, their respective age and health, the length of the marriage, and the amount of property involved.

Relocating Children:
When faced with a relocating custodial parent, the court will general require that parent to give the other parent a minimum amount of notice prior to the anticipated move. This notice gives the non-primary parent an opportunity to seek a Court order restraining the relocation of the child. “Relocation” cases are difficult in that they are generally an all or nothing proposition; either the parenting and child are moving or they are not. The Court will consider the best interests of the child in making a decision about whether a relocation will be allowed, which makes these cases very fact specific when predicting their success.

Adoption:
Adoption is the legal process by which a person becomes a lawful member of a family different from their birth family. Once a final order of adoption has been obtained, the adoptive parents gain the same rights and responsibilities as parents whose children are born to them. Accordingly, an adopted child gains the same rights as birth children in regard to inheritance, child support, and other legal matters. The adopted child's name may also be legally changed, and an amended birth certificate issued.

Paternity:
Paternity covers all the matters related to proving the parentage of a child or children. For married couples, paternity of a child is assumed, unless there is a court order or judgment stating otherwise. For unwed parents, paternity can be established by signing an Affidavit of Parentage or by filing a paternity action with the court.

Legally establishing paternity or determining that someone is not the parent of child can have a significant impact on divorce settlements, property division, child custody, child support and the ability to move out of state. Determinations of paternity can also have a significant impact on interstate conflict between unwed parents.

Pre and Post-nuptial Agreements:
Pre and post nuptial agreements are intended to set aside or take precedence over the customary rights which a husband or wife may have in the property of his or her spouse upon termination of a marriage by dissolution or death. In a dissolution of marriage, Courts generally look at all the property of both spouses (including separate and community property) and make an equitable distribution of all property. A pre or post-nuptial agreement however takes away the power of the court to include separate property in an equitable distribution of the parties’ property upon dissolution of marriage. As a general rule, pre and post-nuptial agreements are valid and enforceable in Washington as long as they are reasonable and fair to the party not seeking to enforce the agreement or there was a complete disclosure as to the amount, character, and value of both parties= property; and the agreement was freely and voluntarily entered, both parties had the opportunity to consult with independent counsel, and both parties had full knowledge of their rights.

If you or someone you know needs the assistance of an experienced family law attorney with a divorce or other family law matter in King or Snohomish County, Washington, please call Brook Goddard at 866-615-0305, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free consultation.

Professional Profile

ADDRESS OF THE FIRM:
Goddard Wetherall Wonder, PSC
155 108th Ave NE, Suite 700
Bellevue, WA 98004-5912
Telephone: 866-615-0305
Fax: 425-453-0528

Brook A. Goddard

EDUCATION:

• Tulane University: Juris Doctorate, 2001
• University of Washington: Bachelor of Arts, 1996

JURISDICTIONS LICENSED IN:

• Washington State
• United States District Court - Western District of Washington
  

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:

• Washington State Bar Association
• Washington State Bar Association, Family Law Section
• King County Bar Association
• King County Bar Association, Family Law Section
• King County Bar Association, Eastside Division

If you or someone you know needs the assistance of an experienced family law attorney with a divorce or other family law matter in King or Snohomish County, Washington, please call Brook Goddard at 866-615-0305, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free consultation.