April 20th Notes

Family Law
April 20, 2010

-Assignment on Dissolution, on court website actually filling out the forms online
    -all the information is in the assignment
   
Dissolution/Divorce

Context
-Grounds: fault
    -Adultery
    -Cruelty
    -Desertion

-No fault
    -Shift in attitudes
        -change in terminology
    -Allegation
        -Incompatible
        -Irreconcilable Differences
        -Irremediable Breakdown
        -Irretrievably Broken 

Washington uses:
-RCW 26.09.030 (i)
-irretrievably broken
   
Defenses
-marriage is remediable
-jurisdiction
    -court can not hear the case

Contested vs. Uncontested
-over 90% are uncontested
-Contested?
    -spousal support
    -property division
    -child support/child custody
   
What forms requirements exist in WA?
RCW 26.09.006  Mandatory use of approved forms
    1. party shall not file any pleading with the clerk of the court in an action commenced under this chapter unless on forms approves by the administrator for the courts
    2. the parties shall comply with requirements for submission to the court of forms as provided in RCS 26.18.220

www.courts.wa.gov/forms
-complete a dissolution and child support

What is the petition captioned?
RCW 26.09.010(2)
-In re the marriage of .... and .... 
    -the ... is the last names

Parties in dissolution
-spouse filing the dissolution is petitioner
-spouse answering is respondent
-DO NOT USE plaintiff or defendant

Jurisdiction
-Where is the petition filed?
RCW 26.09.010 (2)
-in the superior court of the county where the petitioner resides

Residence/Domicile
-Residence
    -where one is living at particular time
-Domicile
    -where one has physically been with no intention to make it his or her permanent home & with no intention to make any other place a permanent home

Marriage of Strohmaier
    -Residence in fact coupled with an intention to make the place of residence a home at the moment not at some future time are indispensable elements of domicile

Result
    -court interpret more like domicile than residence

Determine Domicile
-What questions could you ask?
    -mail, utility bills, voter's registration, lease, credit card payments, title documents
-What records do you ask for?

Two types of Jurisdiction
-In personam
    -need both on parties
    -court can:
        -grant dissolution
        -dispose of property
        -provide spousal support
        -set parenting plan
        -determine child placement
-In rem
    -this curtails the court's power
    -court can:
        -grant dissolution
        -must be accomplished in later separate action

Lincoln County Divorce
-online divorce
-quickie divorces
-don't have to go to court

Online Dissolution
-court appearance not required
-both parties must
    -agree to the dissolution   
    -submit to jurisdiction
-one party must be WA resident or in military
-agree on property distribution
-agree on all issues regarding children of the marriage

What if non-petitioning spouse has moved out of state?
-WA state service of process statute
    -long arm statue
    RCW 4.28.185
        -look at (c)(e)(f)
    -long arm statute  RCW 4.28.180

Out of state party
-determine address to serve
-file affidavit with court for out of state service
-serve via personal service in that state

International law applies if they leave the countries
    -will look to treaties to find out how to reach them

Death of party
-the action is over

Dissolution process
-file petition
-serve respondent
-contested       ---> court action
-uncontested   ----->lapse of time

Petition
-file in country where petitioner resides
-Fee $120  can be more, this is a minimum
-If there are children, is separate filing requirement
    -Yes  RCW 26.09.010(3)
    -In re parenting and support of .....
    -the ..... are the initials of the children not their full names!
        -easy for others to abuse this with public records

What must the dissolution petition include?
-RCW 26.09.020
    -last known county of residence
    -date and place of marriage
    -separated, date of separation
    -names, ages, locations of children
    -is the wife pregnant
        -decide not to entire final decree until after child's birth to permit parenting plan and support
        -enter final decree in order to permit subsequent marriage
        -child born of marriage is presumed child of husband regardless of biological truth, absent action to determine paternity
    -if children parenting plan
    -property statement
    -relief sought

Petition
-may also include
-name changes
-identification of community/separate property & liabilities with proposed distribution plan
-proposal for parenting plan, child support, in separate petition

Service of Process
-form of summons depends on method of service used

 Proof of service
-file as soon as completed
    -final order can not be entered without proof of service on file

Uncontested
RCW 26.09.030
    -90 days have elapsed since the petition
-parties can agree on
    -property distribution
    -parenting plan
    -child support
    -spousal maintenance
-the court usually don't disturb this if it's agreed
    -fraud, duress or coercion however might be cause for intervention

Contested
-court's opinions
-RCW 26.090.030
    if fraud coercion  --->  dismisses petition
    if respondent denies marriage irretrievably broken
        -court could;
            -grant dissolution
            -refer to counsel then report in 60 days
            -continue case for 60 days
            -push to family court
            -dismiss the case

Spousal Maintenance
    -RCW 26.09.090
    -the court may grant a maintenance order for either spouse
    -spousal misconduct is not considered in the determination
    -Marriage of Foran: cases of abuse where the abuse is so severe the spouse can no longer be self-supporting

Factors determining
    -financial resources
    -time required
    -standard of living
    -duration of marriage
    -age, physical and emotional condition
    -ability of spouse paying maintenance to needs

Marriage of Luckey
    -support until able to be self supporting

In re Terry
    -equalize post dissolution economic conditions of parties

Kelso v. Kelso
    -needed because while able to work, one custodial parent

In re Marriage of Matthews
    -by order when spouse dissipates or conceals community assets

If you do not ask for spousal support you lose it

Distribution of property
-two methods
1. Equal
    -one half to each

2. Equitable
    -court decides

WA is?
-RCW 26.09.080
Equitable

Guidelines for distribution
-RW 26.09.080
    -nature and extent of community property
    -nature and extent of separated property
    -duration of the marriage
    -economic circumstances of each spouse at the time of the division

Under (4)  Court considers
-health and age of parties
-prospects for future earnings
-foreseeable future acquisitions and obligations
-how property was acquired
-paramount concern is post dissolution economic condition of parties

Characterization of the property
-consideration but not a controlling factor
-courts can override

Special Property
-family home: placement of children determined
    -Marriage of Foley: court may order sale of home or refinance to pay spouse
    -right to equalizing payment within reasonable time

-education and degrees:
    -Marriage of Washburn: marriage ends before supporting spouse realizes benefits of supported spouse's education is a factor
    -amount determined by:
        -community contribution
        -supporting spouse's foregone opportunities
        -future earning power
    -Method of payment
        -property
        -spousal maintenance
        -both

-insurance :
    -proceeds take on character of property insured
    -non probate assets - life insurance
        -RCW 11.07.010 (2)(a)  Mearns v. Scharbach
        -you forget to change the name on the policy to new wife/husband
        -law to change that automatically

-personal injury awards:
    -pain and suffering ---->   separate property of injured spouse
    -reimbursement for injury related expenses, lost wages, future earnings capacity  ---->   charactered according to character of estates being reimbursed

-disability:
    -if supplants retirements benefits then asset
    -Marriage of Kraft: Compensation for future earnings is separate property and divisible
    -May be considered as affecting spouse's ability to pay spousal maintenance

-pensions:
    -retirement income, deferred compensation, any part earned during marriage is divisible
-military pensions:
    -they are property rights subject to division on dissolution
    -best to contact specific branch of military and follow requirements
    -specific language to enable honoring and compliance with direct distribution

-goodwill:
    -professional goodwill is intangible asset subject to division in dissolution
    -Marriage of Fleege: factors applied in 2 step process
        -determine whether goodwill exists
        -determine its value

-stock options:
    -awarded and vested during marriage are CP divisible in dissolution

-property not included in decree:
    -something forgotten
    -cp ----> tenants in common
    -result to partition it requires a new action
        -divided as co-tenants
        -no consideration of equitable division
    -sp ---> remains sp party

-liabilities
    -division of separate and community debts in just and equitable manner after characterizing
   
-community debts
    -can be distributed between parties
    -satisfy with assets to avoid problems
    -refinancing
    -work with creditors

IRS
-parties signed joint tax return ----> both are liable
    -innocent spouse rule
    -in tax court, you need to prove you are not guilty
   
Attorney fees
    -RCW 26.09.140  court may order one party to pay amount towards another party
    -proof of why you are entitled

Meretricious Relationships
    -living together
    -court determines long term cohabitation is similar to marriage to warrant treatments as marriage for purpose of dividing property
    -statutes do not have to be followed but can be
    -reimbursements may be ordered if sp received benefits from relationship