Considering Divorce in the State of Washington?

It is one of the most impactful decisions you will ever make, especially if there are minor children in the home.  Please give it careful consideration.  In Washington state divorce is officially called “dissolution of marriage”.  Note that common law marriage is not recognized by the court system.  However, it is important to note that a court may divide up property acquired during a relationship when it finds that the partners have lived in a quasi-marital situation.  Marriage between partners of the same sex is recognized in Washington, as are Domestic partnerships.  Either may be dissolved with the same process as a marriage dissolution.

Here is some of what you may expect.  The court will consider all of the family’s liabilities as well as its assets, whether owned separately or acquired during the marriage as community property.  Their task is to be “fair and equitable,” which does not necessarily translate into “equal”.  One of the spouses (partners) may be required to pay maintenance (alimony).  And perhaps most importantly, the dependent children will have residency and visitation decisions made on their behalf.

All of this is stressful enough.  To go into the process without a trained veteran family law lawyer on your side is just plain folly.  In the Seattle area the right choice is Bellevue, WA divorce attorney Lyle M. Clark Jr.  For more than 35 years he has dealt with all matters of Washington state family law.  Begin this important process in your life by calling Lyle at (425) 452-3092.

Minors Applying for SSI

If you need to apply for SSI for someone under the age of 18 you need to know some of the rules.  The first step will be to complete an application for Supplemental Security Income AND a child disability report.  In this report you will delineate the specific disabling condition of the child and how it affects their ability to function.

Here are some helpful steps to begin your journey –

1.  Look over the Child Disability Starter Kit.  You will have basic questions answered and have a worksheet from which to work.

2.  Contact your local Social Security office.  Find out if you are within the income limits to start the process.

3.  Fill out the report online.  You will be asked for a medical release to allow Social Security to obtain records from the child’s doctor(s) in order to assess the nature of the disability.

The legal issues relating to child’s disability claims are complex.  If your application is denied you need to seek the counsel of someone who is intimately familiar with the process.  In the Seattle area that man is Lyle M. Clark Jr.  Lyle is a professional SSI attorney located in Bellevue, WA.  Tap into his more than three and a half decades of experience on matters of obtaining SSI benefits for a minor by calling (425) 452-3092.