Washington Spousal Maintenance

In Washington, the concept of alimony was replaced with spousal maintenance. Maintenance is based upon what the court ultimately determines is just, including the resources of the party requesting maintenance including the assets to be received and the need for child support, time needed to get training to become employable, the standard of living established during the relationship, the duration of the relationship, the age and condition (physical, emotional or financial) of the party requesting maintenance, and the ability of the paying spouse to meet his/her needs while paying maintenance.

There are always two issues that need to be addressed with spousal maintenance. The first is how much, and the second is how long. Unfortunately there is no scientific formula to determine either of these. It is more of an art than it is a science. A good, experienced family law attorney can give you an idea of what you might expect from your trial judge.

The Renton law firm of Mogren, Glessner & Roti, represents clients in a variety of family law cases, including determining spousal maintenance is divorce actions. Please visit our web page at http://www.mgrlaw.com/ for more information.

Post Secondary Education Expense

With high school graduations taking place, it it time to consider the issue of paying for college expenses. In Washington, the court does not have the authority to order a married couple to pay for the children's college education, it is left up to the parents to decide, what if any, contribution to make.

In the event of a divorce, the court has the authority to determine post-secondary education. It is basically the continuation of child support beyond age 18 or graduation from high school, although the method of computation is different. The first issue the court must decide, is whether or not to order it. Factors the court considers is whether the parents went to college and whether they would have contributed had there not been a divorce. In most cases today, the court orders the parents to contribute.

The second issue, is how much the parties must pay. There is not a set formula, it is up to the parties to agree, or the court to determine what is reasonable. Typically, the court will cap the expense at the cost of attending the University of Washington. This way the child can attend any school they want, but if they go out of state or to private school, the parents are not obligated to pay beyond the cost of the local public institution. If the child attends a lesser expensive institution, the actual cost would be used. The court will usually use the posted cost of attendance at the institution for tuition, room and board, fees, transportation and personal expenses.

The big issue is frequently how to split the expense. It is typically split between the parents based upon their comparative net incomes. The bigger question is typically how much, if any, the child should pay. The answer depends upon the trial judge, it all depends.

It is important to remember that you must make a formal court request for post-secondary education support before the underlying obligation of support terminates.

The Renton law firm of Mogren, Glessner & Roti, represents clients in a variety of family law cases, including post secondary education and Child Support Modification actions. Please visit our web page at http://www.mgrlaw.com/ for more information.

Renton Family Law Lawyer Peter Mogren

I thought I would take this opportunity to tell you something about myself. I joined our law firm in 1980, became a partner in 1985, and became managing partner in 1987. My practice is primarily focused on Family Law (divorce, custody, support, modification, relocation, property division, parenting plans, parentage, etc.), Estate Planning (Wills, Community Property Agreements, Durable Power of Attorneys, etc.), and Probate.

I was born in Seattle, Washington, in May, 1955, and was raised here my entire life. As a child I was on the local J.P. Patches, Stan Boreson, and Captain Puget television shows. I received my B.A. in Business Administration and Accounting from Seattle Pacific University in 1977. I then received my J.D. from the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!) in 1980.

I was admitted to the Washington State Bar Association in 1981, and also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington. I am a member of the Seattle-King County, South King County and Washington State Bar Associations. I am also a member of the Christian Legal Society.

I am married and have 2 children in college. I enjoy running (5K's), skiing (both water and snow) and working with my church youth group (I lead a small group of Senior High School guys every week).

The Renton law firm of Mogren, Glessner & Roti, represents clients in a variety of family law cases, estate planning and probate. Please visit our web page at http://www.mgrlaw.com/ for more information.

Changes to Washington Child Support Law

Governor Gregoire just signed a new law changing how we calculate Child Support in the State of Washington. This is the first update to the Child Support Schedules in years. The new changes will go into effect October 1, 2009.

Some of the changes to the child support calculations are as follows:

• The Child Support Schedules start at combined net income of $1,000 instead of $600.


• The Child Support Schedules continue to a combined net income of $12,000, instead of stopping at $5,000 (presumtive) and $7,000 (advisory).
• Some overtime and 2nd job income can be excluded from income.
• The deduction for retirement contributions from gross income is increased from $2,000 to $5,000 per year.
• The method of determining income to be imputed to a parent when records are lacking has been expanded in a heirarchy.
• Health care costs (to be shared) have been defined.
• The minimum support payment has been increased from $25 per child per month to $50 per child per month.

This could have a significant effect on many Child Support Orders, increasing the amounts that will be due in the State of Washington. If you would like to have your child support order reviewed to determine the amount of child support under the new laws, please call our office.

The Renton law firm of Mogren, Glessner & Roti, represents clients in a variety of family law cases, including the determination of Child Support and Child Support Modification actions. Please visit our web page at http://www.mgrlaw.com/ for more information.

Washington Adoptions

Adoptions are an important legal process of terminating the biological parent's legal rights and responsibilities, and establishing them for the new adoptive parents. Because there are significant legal and constitutional rights involved, it is important that the process is done correctly. We strongly advise you to have legal representation through this entire process. At our firm, we do many adoptions (full, step-parent, DSHS, etc.) and can make sure they are done completely and efficiently (saving you time, concerns and money).

The Renton law firm of Mogren, Glessner & Roti, represents clients in a variety of family law cases, including adoptions. Please visit our web page at http://www.mgrlaw.com/ for more information.

Christian Lawyers, Washington

All of the lawyers at Mogren, Glessner & Roti are active and professing Christians. Our faith in Jesus Christ affects who we are and how we practice law. Whether it is estate planning, probate, family law, adoptions, or personal injury, what we believe has an impact on how we see the world we live in and how we relate to the clients we come in contact with.

We represent clients of many faiths and beliefs, but because of our christian values, we strive to treat all clients with respect and dignity. Without compromising our client's positions, we strive to do the same with opposing parities and attorneys. We try to practice with the highest of ethics.

Please call visit our web page at http://www.mgrlaw.com/ to get additional information, or call us at 425-255-4542 to schedule an appointment.

Renton Attorney, Ronald Glessner

Ronald E. Glessner has been a part of our firm since 1981. He became a partner in 1985. Ron's practice includes personal injury, family law, wills and probate, and criminal misdemeanor.

Ron was born in Aberdeen, Washington, in January 1947. Ron graduated from Warner Pacific College with a B.S. in 1970. He became an ecologist with the Environmental Protection Agency from 1972 to 1978. During this time he did graduate work in environmental studies at Oregon State University. He then got his J.D. from the University of South Dakota in 1981.

Ron was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 1981 and also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington. Ron is a member of the Christian Legal Society, Seattle-King County and Washington State Bar Associations; and Washington State Trial Lawyers Association. Ron's hobbies include skiing, boating and most sports.

The Renton law firm of Mogren, Glessner & Roti, represents clients in a variety of family law cases, estate planning and probate. We have four attorneys to assist you in your legal needs. Please visit our web page at http://www.mgrlaw.com/ for more information.