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Divorce is always a difficult decision, and you know going into it that you will almost certainly take a considerable financial hit in the process. Other family law concerns are similarly significant. All of this can add up to make the prospect of paying for a family law attorney feel daunting. In fact, the primary questions on the minds of those seeking a divorce or ruling tend to be how much is this going to cost and how many families law attorneys charge. The truth is that no two divorces or family law matters ever follow exactly the same path, and the cost can vary considerably. A reputable family law attorney in Bellevue, however, will sit down with you and honestly discuss his or her charges and how you can help keep the cost of your divorce, post-divorce modification, or other family law matter in the reasonable range.

Your Family Law Attorney’s Charges

The Bellevue family law attorney who’s right for you will charge by the hour – and his or her rates will be comparable to those of other family law attorneys with his or her level of experience, skill, and knowledge. Your attorney should take the time to explain these charges to you in considerable detail and to help you better understand your legal needs (the amount of time he or she will likely need to invest in order to achieve your legal goals). Ultimately, the divorce process comes down to balancing the end results with the amount of effort and expense you put into the process.

The Consequences of Your Family Law Matter

Many family law matters are related to divorce and to post-divorce modifications, and the results can significantly affect both your finances and your parental rights. This is why it’s so important to work closely with an experienced family law attorney throughout the process… Consider all of the following issues:

• The Division of Your Community Property – The division of your community property (also referred to as marital property) refers to the just and right (or fair) division of those assets that you and your spouse acquired together as a married couple. This division is settled upon divorce and generally can’t be modified after the fact – unless fraud or another mechanism for cheating you out of what is rightfully yours comes to light.
• Child Custody Arrangements – Your child custody arrangements (called conservatorship in the State of WA) refers to the schedule by which your children will split time between you and your ex (physical custody) and to the issue of who will make important decisions on behalf of your children (legal custody). The court always bases its decisions on what is in the best interest of the children involved, and this typically means that both parents will share physical custody. You may share time with your children equally, or one of you may become the primary custodial parent and the other will have a visitation schedule with your shared children. The child custody arrangements set forth in your divorce can be revisited for modification if three years have passed since they were last modified or if you, your ex, or one of your children has experienced a substantial change that could necessitate a modification.
• Child Support – Child support is generally predicated on state calculation guidelines, but the court has considerable discretionary power in this decision-making process (and will take extenuating circumstances into consideration). Further, if your financial circumstances, your ex’s financial circumstances, or your children’s financial needs have changed considerably since child support was set, a modification may be in order.
• Spousal Maintenance – Spousal maintenance is commonly called alimony, and it refers to payments that are usually temporary and that are intended to help offset a financial imbalance between you and your ex post-divorce. Spousal maintenance can also be subject to modification if you or your ex’s financials change considerably.

Call an Experienced Bellevue Family Law Attorney Today

Family law addresses a wide range of concerns related to divorce, post-divorce modifications, matters related to your children, and much more. The legal outcomes of these matters will reverberate into you and your children’s future, which means it’s important to have professional legal counsel on your side. The dedicated family law attorneys at Citadel Family Law in Bellevue are committed to helping you manage your legal expenses while skillfully advocating for your parental and/or financial rights. For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact or call us at 206-790-6430 today.