There are three ways to protect yourself financially during a divorce. The first is ensuring that child support is paid. The second is requesting spousal maintenance if appropriate. The third is conducting proper discovery to ensure that all assets are known and are fairly divided.
Child Support
Whether you will be receiving, or paying, child support is often the subject of much worry. How will you make ends meet? The mechanisms for both payment and receipt of child support are rather simple, and help is available for collecting support if it is not paid both from the courts and the Division of Child Support (DCS). The custodial parent receives child support. The non-custodial parent will not receive child support regardless of his or her financial circumstances. Child support may also be available when there is a joint custody and one parent earns less than the other.
A judge has the authority to enter a temporary order for custody and child support. This order ordinarily remains in place until a final decree establishing custody is entered. In most cases, a hearing for temporary custody and support can be held shortly after the filing of the petition for dissolution. All that is required is a motion for temporary support with supporting documents. The amount that you receive will be based on the Washington State Child Support Guidelines and are based on the incomes of both parents. [Read more…]