Crouse Erickson | Spokane
Crouse Erickson | Spokane
Divorce in Spokane gets complicated fast when a business, a pension, or a house with two names on the deed is involved. Crouse Erickson handles divorce cases across Spokane and Spokane County, with a focus on cases where property, retirement accounts, or parenting arrangements are not simple to sort out.
We practice family law exclusively, and divorce is our expertise. Some cases settle at the negotiating table once both sides understand what the numbers show. Others go to court because one spouse will not agree to a fair division or is not being honest about what they own. Either way, our preparation looks the same from day one.
If your case involves more than dividing a bank account, call (509) 624-1380) to speak with our office about what happens next.
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A Spokane divorce becomes complicated when the marital estate includes assets that are difficult to value or hard to divide cleanly. Washington law requires courts to divide property in a way that is just and equitable, and that standard gets harder to apply as the estate grows and varies.
The types of property that most often turn a straightforward filing into a contested case include:
Crouse Erickson prepares every divorce case as if it will go to trial, even when most cases settle before that point. We are a family law firm. We do not handle criminal defense, personal injury, or estate planning on the side, and divorce and custody constitute the bulk of our caseload.
That focus means our attorneys spend their time on parenting plans, property division, and support calculations rather than splitting attention across unrelated practice areas.
For a Spokane divorce involving a business, a pension, or property that is hard to value, our preparation includes:
Washington courts divide marital property under a just and equitable standard, not an automatic 50/50 split. Under RCW 26.09.080, the court considers the nature of community and separate property, the length of the marriage, and the economic circumstances of each spouse when the division takes effect.
That standard gives a judge room to award an uneven split when fairness calls for it. A spouse who gave up a career to raise children, for example, may receive a larger share of retirement assets to offset years without independent savings. A spouse who owned a business before the marriage may keep more of its value if the growth during the marriage is properly separated from the value that existed beforehand.
| Property Type | How Washington Typically Treats It |
| Home purchased during the marriage | Community property, divided as part of the overall estate |
| Retirement account funded during the marriage | Community property, often split by QDRO or similar order |
| Business owned before the marriage | Separate property, though growth during the marriage may be community |
| Inheritance kept in a separate account | Usually separate property, if never mixed with marital funds |
| Income from a business during the marriage | Generally community income, even if the business itself is separate |
This table shows the general pattern, not a guaranteed outcome for any specific case. The line between separate and community property shifts based on how funds were handled during the marriage, and a spouse who mixed inherited money into a joint account, for instance, may find that money treated as community property regardless of where it came from originally.
A Spokane divorce takes a minimum of 90 days from filing under Washington law, though most contested cases involving business or retirement assets take considerably longer. Under RCW 26.09.030, a court may not enter a final decree until at least 90 days have passed since the petition was filed and served.
That 90-day floor rarely reflects real-world timelines once financial complexity enters the picture. A case with a business valuation, contested retirement division, or a dispute over separate property commonly runs anywhere from six months to over a year, depending on how quickly both sides exchange financial records and whether the case settles or proceeds to trial.
A few factors tend to extend timelines the most:
Washington courts divide debt using the same just and equitable standard applied to property, meaning both spouses may share responsibility for debt taken on during the marriage regardless of whose name appears on the account. A credit card, auto loan, or line of credit opened while married is generally treated as community debt, even if only one spouse used it.
This surprises a lot of people. A spouse who never touched a particular credit card may still end up responsible for part of that balance, because Washington looks at when and why debt was incurred, not just who signed the paperwork. Debt taken on for a shared household expense, a joint vehicle, or family medical costs typically falls into the community category.
Debt tied to a business or professional practice raises the same complexity as the underlying asset. If a business carries a loan, that debt gets weighed alongside the business’s value when the court works out who keeps what.
Debt categories that commonly come up in Spokane divorce cases:
Sorting community debt from separate debt often matters as much as sorting the assets, since a spouse who walks away with more debt than property has not come out ahead no matter what the asset column shows.
Washington law allows either spouse to request temporary orders while a divorce case is pending, covering issues like temporary child support, spousal maintenance, and use of the family home. A divorce case may take months to resolve, and temporary orders exist so a family is not left without direction during that time.
A temporary order does not decide the final outcome of the case. It sets ground rules while the larger issues, property division, the permanent parenting plan, and support, work their way through the process. Either spouse may request a hearing early in the case to establish these temporary terms.
Temporary orders in a Spokane divorce typically address:
A spouse who moves out of the family home before requesting temporary orders sometimes assumes that decision affects the final property division. It does not, though it could affect the practical negotiating position each spouse holds while the case is active. Getting temporary terms in writing early, rather than relying on an informal understanding, protects both spouses from disputes about what was actually agreed to along the way.
An agreement between spouses still needs to be written into a legally enforceable parenting plan, property settlement, and decree that a Washington court accepts. A lawyer reviews that paperwork to confirm it protects your interests and meets the court’s requirements, even in an uncontested case.
A business’s value for divorce purposes is not the same number a business owner reports for tax purposes, and an independent valuation is often necessary. Crouse Erickson works with financial professionals who assess business value specifically for divorce cases.
A spouse may attempt to hide assets, but Washington’s discovery process gives the other side legal tools to compel financial disclosure. Bank subpoenas, deposition testimony, and forensic accounting are all available when a spouse’s financial picture does not add up.
Filing first does not give either spouse a legal advantage in how property is divided or how a parenting plan is structured. Washington is a no-fault state, and the court’s decisions rest on the facts of the case rather than who filed the petition.
Yes, Washington is a community property state, meaning most assets and income acquired during the marriage belong to both spouses jointly. Property owned before the marriage, or received individually as a gift or inheritance, generally remains separate property unless it gets mixed with marital funds.
No, Washington is a no-fault divorce state, so a spouse only needs to state that the marriage is irretrievably broken. Courts do not require proof of wrongdoing such as infidelity or misconduct before granting a divorce.
Spousal maintenance, also called alimony, depends on factors including the length of the marriage, each spouse’s income and earning capacity, and the standard of living established during the marriage. There is no fixed formula, and a judge weighs these factors based on the specific facts of the case.
A family business built or grown during the marriage is typically subject to division as community property, even if only one spouse worked in it. The business usually needs an independent valuation, and the court decides whether one spouse buys out the other’s interest or the business is sold.
Yes, most Spokane divorce cases resolve through negotiation or mediation rather than trial. Crouse Erickson prepares every case as though it may go to trial, which often strengthens a client’s position at the negotiating table.
A divorce involving a business, retirement accounts, or property that is hard to value calls for preparation from the first meeting, not after the other side has already made its move. Crouse Erickson works with Spokane spouses who need someone who understands what a fair division actually requires, not just what the paperwork looks like on the surface.
If your situation also involves custody or support, our attorneys handle child custody, child support, and legal separation as part of the same exclusive family law practice.
Call (509) 624-1380) to talk with our office about your situation. Your consultation with Crouse Erickson is confidential.
