For parents
Child support
Setting, reviewing or answering a support request, for the parent who receives support and the parent who pays it.
Learn more about child support
Family law for parents and grandparents · Spokane, WA
Steady legal help for the people raising kids.
Child support, paternity, parenting plans and grandparents' rights. We help both sides of a case, explain your options in plain words, and never promise what the law can't deliver.
One question runs through every case: what will this mean for your child's week?
- Since 2014
Downtown Spokane office - Five counties
Many hearings by video - Evening consults
Tuesday and Thursday - Flat fees published
No surprise bills
How we help
Eight ways families come to us
Most of our work is for parents who were never married, parents updating an old order, and grandparents who want to know where they stand. Each page explains how Washington handles it, in general terms, and what we would do first.
All services
For fathers
Paternity and parentage
Establishing who a child's legal parents are, or questioning it, quietly and with clear next steps.
Learn more about paternity and parentage
For fathers
Fathers' rights
Real parenting time for dads, built on a plan a court can approve and a child can live with.
Learn more about fathers' rights
For grandparents
Grandparents' rights
An honest answer first: whether you have a case for visitation or care, and the kindest way forward if you don't.
Learn more about grandparents' rights
For parents
Parenting plans
A schedule and decision plan written around your child's real week, so there is less to argue about later.
Learn more about parenting plans
For parents
Modifications
Changing a support order or parenting plan when life has really changed: a new job, a lost job, a growing child.
Learn more about modifications
For parents
Relocation
Moving with a child, or objecting to a move, with the notice, timing and long-distance plan done right.
Learn more about relocation
For parents
Enforcement
When an order isn't being followed, or when you're the one facing a contempt motion.
Learn more about enforcementCourt dates, explained
Have a hearing coming up?
Most parents have never been to family court. Here is what each type of hearing is for, and what we do to get you ready. Most parenting cases settle well before trial.
Before trial · Where most cases settle
Mediation
A neutral mediator helps parents reach an agreement. Many counties expect it before trial, and most parenting cases settle here.
How we prepare: We prepare a proposed plan and a list of what you can and can't give up.
About parenting plansEarly in a case
Temporary orders hearing
Sets a schedule and support while the case is going on. Short, mostly on paper, and often more important than people expect.
We write your declaration with you and keep it factual and child-focused.
When orders aren't followed
Contempt hearing
Asks the court to enforce an order. The judge looks at whether the order could have been followed and wasn't.
We organize your records into a timeline the judge can follow in minutes.
If nothing settles
Trial
A judge hears both sides and decides. Rare in parenting cases, and something we prepare for from the first day anyway.
Witnesses, exhibits and a plan for your testimony, practiced ahead of time.
Resources
Plain-language guides
Short, honest answers to the questions parents and grandparents search late at night. General information, not legal advice.
Grandparents · 4 min read
Do grandparents have rights? An honest answer
The short version: sometimes, in narrow situations. Here's what the law respects first, and what gentler steps can help. Washington, like most states, starts from respect for a fit parent's decisions about who sees their child. That means grandparents can ask a court for visitation only in limited situations, usually where there is a strong existing relationship and the child would likely be harmed without contact.
Read more: Do grandparents have rights? An honest answerParenting plans · 6 min read
Parenting plan basics: the words you'll see and what they mean
Residential schedule, decision-making, dispute resolution. A plain guide to the parts of a Washington parenting plan before you sign one.
Read more: Parenting plan basics: the words you'll see and what they meanChild support · 5 min read
How child support is worked out in Washington, in plain words
Both incomes, the children's ages, and a statewide schedule. What goes into the number and what can change it.
Read more: How child support is worked out in Washington, in plain wordsFor your kids · 5 min read
Talking with your kids about the changes
What children usually need to hear, and what they don't. Written with input from the counselors we refer families to.
Read more: Talking with your kids about the changesWorking with us
How a case usually moves
Every case is different, but the shape is usually the same. You always know the next step and what it costs.
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01 Call
A free 15-minute call
Priya listens, checks for any deadline, and books the right attorney.
Same or next business day
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02 Consult
A 60-minute strategy consult
We read your papers first, then explain your options and the likely costs.
$150, credited
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03 Plan
A written plan and fee
You get the next steps, the timeline and a flat fee or estimate in writing.
Within 2 business days
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04 Resolve
Agreement or court
We try for an agreement first and prepare fully for court if it is needed.
Weeks to months
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05 Follow through
An order that works
We explain every part of the order and check in after the first few weeks.
Ongoing
Six promises we keep
Family court can make anyone feel small. These are the rules we hold ourselves to, on every case, for every client.
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The child's week comes first
Every plan starts with school, sleep, friends and the drive between homes. If a schedule looks good on paper but wears a child out, we change it.
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Straight talk about the odds
We tell you what Washington law usually allows, where a judge has room to decide, and what we think is realistic. We never promise an outcome.
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Calm before court
Most parenting cases settle. We work hard on agreements and go to court fully prepared when an agreement is not safe or fair.
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Both sides are welcome
We help parents who receive support and parents who pay it, mothers and fathers, and grandparents. You get the same respect either way.
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Fees you can see
Flat fees for defined work, written estimates for the rest, and a plain list of costs that come from outside the firm.
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Respect for the other parent
Your child loves both of you. We keep court papers factual, not cruel, because kids often read them years later.
In clients' words
What parents and grandparents tell us
Theo never told me what I wanted to hear just to keep me happy. He told me what the judge would care about, and he was right about almost all of it.
I was the parent being asked to pay more. They were fair to me and never treated me like the bad guy. The math was on paper before I agreed to anything.
Walt explained the law kindly and honestly. We didn't file, and we're glad we heard it from someone who cared before we spent the money.
Reviews on this demo are fictional. On a real site they would be shared with permission, names would be shortened, and children are never named or described.
Not ready to call?
Start with our plain-language guides on support, parenting plans, paternity and grandparents' rights.
Read the guides
Book a consultation
Five short steps, about four minutes. We call back within one business day and check for deadlines first.
Start the request