Who Determines Child Custody in Oregon? Handling issues related to your children can be the most important, and highly emotional part of your divorce or separation. If you are going through a divorce, child custody negotiations are typically a part of the process.   In any custody decision, the best interests of the children are always the main priority. Whether you are seeking a divorce, have never been married to your child’s parent, or are renegotiating the terms of your custody arrangement, the welfare of the children always comes first.  Types of Custody It is the policy of ..read more

What is A Parenting Plan? A parenting plan is a written document between separated parents that provides clear guidelines so that parents and their children know what to expect and if needed, provide the Court something to enforce if a parent is being excluded from their child’s life.  All parents going through a divorce or custody case must include a written parenting plan with their final judgment, so a parenting plan is not only a good idea but a requirement. The parenting plan lays out how you will share custody (decision-making), time, and other parenting duties. Some parenting plans ..read more

Planning For The Holidays With Joint Custody One of the most difficult parts of any divorce is child custody. Especially around the holidays, you want to spend as much time with your children as possible, and so do the rest of your family and friends. Splitting time with your co-parent can feel like you are sacrificing holiday traditions and missing out on important memories. But, the holidays don't have to become a custody battleground.  Whether you and your kids imagine a holiday vacation on the beach or sitting around the table soaking up some family stories at home, there are importan ..read more

Understanding Collaborative Law In this day and age, there are many different approaches you can take when preparing for the end of your marriage. Not all divorces have to be hostile and not all cases require court intervention. Collaborative law is one of the process models that our attorneys at DBMA Law specialize in and offer to our clients looking for a more modern and amicable approach to their divorce or separation.  In a collaborative case, clients meet with a highly trained professional team whose job is to achieve a settlement that works best, keeping both parties and children in ..read more

What is a Community Property State? One of the biggest questions you likely have when going through or considering a divorce, is what happens to all of our stuff? Whether sentimental or monetary value, it is completely justified to have concerns about the items you collected and received during your marriage. After all, they are a huge part of your life! When it comes to the division of assets, determining who is owed what and what is fair can come down to the state you live in; a community property state or an equitable distribution one. Of the 50 states, there are only 9 which use the commun ..read more

Did you know that not all legal cases go to court? It’s a common misconception among the general public that most divorce, custody, support, and other family law cases will eventually be decided by a judge in a courtroom. And, since the general public’s only experience with legal proceedings is watching legal television — like the recent resurgence of the hit legal drama, Suits — this misconception is to be expected. The reality is that the overwhelming majority of cases are settled out of court through dispute resolution processes like mediation. When we get a new case in our firm, it’s our j ..read more

Child Support 101: What it is, and who pays it While almost everyone knows what child support is (or maybe even knows someone who’s paying it), few people know exactly how child support is calculated and ordered during divorce, custody, or child support proceedings. And this blind spot in knowledge makes sense — most people don’t enter a relationship and have a child expecting things to end, and so most people don’t expect to be paying or receiving child support in the future.  There are loads of “what ifs” and nuances when it comes to child support, like who pays who, what amount is paid ..read more

I now pronounce you… domestic partners? In 2008, domestic partnerships were formally recognized by the State of Oregon as a way for same-sex couples to be legally bound before same-sex marriage was legalized in the country and the state. And, while the rates of couples filing for domestic partnerships have declined starkly since the legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.S., some couples still opt for a domestic partnership for various reasons. One of the questions we often get in our firm is the difference between a registered domestic partnership and an unregistered one because not every ..read more

Your safety is a priority Crimes related to domestic violence are, unfortunately, on the rise in Oregon. As of late 2022, the percentage of Oregon residents (40% of women and 36% of men) experiencing domestic violence in the state has exceeded national averages.  While new legislation that aims to protect those experiencing domestic violence is being introduced often, Oregon already has a few protective order options in place that victims can leverage for their safety.  Before we dive into Oregon’s various protective orders, if you’re currently experiencing an abusive situation where ..read more

2023: A tough year for the tech industry Since late 2022, it has felt like another large technology corporation announces a mass reduction in its workforce almost every day. In fact, it’s estimated that over 200,000 employees have been laid off in 2023 (as of the writing of this blog), which already exceeds the total number of layoffs in all of 2022.  While layoffs already bring significant emotional and financial hardship to families, we’re seeing the impact of the mass tech layoffs in the family law space, as well. Long periods of unemployment may or may not be the main deciding factor ..read more