RogueFamilyLaw.com (Oregon Divorce Attorney) Fighting in a ship on the ocean floor  Dying over who drowns first             -Hanson, 2019 In our 4-part series on discovery, we discussed ways the court (generally) and your judge (specifically) can help you if you’re running into roadblocks trying to get information you need for your case. In this next 3-part series, we’ll explore other ways the judge can help you move your case forward to get through the stress of your case to your better “after.” We’ll cover: How judges help settle cases How judges can he ..read more

RogueFamilyLaw.com (Oregon Divorce Attorney) Judge Shorty is presidin' today And he don't take no stuff from nobody No kind of way             -Shorty Long, "Here Comes the Judge" 1968 I recently read an article about a judge in West Virginia who ordered an ex-husband representing himself to let the judge, the other lawyer, his ex-wife and court staff into his home without a warrant. This was not proper and the judge involved resigned after being fined and disciplined. But it got me thinking about how people representing themselves in court deal with judges. Be ..read more

RogueFamilyLaw.com (Oregon Divorce Attorney) I need somebody (Help) not just anybody (Help) you know I need someone, help             -1965, “Help” by the Beatles This is the final installment of our 4-part series on discovery in family law cases. In Part 1, Discovery: the tool you need to know “what’s in your wallet” we explained what discovery is and how it works. In Part 2, The Discovery Tools Available in Oregon Family Law Cases, we took a deeper dive into specific discovery tools and their possible use in your case. In Part 3 ..read more

RogueFamilyLaw.com (Oregon Divorce Attorney) “I’m shredding the document, I’m keeping my mouth shut, I’m running on radio silence. . .” - John Hiatt, “Shredding the Document” 1995 Discovery Abuses: What Not To Do Not just for legal geeks, “discovery’ has seeped into common culture in songs, news, tv and movies. That’s because discovery’s a big deal when it comes to court cases. Used properly, discovery makes your case easier and your outcome better; used improperly, it can bring your case down around your ears. To recap what you need to know about discovery in case you missed Discovery ..read more

RogueFamilyLaw.com (Oregon Divorce Attorney) “And you say, well, who can you trust? I'll tell you, it's just nobody…” -Cyndi Lauder, “Money Changes Everything” 1984 It will come as no big reveal when I tell you that couples (past or current) in court don’t feel they can rely on their soon to be ex. And, sad or not, judges often assume that both parties will be self-serving and may not be accurate reporters. Judges like to get things right when they issue a judgment. And for that, they need reliability and certainty. Discovery is the tool or set of tools you will need to use to give that to t ..read more

RogueFamilyLaw.com (Oregon Divorce Attorney) Before continuing to dive into Discovery, I wanted to take a detour (I promise I will get back to the discovery issue next week which will be MORE relevant after this post).  Something came up this week in a committee meeting about Family Law in Oregon that begs the question: "Why don’t more people use “unbundled” services instead of taking an “all or nothing” approach to hiring a lawyer?" Before jumping in on this, I want to define who the “people” are in this question. First, I’m not talking about folks with no money left over after coveri ..read more

My son loves cars. He’s always loved cars…and tractors… and trucks and anything with wheels. As he got older, he began to specialize and since he was 6, its been all about Formula One Race Car Driving. One of his favorite drivers was the Finnish driver, Kimi Räikkönen. In 2012, we were watching one of his races on tv. It was the Grand Prix series in Abu Dhabi. Apparently, Kimi Räikkönen was getting a bit fed up with the coaching over his earpiece and said, “Just leave me alone; I know what I am doing.” It immediately went viral and I had to look at quote on my son's tee shirt for years unt ..read more

Whether you save up for big vacations or do budget road trips, I’m guessing you don't “wing it.” You likely don’t use your whole travel budget for travel tickets without factoring in food, a place to stay and return ticket. You ensure you don’t get stranded. Approach your case the same way so you don’t get “stranded” in court. I’m not saying your case will be the “fun-filled family adventure” you’ll want to remember with pictures, souvenirs or a scrap book. I AM saying you should budget it like it was. Here’s How You Risk Being Stranded: When you hire a lawyer, you’ll likely sign a contract ..read more

Like a lot of things in law, the word ‘discovery’ has a special meaning – one that is different from everyday use. Discovery refers to a process or set of processes to get information that can mean the difference between a great outcome, an okay outcome and a bad one. Understanding the proper use of discovery is the first step. In this post, we’ll go over discovery in general: what it is and how it works. In later posts, we’ll address: Discovery uses and abuses Discovery help The court’s role in discovery Discovery refers to a process or set of processes to get information that can m ..read more

Legal deserts are a problem. Like food and medical deserts, resource shortages in wide stretches of the United States make it hard for people who live in rural areas. According to the American Bar Association, there are over 1.3 million lawyers in the United States (as of January, 2023). But those numbers aren’t spread evenly. Some states -- like New York and Massachusetts -have almost 10 lawyers for every 1,000 people. Oregon has less than 3 per 1,000 people. It can be even harder to find legal help depending on where you live within a state; over 40 percent of all counties nationwide have 1 ..read more