Practice Areas

Whether you're going through a divorce, fighting for custody of your kids, or modifying a child support order, you want experienced and consientious counsel to guide you through the process.

Divorce in Washington State

Divorce in Washington is formally called a dissolution of marriage. Washington is a no-fault divorce state, which means the court does not require either spouse to prove misconduct or blame. The legal question is simply whether the marriage is irretrievably broken.

A divorce can be straightforward when both spouses agree on the major issues. It can become more complex when there are disagreements about property, debt, parenting, child support, or spousal maintenance.

The Basic Process

Most Washington divorces begin when one spouse files a Petition for Dissolution with the court. The other spouse must be properly served or must sign documents acknowledging the case.

Washington has a mandatory 90-day waiting period before a divorce can be finalized. This period starts after the petition is filed and served, or after both spouses jointly file the case. Some divorces are ready to finalize soon after 90 days. Others take longer, especially if contested issues need negotiation, mediation, or trial.

Property and Debt

Washington is a community property state, but that does not always mean everything is divided exactly 50/50. The court looks for a result that is just and equitable based on the circumstances.

Property division may include:

• The family home

• Bank accounts

• Retirement accounts

• Vehicles

• Business interests

• Personal property

• Credit cards, loans, and other debt

A careful divorce plan should identify what exists, what it is worth, whether it is separate or community property, and what division makes practical sense.

A Clearer Path Through a Difficult Process

Divorce is not just paperwork. It affects your home, finances, children, and future. The goal is to move through the process with clarity: understanding your options, protecting what matters, and avoiding unnecessary conflict where possible.

Sounder Law helps clients approach divorce with structure, preparation, and practical next steps.

Parenting and Custody

When children are involved, Washington courts use a parenting plan. A parenting plan sets out where the children live, how major decisions are made, how holidays and school breaks work, and how parents communicate.

The court’s focus is the best interests of the child. Parenting plans should be specific enough to prevent future conflict, but flexible enough to work in real life.

Child Support and Maintenance

Child support is usually calculated under Washington’s child support guidelines, based on income, residential schedule, and other statutory factors.

Spousal maintenance, sometimes called alimony, is handled separately. Maintenance depends on things like the length of the marriage, financial need, earning capacity, and the ability of the other spouse to pay.

When the government brings its power against you, procedure matters. So does judgment.

Sounder Law represents clients facing criminal investigation, charging, pretrial litigation, plea negotiations, trial preparation, sentencing, and post-judgment issues in Washington state and federal courts. We focus on protecting constitutional rights, identifying procedural leverage, and helping clients understand the real risks and choices in front of them.

Criminal cases often move quickly. A charging decision, arraignment, release condition, search warrant, discovery deadline, or plea offer can shape the entire case. We work to slow the process down where necessary, force the government to meet its burden, and build a defense strategy rooted in the evidence — not fear.

We assist with matters involving:

• Misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor charges

• Felony charges in Washington superior courts

• Federal criminal investigations and prosecutions

• DUI and traffic-related criminal allegations

• Domestic-violence-related criminal allegations

• Theft, fraud, and property offenses

• Assault and harassment allegations

• No-contact order and protection-order violations

• Pretrial release and bail issues

• Search-and-seizure challenges

• Discovery review and motion practice

• Plea negotiations, trial preparation, and sentencing advocacy

Washington criminal cases are governed by constitutional protections, statutes, court rules, local practice, and the facts of the case. Federal criminal cases add another layer: federal charging practices, detention hearings, grand jury procedure, sentencing guidelines, and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.

Our role is to help you understand what is happening, what the government must prove, what defenses or motions may be available, and what path gives you the strongest position possible.

If you have been charged, contacted by law enforcement, or believe you are under investigation, early legal advice can make a significant difference.

Civil disputes are not just arguments. They are systems of deadlines, burdens of proof, procedural rules, negotiation pressure, and strategic choices.

Sounder Law represents clients in Washington state and federal civil litigation, from early case assessment through pleadings, discovery, motions, settlement negotiations, trial preparation, and post-judgment issues. We focus on building cases that are factually organized, procedurally sound, and aligned with the client’s practical goals.

Civil litigation may involve business conflicts, contract disputes, property issues, professional disagreements, consumer matters, tort claims, injunctions, or other claims where one party seeks money, court orders, or legal relief from another.

We assist with:

• Case evaluation before filing or responding to a lawsuit

• Demand letters and pre-suit negotiation

• Complaints, answers, counterclaims, and affirmative defenses

• Washington civil litigation under the Civil Rules

• Federal civil litigation under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

• Discovery strategy and document review

• Depositions, subpoenas, and written discovery

• Motions to dismiss, summary judgment, and other dispositive motions

• Temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions

• Mediation and settlement negotiation

• Trial preparation

• Judgment enforcement and post-judgment procedure

Good litigation strategy starts before the first filing. We look at jurisdiction, venue, deadlines, evidence, available remedies, likely defenses, litigation cost, settlement posture, and whether the case belongs in state court, federal court, arbitration, mediation, or another forum entirely.

Sometimes the most valuable legal work happens before anything is filed.

Sounder Law offers consultation and case-planning services for clients who need a clear, strategic understanding of their situation before deciding what to do next. This may include reviewing documents, evaluating legal exposure, identifying procedural deadlines, preparing for a dispute, assessing litigation risk, or helping a client understand whether they need full representation.

A focused consultation can help answer questions like:

• Do I need to respond immediately?

• Is this a state or federal issue?

• What deadlines matter?

• What documents should I preserve?

• What should I avoid saying or doing?

• Is negotiation realistic?

• Would litigation be worth the cost?

• What are the likely next procedural steps?

• What would a lawyer look for first?

Case planning may be useful for:

• People who have received legal papers

• People considering filing a lawsuit

• People facing investigation or possible charges

• Businesses evaluating a dispute

• Clients preparing for mediation or negotiation

• Clients who need a second opinion

• Clients who are not sure whether full representation is necessary

The goal is clarity. We help clients separate urgency from noise, identify the legal and procedural posture, and make informed decisions before the situation escalates.

A consultation does not guarantee a particular outcome, and not every matter requires full representation. But almost every serious legal problem benefits from early, organized analysis.