Who is Living in the House; Who is paying for soccer camp? – Temporary Orders and How they Help

Who is Living in the House; Who is paying for soccer camp? – Temporary Orders and How they Help

Once the divorce process is over, you and your ex will have a plan on how to handle each and every aspect of your divorce agreement. In the meantime, what are you supposed to do about things such as the kids’ residential schedule, paying the family bills and child support?  “Winging it” is almost never the way to go and often results in unnecessary conflict. Fortunately, this is where temporary orders come into play. Temporary orders can help you and your spouse navigate these issues while your divorce proceedings are still underway. You’re going to need a plan that spells out the many details of day to day living while you wait for the divorce to be final. Make sure you understand how temporary orders work and how you can utilize them.  Also make sure you understand that even these can be mediated – you don’t have to find yourself in Court slinging mud simply to navigate who is paying for the kids’ school lunches.

When are Temporary Orders Needed?

A divorce proceeding in Washington can last one year, and longer in some circumstances. Before your divorce concludes, you’re going to need a plan to handle shared parenting among other things. Some couples can sit down civilly, put their differences aside, and put together a mutually satisfactory agreement regarding the parenting of their children and the business details of their day to day life. More likely, however, you and your spouse cannot agree on whether the sky is blue (or grey as it may be in Seattle), much less a parenting strategy and a bill payment system, and are going to need some outside help when it comes to these details. A temporary order can give guidance on topics such as how property will be divided, a schedule regarding who will be responsible for your children at what times, child support, etc. These are all issues that need to get handled right away, not after months or even a year into the divorce process. While your split is becoming official, temporary orders are what govern many of the details.  These orders can help calm the conflict if amicable agreements cannot be formed.

How They Work

The court will grant temporary orders when they are necessary. These orders typically last until your official settlement is reached. There are several different ways to obtain a temporary order; you can get go to court on a Motion for Temporary Orders or you can get temporary orders through mediation. Temporary orders are (obviously) not permanent, they are meant to provide you and your soon-to-be ex with some court-ordered structure and guidance through the divorce process, particularly where children are involved.

Every family is unique and there isn’t a set list of things that temporary orders will address. However, here are some of the more common issues covered by a temporary order:

  • Sale or possession of marital home, car or other property
  • Child support
  • Residential Schedule
  • Transportation
  • Health insurance
  • Spousal support

How to Obtain a Temporary Order

If a temporary order sounds like something you need, you seek the help of a qualified Washington divorce attorney who can help you navigate temporary orders strategically based on your individual facts and circumstances.

We Can Help

Elise has extensive experience in high-conflict parenting disputes.  If you have any questions about Washington state divorce law, mediation, or temporary orders, contact us.

STAY UP TO DATE

Subscribe to our newsletters

 
Subscribe to one or more of our newsletters, delivering meaningful insight on topics that matter to you and your family.
ebl home subscribe image

FURTHER READING

Latest Blog Posts

Child support is one of the most contentious issues in divorce cases where parties have minor children. Even though Washington state law uses the same complex mathematical formula to determine the amount of child support for each child, there is…

Family law and estate planning often intersect. This is particularly true when contemplating divorce, remarriage, or blending families.

At some point during your divorce case, friends and family members whose own marriages ended in divorce probably told you that it gets better, and it does. Of course, from your perspective, getting out of a bad marriage might be…

Co-parenting over a long distance when you are a non-residential parent does not have to equate to sacrificing involvement in your children’s lives. But it likely does mean you will have to make tweaks in your communication and parenting style to accommodate the new living arrangement.

If you have a significant amount of money saved, you might be considering giving some of it away while you are still alive via what is known in estate planning jargon as a living inheritance. Depending on your desires, you can give your beneficiaries a portion of or all of the inheritance you intend to give them.

Estate planning is commonly associated with preparing for asset distribution and financial management in the event of the estate plan owner’s incapacitation or death. However, an estate plan can protect more than just people and what they have worked so hard during their lifetimes to build. A carefully crafted Washington state estate plan can also protect pets.

Despite being divorced, you may still be able to collect social security benefits through your ex-spouse. Even if you went through a high-conflict divorce or are not on good terms with your ex-spouse currently, they cannot stop you from collecting these benefits if you are eligible. Likewise, your ex-spouse does not need to permit you to apply for social security benefits or have previously completed an application themselves.

If you live in Washington State and have an estranged family member, are you worried about them contesting your will after you die? Well, don’t worry quite yet. There are a variety of criteria an individual must meet to contest a will in the state of Washington.

Depending on your situation, there might also be measures you can take as you revisit your existing estate plan or create a new one to cause them to think twice about doing so. Here is what you need to know about whether an estranged family member can contest a will in Washington state.

When parents go through a divorce, child custody can be one of the hardest issues to deal with. But increasingly in American households, pets are part of the family, and separating can create similar concerns over who gets the family pet.

As a Seattle entrepreneur, you’ve undoubtedly dedicated countless hours and resources to building a successful business. You’ve dotted all of your I’s and crossed all of your T’s. But have you considered what will happen to your business after you're…