Our Family Law attorneys have extensive experience representing clients in divorce and legal separation actions, modification actions for support and custody, relocation cases, and related matters. Whether you need a one-time consultation to understand your legal rights or full representation through a contentious trial, you can count on our attorneys to be your trusted advisors and advocates at every step.

Many divorces can also involve complicated real estate transactions, business succession issues, tax consequences, and changes to wills or trusts. We draw on the real estate, business & tax and estate planning expertise of other lawyers in our firm to help you in these matters.

SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS AND MEDIATION. Whenever possible, we encourage clients to pursue a collaborative resolution through informal settlement and/or professional mediation of their disputes. We are well known among the mediators in the Greater Seattle area and have successfully settled numerous cases through the mediation process.

LITIGATION AND ARBITRATION. While we will aim to resolve your Family Law dispute collaboratively, we do not practice what is known as "collaborative law" because the rules of collaborative law disqualify attorneys from any further involvement if the case ever goes to court. Our Family Law attorneys will stay with you every step of the way. If settlement or alternative dispute resolution efforts prove unsuccessful, you can count on us to vigorously represent you at family law hearings or at trial.

We are experienced in litigating temporary orders in Family Court, including temporary parenting plans, child support orders, temporary maintenance, and restraining orders. We will thoroughly prepare your case and represent you at trial. If both parties agree to hire a private arbitrator to resolve their dispute instead of going through the court system, we have extensive experience with the arbitration process.

ASSETS. You can count on us for assistance in high net worth disputes involving business valuations, professional practices, stock options, division of closely held businesses, and retirement assets.

AGREEMENTS. Our experience includes negotiation and preparation of pre- and post-nuptial and separate property agreements.

If you are interested in consulting with one of our Family Law attorneys, please contact our Family Law paralegal, Ann Fukazawa, at 206.682.3333, or email her at afukazawa@scblaw.com.

Our attorneys are skilled at succession planning involving business partners and family members, buy-sell agreements, and corporate split-dollar insurance agreements.

Our attorneys have extensive expertise with lifetime gifting plans, family limited liability companies, qualified personal residence trusts, private annuities, grantor retained annuity trusts, self-canceling installment notes, generation-skipping trusts, and disclaimers. After your estate plan is in place, we will help administer and manage your plan, so that as your needs change the plan can be update to protect your family's future by minimizing or eliminating gift and estate taxes.

Protecting minors, the elderly, and vulnerable adults is an important responsibility for today’s families. SCB attorneys have considerable experience establishing minors' trusts, educational trusts, trusts for aged parents, and guardianships.

Our attorneys provide assistance with all phases of probate and administration, including the preparation of inventories and the sale and distribution of assets.

We provide a range of services to seniors who face diminishing capacity (and to their families), including: guardianships, non-judicial dispute resolutions; petitions for the protection of vulnerable adults, power of attorney litigation; and the resolution of disputes (in and out of the courtroom) regarding trusts and estates.