Helping clients make the best choices for their children...

Children's needs are paramount in any family law case. Children are most profoundly affected by divorce and separation, and at The Law Offices of Molly B. Kenny their physical and emotional needs always come first.
The Law Offices of Molly B. Kenny are located on Mercer Island and serve the Greater Seattle, Washington Area.

Our attorneys handle child support and custody cases including disputes and relocation.

A divorce or separation is, of course, the end of one type of relationship, but it is also the beginning of another relationship when children are involved. When you choose to separate, you don't stop being parents, but you must consider what form your new co-parenting relationship will take. An experienced lawyer can help you understand your options and make educated decisions as a parent.

Your Custody Options:
There are two facets of child custody: legal custody, meaning the authority to make decisions, and physical custody, or where the child will actually live. Within these two categories, there are many ways to structure a custody agreement so that one or both parents have certain rights and responsibilities.

Legal Custody:
One or both parents may be given the authority to make decisions for the children regarding health care, education, and religious and cultural instruction. The limits of shared legal custody should be determined in detail to avoid future disputes. The attorneys at Molly B. Kenny help clients determine their legal custody options based on their goals for the child and the realities of each family situation.

Physical Custody: Physical custody may be given to one parent or the other, or held jointly.
In joint physical custody, the children live with both parents, changing residences on a set schedule. It is important to carefully consider the children's needs when determining this schedule so that schoolwork, friendships, and other relationships are disrupted as little as possible.
If custody is given to a single primary parent, the non-primary parent may be given visitation rights. The length and frequency of visitation is another issue that must be carefully considered with the children's best interests in mind.

The non-primary parent may agree or be ordered to pay child support to the primary parent in order to ensure that the child's needs are met.

Child Support:
Whether you are planning a divorce, are an unmarried parent, or are involved in a paternity suit, you may need a lawyer to ensure that child support issues are resolved fairly and in the best interest of the child.
Your attorney can help you determine your child support options, whether you are the primary caregiver seeking support or are being asked to pay child support to another party.

Parenting Plan:
In Washington State, every custody agreement must include a parenting plan. Your attorney will prepare this important document, which includes: 

• Legal Custody
• Physical Custody
• Dispute Resolution (How you and the other party will resolve any future custody disputes)

 

The parenting plan makes clear provisions for the care of children from the time of their parents' divorce until they reach the age of 18.

 

In divorce and custody cases, we always consider mediation before going to trial. You and the other party may be able to avoid the emotional and financial strain of a court hearing if you are able to agree on a custody and parenting plan in an informal setting or in the mediation process.

 

If parents are unable to agree on a custody arrangement, the court may appoint a professional to evaluate the family situation, including: 

• The strength of parent-child relationships
• Who is the primary caregiver?
• Who is best equipped to care for the children?

 

Whether you make custody arrangements in mediation or settle the issues in court, your lawyer can educate you on the full range of your options, protect your interests, and help you build a strategy to achieve a satisfactory and legally binding co-parenting relationship.

Relocation:

Washington state law is based on the assumption that it is important to the welfare of a child to have access to both parents. It is illegal for the primary parent to relocate without giving the other parent an opportunity to object. Whether you are the primary parent and you wish to relocate, or you are the non-primary parent and wish to object, you need an attorney who can help you understand your situation and your legal options.

 

In order to protect children and help parents better plan to meet their psychological and emotional needs, Molly Kenny has access to therapists and mental health experts who can offer insight and advice to parents and children during this transition.

 

At Molly B. Kenny, we focus on communication and education, ensuring that you understand your situation and your options. You will be given every document that pertains to your case as soon as we receive it. Your lawyer will be in touch with you by phone when there is a development in your case, and your calls and emails will be returned promptly.

If you live in the Greater Seattle Area...

If you are planning a divorce or legal separation where children are involved...

If you want to renegotiate your custody agreement or draft a parenting plan...

If you plan to relocate and have an existing custody agreement...

Please call the Law Offices of Molly B. Kenny at (206) 381-0100 or fill out the online contact form.

The Law Offices of Molly B. Kenny are located on Mercer Island and serve the Greater Seattle, Washington Area including:

King County: Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue, Issaquah, Redmond, Renton, Kirkland, Kenmore, Bothell, Kent, Tukwila. Snoqualmie Falls, North Bend.  Snohomish County: Bothell, Everett, Mukilteo, Edmonds, Woodway, Brier, Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Snohomish, Monroe.

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Library for Child Custody and Support:

• Custody and the Law in Washington State   

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