The dangers of COVID-19 present special, even dire problems for single-parenting, co-parenting and extended family parenting. Two recent articles cover many of the issues with sensitivity, insight, and practicality.
“I Never Felt Like a ‘Single’ Parent. Then the Coronavirus Hit.” sums up what so many have overlooked during shelter-in-place orders. It quotes social psychologist Bella DePaulo that fewer than one in five U.S. households consists of married parents and their shared children.
Divorce and co-parenting are tough. For that reason, you need a tough, empathetic, experienced legal team to support you, guide you and get the best outcome for you and your family. Meet our Family Law attorneys in this video. In addition to divorce and child custody, our family law team handles adoptions, pre-nups, protective orders and more.
Contact us to meet with one of our Family Law attorneys today!
Based in Port Orchard, WA with a branch on Bainbridge Island, GSJones Law Group, P.S., represents Kitsap County residents in family law matters, as well as clients from throughout surrounding counties and communities. Among the communities are Gig Harbor, Bremerton, Silverdale, Seabeck, Belfair, Banner, Olalla, Poulsbo, Bethel, Navy Yard City, Fernwood, Purdy. Clients also come from Bainbridge Island and Vashon Island, as well as surrounding areas in Mason County, and Jefferson County.
We are proud to welcome Larry Lofgren as our newest Associate, focusing on family law and bankruptcy. GSJones Law Group is also excited to offer family law and bankruptcy clients a new Bainbridge Island location. Larry comes to us from a solo practice on Bainbridge Island. You can schedule appointments with Larry at either our main office in Port Orchard or on Bainbridge Island. With additional experience in estate planning law and real estate, he will also strengthen those teams at GSJones Law Group. Continue reading
Larry Lofgren has helped thousands of people get a fresh start in bankruptcy and guided many others through divorce, child custody and other family law matters. He speaks fluent Spanish, studying and teaching in Guatemala and Spain, and welcomes Spanish-speaking clients.
Larry’s goal as a lawyer has always been to help real people, not big institutions. He began as a public interest lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union of Chicago out of law school. Since then he worked at larger firms in Chicago and Seattle. He then opened his own small practice on Bainbridge Island prior to joining GSJones Law Group. His extensive experience in bankruptcy law includes Chapter 7, Chapter 13, business issues and litigating adversarial proceedings, including student loan discharge cases. He maintains licenses to practice law in both Washington and Illinois. In addition, he puts that goal of helping people into practice through volunteering for Kitsap Legal Services and King County Bar Association Legal Services.
Larry will have office hours in both Port Orchard and Bainbridge Island. Call our main office at 360-876-9221 to make an appointment with him for either location.
Born in Tacoma, the son of Bremerton natives, Larry Lofgren has deep roots in Western Washington and is delighted to be back home. Yet, he loves travel. After passing the bar exam, he spent the summer living with a Guatemalan family and studying Spanish in Quetzaltenango. Then, during his time in Chicago, he took a year off to teach English in Madrid. There he lived with Spanish and Latin American roommates. Living with them gave him deep Spanish language skills.
Larry and his teenage son live on Bainbridge Island. His many community activities include the local Rotary Club, the Beacon Food Forest, and Friends of Bainbridge Island Farms (board member). He and his son enjoy biking, traveling, backpacking, skiing and playing clarinet and saxophone.
Washington, 2003
Illinois, 1992
Southern Illinois University School of Law, Carbondale, IL
J.D. – 1992
Make an appointment with Larry Lofgren for a consultation on any family law or bankruptcy matter.
Family law and bankruptcy appointments are available at our Port Orchard and Bainbridge Island offices.
Co-parenting? Midsummer is a great time for a co-parenting check-in. Even while you and the kids are celebrating all the fun that summer brings, set aside a little time for keeping your co-parenting relationship running smoothly. This review is particularly critical if your child is moving to a new school or there are radical changes to the school schedule. Yet, even if all will remain much the same as last year, it is worth the time to touch base. This can also be an excellent time to review shared rules that evolve as a child grows older. When you talk together, you may find that your co-parent has changed circumstances and s/he may need some adjustments to the parenting plan.
Last minute surprises always put people in a bad mood. So do a little preventive maintenance for your co-parenting relationship.
Your checklist is not complete until you sit down with your child and find out what they anticipate for the year.
If your relationship with your ex or co-parent requires a more formal approach with an alteration to the parenting plan, David Jones and John Groseclose are happy to help you make those changes. They have a combined total of more than 40 years experience assisting parents to reach amicable agreements that work and going to court when necessary.
Share any other factors that co-parents need to consider before school begins in the comments below.
Divorce faq answers your basic questions about divorce.We want you, as a client, to be well-informed about the divorce process in Washington State. It will help you to make the best decisions about your case. This divorce faq provides a basic outline so that you know what to expect. You will surely have more detailed questions about the process. Your attorney is happy to answer those questions.
All of the following must be true.
At the earliest, an uncontested divorce may be final 90 days after filing. A contested divorce may take longer. Yet, in the interim, the court can issue temporary orders for such urgent issues as child support and spousal maintenance, if you request them.
No.
If you meet all the requirements, the judge will grant the divorce. There are plenty of issues your spouse can argue that may anger you and cause delays. They cannot, however, prevent the divorce. A spouse who does not want a divorce will probably argue over how to divide your property and debts, alimony (known as spousal maintenance), child custody and visitation rights for any children and child support.
If your spouse fails to respond to your divorce petition within 20 days, the court may enter a default judgment in your favor. You will still need to wait the full 90 days for the divorce to be final. There is an exception if your spouse lives outside the state. In those cases, the spouse has 60 days to respond.
Not necessarily. It is always best, however, to hire an attorney if you can afford it. We have found that even spouses that initially think they agree find areas of disagreement during the process. Too often normally rational, even-tempered people become unreasonable as the many emotions that divorce evokes come up.
You may also have rights that you can only discover when you use an attorney.
It may be possible to handle your own divorce if you and your spouse are in absolute agreement about every issue of the divorce. Be sure to explore together every issue that might arise before deciding.
It is not advisable to handle your own divorce if you have:
Consider consulting an attorney to review your divorce papers. The cost of an hour or two of consultation can save you much more both financially and emotionally.
Use the forms and instructions at the Washington Courts website. These forms are also helpful in deciding whether or not you need an attorney and in preparing to meet with your attorney. They give you a good idea of the questions she or he will ask you.
Legal separations include property and debt divisions, as well as the same decisions about child support and parenting plans as a divorce. It does, however, not end your marriage. You cannot remarry. In addition, a separation does not affect Social Security benefits, and it may fail to affect other financial areas. It’s best to consult an attorney.
Once a court issues an annulment, it’s as if the marriage never happened. At least one spouse must live in Washington or, if in the military, must be stationed here.
If the residency requirement is met an annulment is possible if one of these is true.
In the case of an underage or mentally incapacitated spouse, a guardian may file. In the case of bigamy, a child or other spouse may file. You may not get an annulment if you are a minor and continue to live with your spouse after the age of 18.
You must be prepared to fairly divide your property and to plan well for your new life. This requires gathering documents and knowing your financial information in detail. For instance, you need to gather deeds and titles, bank and credit account details, investment information, and information on furniture, art, and other personal property. In addition, you need to compile lists of current and future expenses.
Fidelity Investment has compiled a helpful checklist for gathering the documents needed for divorce.
Could one of our divorce lawyers be the right one for you? Check out the page about our divorce practice.
Or go directly to the profile pages for:
Based in Port Orchard, WA with a branch on Bainbridge Island, GSJones Law Group, P.S., represents Kitsap County residents, as well as clients from throughout surrounding counties and communities. Among the communities are Gig Harbor, Bremerton, Silverdale, Seabeck, Belfair, Banner, Olalla, Poulsbo, Bethel, Navy Yard City, Fernwood, Purdy. Clients also come from Bainbridge Island and Vashon Island, as well as surrounding areas in Mason County, and Jefferson County.
Divorce is one of the most stressful and emotionally wrenching experiences of your life. As a result, you want to make sure that your attorney has the experience and approach that you need to guide you through unfamiliar, rough waters. In their 90 years of experience, our divorce lawyers have seen it all. Most of all, they put that experience to work for you. Our primary goal is to help you reach the best outcome with the least amount of stress and emotional disturbance possible. We want you to get on with your life as easily and quickly as possible. On the other hand, we are well-prepared to handle high conflict divorces and complex property divisions.
You probably have many questions about how divorce works so that you know what to expect. For a basic understanding of the process of divorce in Washington State check out our divorce faq. Knowledge is your best insurance for making good decisions.
Our divorce lawyers work as a team, consulting one another’s expertise when necessary. To the team formed by two of our partners and an associate, we add other attorneys who are experienced in divorce but have other foci now. That means that if you have a family law emergency and your attorney is not available, there is always an experienced divorce lawyer with access to your files who can help you.
Based in Port Orchard, WA with a location on Bainbridge Island, GSJones Law Group, P.S., represents Kitsap County residents as well as clients from throughout surrounding counties and communities, including Gig Harbor, Bremerton, Silverdale, Seabeck, Belfair, Banner, Olalla, Poulsbo, Bethel, Navy Yard City, Fernwood, Purdy, Bainbridge Island, Vashon Island and surrounding areas in Mason County, and Jefferson County.
Call or message us for a consultation today.
You may find our blog post on books for divorce helpful.
Child custody attorneys are here when you need them.Our experienced child custody attorneys stand ready and equipped to provide whatever help you need through the stressful and emotional process of creating and enforcing parenting plans. We know that nothing about separation and divorce is more heart-wrenching and stressful than caring for your children. As a result of the experience our custody team shares, we are equipped to handle your toughest problems. Our services include:
Emergencies plague high conflict child custody situations, and we can handle any emergency situation seamlessly. Call GSJones partner John Groseclose after business hours if you have an emergency at 253-381-6395. Even if your child custody lawyer is on vacation or home ill when you need quick action, you don’t need to stress. One of our other lawyers has instant access to your file and is fully qualified to take quick action.
John Groseclose, Partner, also serves as a guardian ad litem, representing the interests of children.
David Jones, Managing Partner, has 25+ years of family law experience in Kitsap County.
Larry Lofgren has 25+ years experience and can meet with you at both our main Port Orchard office and the Bainbridge Island location.
Call or message us for a consultation in Port Orchard or Bainbridge Island.
Based in Port Orchard, WA with a location on Bainbridge Island, GSJones Law Group, P.S., represents Kitsap County residents with child custody issues, as well as clients from throughout surrounding counties and communities, including Gig Harbor, Bremerton, Silverdale, Seabeck, Belfair, Banner, Olalla, Poulsbo, Bethel, Navy Yard City, Fernwood, Purdy, Bainbridge Island, Vashon Island and surrounding areas in Mason County, and Jefferson County.
David Jones began practicing family law, including divorce and child custody cases in Kitsap County 26 years ago. In fact, all aspects of family law form the focus of his practice. For the last 18 years, he has worked exclusively in family law in Port Orchard. If you fear your family law case will go to trial, choose David Jones and his extensive trial experience and in-depth knowledge of how best to tailor his argument to the individual judges in the county.
He also serves as a judge pro tem for the Kitsap County Superior Court. In this role, he puts his years of experience serving as a commissioner for settlement conferences to assist people to settle their issues.
Although David is in front of a judge an average of three days a week, in more than 90% of his cases, he helps people work out their differences and get on with their lives. He sees each case as unique and works to craft agreements that fit each distinctive situation. Whether it is necessary to litigate the case or possible to negotiate a settlement, David Jones will stand with you. He is outstanding in educating his clients on the law and coaching them through crises. As a result, he assists you in making reasoned decisions in difficult times.
He has worked on some of the most difficult child custody issues in the county, including several trials on the relocation of children. David’s own two children form a touchstone when helping people through the child custody process.
David is an active member of the Port Orchard community. He is a member of the South Kitsap Rotary and was named Rotarian of the Year in 2013-2014, as well.
David is well-regarded in the legal community. He was voted best attorney in South Kitsap in 2011 and was runner-up in 2012. He currently assists other attorneys to gain family law knowledge by teaching continuing legal education seminars in Kitsap County.
Washington, 1993
U.S. District Court Western District of Washington
University of Idaho College of Law, Moscow, Idaho
J.D. – 1991
Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
B.A. – 1987
Major: Political Science
Voted Best Attorney in South Kitsap, 2011
Law Offices of David W. Jones, Solo Practitioner, 1993 – 2001
Make an appointment with David for a consultation on any family law matter.
Family law appointments are available at our Port Orchard and Bainbridge Island offices.
Whether you are consulting on divorce issues, child custody issues, or other family law issues our attorneys stand ready to listen to you carefully. As a result, they base their legal guidance on your individual needs and desires. They provide legal guidance and support when you need it throughout the process.
In addition, they have the experience and depth to handle emergency motions and the most complex cases with ease. Although there are several excellent family law attorneys on Kitsap Peninsula, our team provides the depth they lack. We have the backup when your lawyer has a personal emergency. Due to teamwork, we seamlessly take care of your case. You don’t have to worry if you have an emergency during your own lawyer’s vacation. Most of all, we’re there for you. One of our partners is also available by mobile after hours for custody emergencies: 253-381-6395.
Your family is unique. Do you and your spouse agree on how to divide your property? How about co-parenting your children? If so, we can help you expedite a divorce. We can create a cost-sensitive plan that is tailored to your circumstances.
Do you and your spouse have different ideas about child custody and visitation? How about expectations and beliefs about child custody and visitation? Are there disagreements about how to divide your property? Our experienced attorneys can guide you in reaching the best result whatever your disagreements.
On the other hand, we bring strong advocacy throughout a contested divorce with all its many challenges. In addition, our family law attorneys have extensive experience in helping you settle contentious matters with the least upset and move on with your life.
Our lawyers have the background and extensive experience to deal effectively with the most difficult child custody situations. As an example, both John Groseclose and Larry Lofgren serve as guardians ad litem. In addition, David Jones served for many years as commissioner for settlement conferences. Due to these experiences, our attorneys combine sensitivity with practical and legal knowledge. As a result, the can best support your family and get the very best outcome.
You probably have many questions about how family law works so that you know what to expect. For a basic understanding of the process of divorce in Washington State check out our divorce faq. Knowledge is your best insurance for making good decisions.
In addition to two of our partners who focus on divorce and child custody law, an associate focuses on family law. As a back up we have a fourth attorney with extensive family law experience, yet other areas of focus.
Call or message us for help with your family law issue today!
Based in Port Orchard, WA with a branch on Bainbridge Island, GSJones Law Group, P.S., represents Kitsap County residents, as well as clients from throughout surrounding counties and communities. Among the communities are Gig Harbor, Bremerton, Silverdale, Seabeck, Belfair, Banner, Olalla, Poulsbo, Bethel, Navy Yard City, Fernwood, Purdy. Clients also come from Bainbridge Island and Vashon Island, as well as surrounding areas in Mason County, and Jefferson County.