Meet Amanda J. Cook, Family Law Attorney
If you are the parent of a child that does not live primarily with you, or if you are getting a divorce from your spouse, the court may order you to pay child support and/or spousal support. If you have questions about these two types of support, what to do if you are ordered to pay them, or what to do if your spouse has been ordered to make payments and is not, our law firm can help. At the Law Office of Amanda J. Cook PLLC, we are here to help you take control of your divorce and your life after marriage.
Determining Child Support in Washington
Each parent is responsible for providing financially for their child, which means that if your child does not live primarily in your home, you will likely be ordered to make child support payments.
How much you will pay will be determined by Washington’s Child Support Schedule. The schedule is designed to ensure that child support payments are fair based on each parent’s income, and that a child is provided for based on their needs. Child support will be established for each child, but except in very limited circumstances, your child support obligation should not be more than 45 percent of your net income.
If the court orders you to pay child support, you must do so. If a parent or the state must act to enforce a child support obligation, there can be serious consequences.
Spousal Support in Washington
The court may also order one spouse to provide financial support to the other. This is referred to in Washington as “spousal maintenance.” Whether or not spousal maintenance is ordered depends upon the court’s analysis of factors provided in RCW 26.09.090, including:
- The financial resources of each spouse;
- The time required to acquire education or skills necessary for the financially-disadvantaged spouse to have gainful employment;
- The standard of living to which each spouse is accustomed;
- The length of the marriage;
- The condition, age, and financial obligations of the financially-disadvantaged spouse; and
- The ability of a spouse to provide financial support while meeting his or her own obligations.
Like child support, paying court-ordered spousal maintenance is not optional.
How Our Lawyers Can Help
At the Law Office of Amanda J. Cook PLLC, our attorneys know that you may have questions about child support and spousal support when going through a divorce. Our Gig Harbor, WA family law attorneys are here for you. Whether there is a dispute about how much you should pay or be paid, a lack of understanding of the law, or if you need to collect on court-ordered payments, we are here for you. Contact us today to learn more and schedule an initial case review.
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Each and every client and their case matter to us.
…Divorce and child custody issues are stressful enough to continually go through ,but Amanda always knew how to ease some of that stress. There’s no better feeling than having the utmost confidence in your attorney. Amanda was always there whenever we had questions or needed clarification. She’s hands down one of the best around!
Steve & Marissa
Amanda went above and beyond to help us in every way when it came to our custody issues. She was there for us every step of the way. Her knowledge and expertise helped us at every turn. She is a wonderful person and even better lawyer to have on your side. Thank you ever so much Amanda for your time and effort.