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A child custody attorney in Everett at Modern Family Law helps parents create, change or enforce a parenting plan under Washington law. Everett custody cases are heard in Snohomish County Superior Court, and your first consultation is free.
Custody issues come up in a divorce, a legal separation or a case between parents who were never married. Washington doesn't award "custody" in its parenting laws. The court approves a parenting plan that covers a residential schedule and decision-making for your child.
Custody cases are emotional for everyone, especially children. Our Everett custody attorneys keep the focus on your child's needs and help you build a plan that works for your family's real schedule.
Schedule a Free ConsultationEvery Washington parenting plan has two core parts.
This covers major decisions about your child's school, non-emergency health care and religious upbringing. Parents often share these decisions. A court may give them to one parent if parents can't work together or there are safety concerns.
The residential schedule sets where your child spends school days, weekends, holidays and summers. Some families split time evenly. Others have the child live mostly with one parent. Washington has no automatic 50/50 rule. A judge looks at each parent's relationship with the child, past caregiving, the child's needs and any safety concerns.
Compare possible schedules with our parenting time calculator.
Everett custody cases are filed in Snohomish County Superior Court on the Snohomish County campus at 3000 Rockefeller Ave. You can ask for a parenting plan in a divorce or legal separation, or in a separate parenting plan or parentage case if you aren't married.
Washington courts can generally make custody orders only if your child has lived in Washington for the past six months. Snohomish County requires an approved parenting seminar, such as Successful Co-Parenting or Children in Between, before the court enters a parenting plan. The court can waive it in some situations, such as cases involving domestic violence.
The best plans are specific and realistic. They plan for holidays, school breaks, transportation and how parents will handle disagreements.
If you and the other parent agree, the court usually approves your plan. If not, a judge decides based on your child's best interests. A child custody attorney in Everett helps you present the facts that matter and propose a schedule that fits your child.
Many Everett parents serve at Naval Station Everett or work rotating shifts at Boeing, hospitals and other local employers. A standard every-other-weekend schedule doesn't fit those jobs. A good plan can follow a rotating work calendar, name a backup caregiver and include a deployment section that lets a family member keep up time with the child while a parent is away.
Our Everett custody attorneys will listen to your concerns and help you understand your options. Your first consultation is free.
At Modern Family Law, we look at custody from your child's perspective. We explain the process clearly, so you can make calm, informed decisions.
Frequently asked questions
The judge decides based on the child's best interests, including each parent's relationship with the child, past caregiving, the child's needs and any safety concerns.
No. Washington has no automatic 50/50 rule. Parents can agree to equal time, but a judge decides based on the child's best interests.
Snohomish County requires an approved parenting seminar before entering a parenting plan. Currently approved programs include Successful Co-Parenting and Children in Between.
A parenting plan can include a deployment section. Washington law also limits permanent changes to a parenting plan while a parent is deployed.
If you have a parenting plan, you usually must give the other parent notice before moving with the child. The other parent can object.
Yes. Major changes usually require a substantial change in circumstances. Smaller adjustments can be easier.
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