Seattle Unmarried Couples & Domestic Partnership Attorneys
PRACTICE AREAS
The end of a long-term relationship can create significant legal and financial issues even when the parties were never married. Knauf Santos Law represents unmarried partners and domestic partners in disputes involving property, finances, parentage, parenting plans, and related issues.
LET'S TALK
When you meet with us about your situation, we take the privacy of that conversation seriously. We also explain what to expect from the consultation and the next steps that may be available in your matter.
NOT EVERY FAMILY LAW DISPUTE BEGINS WITH A MARRIAGE.
Unmarried couples may build homes, businesses, investments, debts, and families together over many years. When the relationship ends, determining the parties’ rights and obligations can require analysis that is different from a conventional divorce.
UNMARRIED COUPLES AND WASHINGTON FAMILY LAW
Washington recognizes legal issues arising from some long-term committed relationships even when the parties were not married. The applicable analysis depends on the nature of the relationship, the property involved, agreements between the parties, and the particular claims being asserted.
PROPERTY AND FINANCIAL DISPUTES
Unmarried partners may dispute ownership of homes, bank accounts, businesses, personal property, investments, debts, or contributions made during the relationship. Documents showing title, payments, agreements, account activity, and the history of the relationship can be important.
COMMITTED INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS
Some Washington cases involving unmarried couples raise questions about whether the relationship should be treated as a committed intimate relationship for purposes of resolving property issues. This is a fact-specific legal analysis and should not be assumed merely from the length of the relationship.
PARENTAGE AND PARENTING ISSUES
When unmarried partners have children, parentage, parenting plans, residential schedules, decision-making, and child support may need to be addressed independently of the parties’ property dispute.
DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS
Registered domestic partnerships can raise their own family-law questions concerning status, property, support, parenting, and dissolution. The applicable legal framework depends on the nature of the partnership and the issues requiring resolution.
WHAT TO CONSIDER BEFORE TAKING THE NEXT STEP
Before deciding how to proceed, identify the existing court orders or agreements, the facts that are actually disputed, the documents needed to support your position, any approaching deadlines, and the practical result you are trying to achieve. A focused review at the beginning can help distinguish immediate problems from issues that require a longer-term strategy.
HOW KNAUF SANTOS LAW HELPS UNMARRIED PARTNERS
We help clients identify the legal issues arising from the relationship, analyze property and financial records, address parenting and parentage issues where applicable, explore settlement, and prepare contested matters for court. We represent clients in King and Snohomish Counties.
ENDING AN UNMARRIED RELATIONSHIP CAN STILL REQUIRE SERIOUS LEGAL AND FINANCIAL PLANNING.
The first step is determining which legal framework applies and identifying the property, financial, and parenting issues that actually need to be resolved.