Custody and Parenting Time
Our office understands that your children are the most important part of your life as they are ours. Whether you need us to help you obtain custody of your children, ensure maximum parenting time with your children or to make certain that your right to be involved in your children's lives are not diminished, we will stand up for you. Your children are your most valuable asset, you must protect them. Oregon Courts consider a variety of factors to determine custody and parenting time. The Court's decision is based on the best interests of your children. Some of the other factors include the needs of the children, the age, physical and mental condition of the children and each parent, the role each parent or their family has played and will play in the upbringing and care of the children, and the willingness of each parent to actively support the child's contact and relationship with the other parent.

Divorce
Oregon is a no-fault divorce state. Blame is not assigned to either party as to the reason for the divorce. A no-fault divorce can be obtained after you or your spouse have lived in Oregon for at least six months.

Property Division
Oregon is an equitable division state in determining how property will be divided. Oregon is not a community property state. Over the past several years issues and laws involving equitable division have became very complex. Issues such as property owned by one or the other spouse, inheritances and gifts from other family members, family businesses, etc. must all be discussed as they relate to the overall property division. You and your spouse may agree how to divide your property and debt and can enter into a written property settlement/ separation agreement to accomplish this objective. You need a lawyer that is experienced and qualified in these complex areas of the law to properly present and protect your rights and to draft the correct and binding documents.

Child and Spousal Support
Child support requires the examination of the family finances and the needs of the children to come to a final support amount. Child support is initially determined in conformance with the Oregon child support guidelines. A link to the support calculations is on the links page of this website.
You may be entitled to spousal support upon separation from your spouse. The type of support, the amount and duration of support depends on a complex set of factors. Oregon courts consider a number of factors to determine if spousal support should be paid, the amount to be paid, and for how long it should be paid. Some of the factors include the one spouse's need for support, the other spouse's ability to pay, the physical and emotional health of the parties, and each of the parties' earning capacity along with the desirability to provide for the spouse that is the primary custodian of the minor children.

Grandparent and Third Party Rights
Oregon's statute abolished grandparent visitation as a result of the US Supreme Court decision in the now famous Troxel decision. In stead of looking at grandparents as a specific class the statue treats all non-parents as either psychological parents (who may seek custody or visitation) for persons with an "ongoing personal relationship" who can seek only visitation. There is a parental preference in the statue which establishes a presumption that a legal parent acts in the best interest of the child. The presumption may be rebutted by a number of factors which should be discussed with an attorney. This area of the law has also become very complicated and you should not venture into it without an experienced and qualified attorney.

Domestic Partnerships
With regard to domestic partnerships, Oregon recognizes domestic partnerships between unmarried couples, both heterosexual and same sex. Typically, these cases involve dividing assets and liabilities of the relationship based upon an implied or explicit agreement between the parties.

Pre Marital Agreements
Parties to a potential marriage or domestic partnership need to discuss in detail how they intend to manage their finances. This agreement is critical to developing a solid foundation for a second or subsequent marriage.
We prepare and condition our premarital agreements in a way that encourages both parties to develop a fair and far reaching plan for the care and management of their financial future together.