Posts by Brewe Layman
Ken Brewe earns Best Lawyers of 2018 accolade
Ken Brewe was first recognized by The Best Lawyers in America© in 2012 for his work in family law in Everett, Washington. He has been nominated annually every year since and recently earned his 5th peer nomination for 2017-2018. Ken received the highest overall peer feedback for family law practitioners in Washington and remains in…
Read MoreDon’t settle when it comes to settling: Three musts when seeking a divorce lawyer
Written by the Brewe Layman team It’s emotional and exhausting, and there’s no elegant way to put it – you’re getting a divorce. But the light at the end of the tunnel will get closer and closer, especially if you have the right team on your side. Our job as divorce attorneys is to take…
Read MoreBrewe Layman successfully settles $600,000 lawsuit in death of mentally ill man in jail
Prison should be a place where inmates are provided with the support they need to lead positive lives upon release. Being arrested, however, should not carry a death risk. Brewe Layman represented the family of Bill Williams, a mentally ill man who died in 2012 in Snohomish County Jail after being shocked with an electric…
Read MoreWhat’s the rush? What to consider before fast forwarding your divorce process
Written by Sara Epler This is a follow-up to a blog Sabrina Layman wrote on the five key points to keep in mind when going through the divorce process. This post expands on the concepts she touched on in points one and two, providing my perspective on the divorce timeline and why rushing your divorce…
Read MoreDivorcing? Shooting yourself in the foot will only make it hurt more
Written by Sabrina Layman The truth is, breaking up is hard to do. While most people want a simple, amicable divorce, there are a number of details that need to be considered. Even the easiest divorce has to go through the same number of steps as a very complicated divorce. No matter the situation, keep…
Read MoreCHANGE YOUR BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS
A new Washington State Court of Appeals decision was issued on June 1, 2015, which makes it clear that if you have not removed your ex-spouse as your beneficiary from your pension or retirement plans that are Federally regulated and you die – your ex-spouse will get the money. Even when your divorce decree awards…
Read MoreI think my child’s other parent is under the influence . . . .
As a parent who is either going through a dissolution proceeding, or has an existing Parenting Plan or other custody order, there may come a time when you suspect that the other parent is suffering from an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Even if you don’t believe that there is an addiction problem, you may…
Read MoreIs child relocation a “slam dunk” for primary residential parents?
Washington’s statute on relocation of a child heavily favors permitting the child’s relocation with the primary residential parent. Many clients ask if it is even worth objecting to the relocation. The answer, unfortunately, is “it depends.” An important distinction to remember, however, is the court cannot prevent a parent from relocating. The court can only…
Read MoreSubstance Abuse in the Context of Family Law
Increasingly as family law practitioners we are faced with couples and families caught in the grip of crippling addictions. It can start simply: A dependence upon pain medication, prescribed in response to an injury, which blooms into an addict engaging in drug-seeking behavior. Or a drink at the end of a hectic day to “take…
Read MoreThe Intersection of Mental Health and Family Law
Mental health issues have sprung to the forefront of the public consciousness in recent months. Robin Williams’s suicide being one of the most acute examples of the impact of mental health issues on a person who appears, to the outside world, to be jovial, put-together, and established. Sometimes people with a mental health diagnosis can…
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