Divorce Lawyers in Everett, WA (Snohomish Co.) – Genesis Law Firm
We are Everett divorce lawyers: Divorce and family law are areas of special emphasis for us at Genesis Law Firm. Our select team of attorneys enjoys successful experience with family law cases of nearly every kind and complexity. That experience includes cases involving international spouses, contested child custody, high-net-worth individuals, military spouses, physical abuse, and substance abuse.
These types of legal matters can be among the most pivotal moments in a person’s life. Yet attorneys practicing in this legal area notoriously under-prepare for court and negotiations. Genesis is different from competitors in this respect. We approach these matters with the same level of diligence usually reserved for other practice areas. Our lawyers also generally possess significantly stronger legal backgrounds than competing attorneys. That is, our lawyers have better academic credentials or more significant industry-related achievements than most opposing counsel. Expect uncommonly adept representation from our firm.
Expect to receive better dollar for dollar value at Genesis as well. Cost-saving technologies allow us to provide our level of services at an atypically low hourly rate relative to other Snohomish County lawyers. Our clients routinely thank us for our high-quality, low-overhead approach; and the majority of our firm’s clients come to Genesis because of a positive experience.
Contact Genesis to speak with one of our lawyers located in Everett’s city center, just blocks from the Snohomish County Superior Courthouse. Interpreters available to all our firm’s clients, and several of our team members speak Mandarin Chinese.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Are your credentials really better that the divorce attorneys who charge more than you? If in doubt, we strongly encourage you to compare our lawyer biographies to those of anyone in town; the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. Look for school rank, law school performance, and other measurable means of differentiating attorneys. Also look for a narrow practice focus, as you probably do not want a generalist.
You say you cost less per hour than other Everett divorce attorneys. How much are other attorneys charging? From what we notice, most divorce attorneys in this geographic area charge around $250 to $350 per hour. We also know of Everett divorce attorneys who charge more than $350 per hour. You can quickly verify this by calling two or three other local law firms and asking for their hourly rates.
How much will you charge in total attorney fees if my spouse (soon-to-be ex-spouse) and I already agree on all the terms of our divorce? If you and your spouse agree on all the terms of your divorce case—like spousal support, division of property and debts, and child-related issues—you probably should NOT use our firm. Rather, we recommend contacting Peaceful Separations, an Everett-based agreed divorce service that uses paralegals to complete and submit routine agreed divorce forms. Peaceful Separations charges much less than a law firm (including ours), and Peaceful Separations tends to get the job done right. We do not recommend using any other agreed divorce services, especially the ones you might see advertised online. Other agreed divorce services appear to make a tremendous number of mistakes from what we encounter, and correcting those errors can be expensive or, in some cases, impossible. If Peaceful Separations cannot process an aspect of your case, they will probably tell you so. Come back to us in that situation.
You recommend Peaceful Separations for agreed divorces. Is that because you own the business or have a connection with someone there? No, our firm has no known connection to Peaceful Separations.
Can you help with parts of my case rather than representing me fully? Yes, oftentimes we represent clients on an “unbundled” basis rather than representing them in all aspects of their cases. For example, a client might ask us to limit our representation to the review of an opposing party’s settlement offer, the drafting of a difficult document, or the preparation of written materials for a motion. We have a few rules for these types of unbundled services. First, we will not appear in court (orally argue a matter in the courtroom) if we have not prepared the written materials for the court appearance. Second, we will not appear at trial (represent a client in-person at trial) if we have not prepared the case for trial. Third, we reserve the right to refuse a request for unbundled legal work if we believe the unbundled services would jeopardize the client’s case.
How long will it take to get divorced? Statistics from several years ago suggest the average divorce takes about eleven months from start to finish. Some divorces resolve themselves faster, and others drag on much longer. The shortest divorces take 91 days. The required 90-day cooling off period ensures no divorce can finalize in less than 91-days.
Can I get the divorced faster by waiving the 90-day waiting period? No, nobody can waive the 90-day cooling off period. Parties cannot get divorced in Washington in less than 91 days—the 91st day being the first after expiration of the 90-day cooling off period.
What documents should I bring when I first meet with you at Genesis? Bring the documents already filed in the case. If neither party has filed anything yet, then you probably do not need to bring any documentation to your first attorney-client meeting at Genesis Law Firm. On the other hand, if you have volumes of previously filed documents, you might want to speak with your Genesis attorney about which ones he or she would most want to read.
How much does a divorce usually cost in attorney fees? We are not aware of any official statistics on how much the average divorce costs in attorney fees. At least one online source puts the national average at about $20,000 per party; but this is higher than the average at Genesis, where many of our cases cost between $1,500 and $10,000 in attorney fees per party. Of our cases costing upwards of $20,000 in attorney fees, the clients tend to be wealthy enough to afford more demanding litigation than the average case would warrant. The actual cost of a divorce depends largely on how rigorously each party chooses to litigate, the complexity of the case, and each attorney’s hourly rate. Sometimes our firm’s lower hourly rate results in significantly lower total attorney fees than another firm might charge. Other times our lower hourly rate allows us to work harder than opposing counsel while ultimately charging the same total fees as the opposition.
Is mediation required before going to trial? Yes, you cannot proceed to a divorce trial without completing mediation.
If mediation is required, should my spouse and I schedule mediation at the beginning of the case? Ultimately the answer to this question depends on each client’s preference. When parties schedule mediation at the beginning of the divorce process, the likelihood of settlement appears to be around 50%. The likelihood of settlement increases to about 95% when the parties mediate at the end of their divorce case. Divorcing spouses typically elect to mediate at the end of their case—about a month before their scheduled trial date.