Tacoma LGBTQ+ Family Law Attorneys Serving Washington State
The Seattle-Tacoma area is home to thousands of LGBTQ+ couples and individuals. Unfortunately, many of these couples have struggled to find LGBTQ+ family legal services. With offices in Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Everett, Bellingham and Olympia, our team of experienced LGBTQ+ family lawyers is ready to help families across Washington get the quality representation they deserve. We can provide the legal tools necessary to protect families in any child custody, adoption or dissolution action.
What Are LGBTQ+ Family Legal Services?
At Envision Family Law, our qualified lawyers are dedicated to providing fair and expert legal representation to LGBTQ people who are going through divorce with their partners. American divorce laws were initially developed many years ago, and they were specifically designed with only opposite-sex couples in mind.
As the definition of a family continues to evolve, the legal system will continue to evolve with it. The field of LGBTQ+ family legal services ensures the rights of all individuals. LGBTQ+ families deserve the same quality of legal representation as opposite-sex couples.
The legal experts at Envision Family Law have mastered the art of navigating the complexities of LGBTQ divorce law, providing fair representation in courtrooms that often treat LGBTQ couples differently than traditional heterosexual couples. Whether you want to find supportive legal representation for court or you want a lawyer who can resolve matters outside of court, Envision Family Law can help you obtain the fair treatment you deserve.
Our LGBTQ+ Family Legal Services
At Envision Family Law, we aim to help all families get the quality legal representation they deserve. We support marriage equality in all cases and believe that all LGBTQ+ couples should have access to reliable family law attorneys.
As part of our commitment to delivering excellent legal representation for LGBTQ+ couples, we provide all the following services and more:
Adoptions
Adoption is a long, complicated process. Working with an LGBTQ+ family lawyer can help make the entire process smoother. Our experienced attorneys will help you obtain consent from the biological parent and navigate the referral process for adoption.
Child Custody
Child custody cases for LGBTQ+ couples and opposite-sex couples follow a similar process. However, because same-sex marriage was legalized relatively recently, many LGBTQ+ couples are still unmarried. In these cases, only one partner is the legally recognized parent, which can lead to a complex custody battle. Our lawyers can help you navigate a child custody case and draw up a fair co-parenting plan.
Domestic Partnerships
Many same-sex couples in Washington choose to enter into a “committed intimate relationship” (CIR) rather than marriage. During a separation, these couples aren’t afforded the same protections as a divorcing couple. Our lawyers can help you work toward an agreeable separation.
LGBTQ+ Divorces
There are many issues that LGBTQ people may encounter when going through a divorce. One of the most sensitive issues that arises with same-sex couples is determining the legal parentage of a child when only one individual is a biological parent. In other cases, there are couples in which one partner comes out as transgender and the other partner sees this as a reason to file for divorce. When there are children, valuable assets and other crucial variables involved in the matter, the situation can become very complicated from a legal standpoint – which is why you need strong representation when navigating a legal process that was initially designed for straight couples only.
Spousal And Child Support
Securing fair spousal or child support is vital to maintaining your lifestyle. Our lawyers will use all the guidelines set by the state of Washington to determine a fair payment structure. When creating this payment plan, we’ll consider every facet of your financial situation to help you achieve an agreeable outcome.
What Rights Do LGBTQ+ Couples Have In Washington?
Washington has long been at the forefront of LGBTQ+ acceptance within the United States. That stance, combined with the ruling in the Obergefell v. Hodges case in 2015, guarantees that same-sex married couples have the same rights as opposite-sex married couples. These include the right to adopt, marry, have children, divorce and enjoy the tax benefits of marriage.
However, while the rights of LGBTQ+ couples may be identical to those of opposite-sex couples, there are still legal challenges they may face. For example, many of the laws pertaining to the division of custody rights were established based on the typical biological relationship between parents and children. When it comes to navigating custody battles for an adopted child or for a child who is only biologically related to one of the parents, the adoption process can quickly become confusing.
Ultimately, even though LGBTQ+ couples enjoy the same rights as opposite-sex couples, they have a need for specialized representation in civil law cases. If you find yourself in the midst of a family law dispute with your partner, hiring an experienced LGBTQ+ family lawyer is of the utmost importance.
Envision Family Law is a proud supporter of:
- LGBTQ+ Bar Association of Washington Foundation (QLaw Foundation)
- Lifelong AIDS Alliance
- The Human Rights Campaign
- Equal Rights Washington
- Legal Voice
Call Envision Family Law For Quality LGBTQ+ Family Legal Services
The experienced attorneys at Envision Family Law go above and beyond to ensure fair legal treatment for our LGBTQ clients, and we go out of our way to provide a welcoming and supportive environment to individuals of all genders and sexual orientations. We welcome clients to notify us about their preferred pronouns, and we can even help you keep the matter out of bias-prone courtrooms via mediation and collaborative law practices if you prefer that.
No matter what your preferred approach is, you can feel confident knowing that the Envision Family Law team is working tirelessly to protect your best interest when going through a divorce. Contact us at 888-786-8628 today to consult with a lawyer about handling divorce as an LGBTQ couple. Contact us now to schedule your consultation.