Family Law and Immigration Law
in Seattle, Washington

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a federal law established in 1994. It is intended to protect the victims of domestic violence. In addition to other functions, it helps people who have been victims of battery or extreme cruelty at the hands of their U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family members get green cards so that they can remain in the United States legally. Some people don’t realize just Read More

We are in the middle of an unprecedented health crisis right now with states and governments ordering “shelter in place”, complete lockdowns, and social distancing.  Courts are closed or operating on a very limited basis. Schools are closed and parents are scrambling to learn how to provide homeschooling options, provide enough food and snacks for their children while figuring out how to maintain normalcy and sanity Read More

As the world faces an unprecedented health crisis and schools are closed and children are staying at home, new parenting issues have come up. Parents are worried about their children who, per court orders, go back and forth between households. Some of these households may have blended families that also include other children with rotating residential schedules. Some households may be multi-generational and include Read More

You’ve probably heard that if a baby is born in the United States, the baby is automatically a U.S. citizen, regardless of the parents’ citizenship or immigration status. This is due to a practice called “birthright citizenship,” which can also be referred to as “jus soli.” This has been the practice in the United States for as long as it has been a country. We also use “jus sanguinis” or bloodright when we grant Read More

If you have immigrated to the United States from another country and now you’re getting a divorce, you likely have many questions, especially if your spouse was the one who petitioned for you. Today we’re answering some of our most frequently asked questions about divorce for immigrants. What will happen if I get a divorce from my spouse who petitioned for me? There’s no hard and fast answer for this question. Read More

Any marriage that takes place not because of a strong, loving relationship, but because one party needs the protection of becoming a U.S. citizen or green card holder is considered immigration marriage fraud. Immigration marriage fraud comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, from mail-order marriages to marriages in exchange for money, to marriages where one party convinces the other that it’s a legitimate Read More

It’s happened to most of us. We meet someone, are instantly attracted to them, and start dating them. Eventually, they start showing a side that makes us uncomfortable or even afraid, so we end the relationship, thankful that we did so before marriage and children made the separation more difficult. It’s not that easy when you move to another country to be with that person. For years, the United States struggled Read More

Every year, thousands of newcomers travel to the US to marry a citizen or lawful permanent resident. After a successful application for permanent resident status, they receive a conditional two-year conditional lawful permanent resident status, otherwise known as a  “green card”. To lift the conditions and get a 10-year “permanent” green card, the Marriage Fraud Amendments of 1986 requires them to file a joint I-751 Read More

Why does your attorney ask you for so many financial documents at the beginning of your case? Do you need to provide those documents, and do you have to do it now? The only answer is “yes”. It may be stressful now, but your attorney is actually doing you a favor.  The stress of divorce is caused in part, by trying to get everyone to do what they are supposed to do. Your attorney knows that things can get easier Read More

Domestic violence is commonly perceived as physical acts, such as punching, shoving, or slapping one’s intimate partner. It can also involve emotional and psychological manipulation so intense that the victims constantly live in fear. Non-physical domestic violence can be difficult to recognize for what it is: one person’s attempts to control another. If you grew up in a household where you were shouted at one Read More