Adoption is a major decision that can come with many rewards for both parents and the child. If you are planning to expand your family through adoption, one of the requirements in Oregon is completing a home study. This is meant to ensure that prospective parents are emotionally and financially prepared to welcome an adopted child into their home.… Read More

Few life events bring as many changes, as quickly, as divorce does. Because there are so many details to manage, one that can stay under the radar is the need to review—or create—your estate plan. Estate planning is something many people put off at the best of times, and it is especially easy to do when you are embarking on life after divorce.… Read More

It can be hard to imagine what life will be like in a year, much less several years, when you have growing children. If you have a custody agreement in place after a divorce or breakup, you made it with the needs of your children in mind. But those needs are almost certain to change over time, along with other circumstances. That means that custody… Read More

Just about everyone understands that marital property division is a part of divorce. But it may not be until you are actually facing a divorce that you wonder: how exactly does the court decide who gets what? Portrayals of divorce in the media often show one spouse “taking the other one for all they are worth.” It’s no wonder that the specifi… Read More

If you have created a blended family, you and your new spouse have probably faced some challenges or loss in the past, and chosen to build a hopeful new future together. You’re older and wiser, and you’ve learned some valuable lessons that will help your new family to thrive. One of those lessons is likely that everything goes more smoothly if… Read More

Adoption can be a wonderful way to expand your family and open your home to a child who needs one. However, the process can often feel overwhelming with so many different pathways that you can take. It’s important to be familiar with the different avenues for pursuing legal adoption to determine how to make the right decision for your family —… Read More

A common estate planning tool that is used to pass assets is a trust. These instruments allow a third party to hold assets on behalf of a beneficiary and distribute them in accordance with the instructions provided by the creator. While there are many different types of trusts that can be used based on your objectives, they fall into one of two cat… Read More

If you are thinking about divorce, it’s important to understand that fighting a lengthy battle in the courtroom isn’t the only way to end your marriage. Depending on the facts of your case, there can be many advantages to divorce mediation vs. litigation. While litigation takes place inside the courtroom before a judge, mediation is an alternat… Read More