Child support can be crucial to ensure a child’s basic needs are met. While most parents will make these payments voluntarily, this isn’t the case in all situations. If your ex refuses to follow a child support order issued by the court, it’s important to understand that there are measures you can take to ensure payments are made. Specificall…
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Once you’ve created an estate plan, it needs to be updated on a regular basis. Importantly, these documents must be reflective of your current wishes, and your goals may change over time. While it’s a good idea to revisit your estate plan at least every few years, there are also certain events that should trigger a review to ensure it aligns wi…
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Probate is the formal court process in which a deceased person’s property and assets are transferred to their beneficiaries. It is required for most estates in Oregon — even if there is a will in place. While these proceedings can be lengthy, costly, and emotionally overwhelming, many people wish to avoid probate for their family members. Fortu…
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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.…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 —…
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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…
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Sarah M. Litowich is a lifelong Oregonian with roots that stretch from rural eastern Oregon to the Willamette Valley. Those deep connections shaped her belief in hard work, honesty, and the importance of strong, lasting relationships—all values tha… Read More