Child Protective Services (CPS) is a government agency that ensures the health, safety, and well-being of children in each state. When utilized correctly, CPS makes sure that children who are abused or abandoned have a safe place to stay and work to find appropriate guardianship. However, when CPS is misused, they have the power to ruin reputations and tear families apart. Even if your family is not under Read More

When a student faces an allegation that he or she has violated the student conduct code, consideration should always be taken regarding potential criminal liability. In other words, is the behavior alleged also a potential violation of city ordinance or state law? If yes, or if you don’t know, it is important to consult with an education attorney who also has criminal defense experience so that any action taken by Read More

An Overview of Washington’s New Protection Order Act There are many types of protection orders for different scenarios where someone has done another person wrong and they want protection.  Anyone can file a civil protection order to protect themselves and set legal boundaries in a variety of cases from domestic violence to extreme risk protection orders and more.  In July 2022, the state of Washington enacted a new Read More

The 2022 Apple Cup is in the books, and the Huskies are enjoying their well-deserved 365 days of bragging rights. That also means the end of the semester is drawing near; college students across Washington will soon be taking final exams and submitting final projects.  The end of the semester is usually the most stressful for students. That stress may be compounded by a student’s lagging GPA, as they often need to Read More

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  Beneath the charm of the holiday season lies an undeniable truth, however: the holidays can be stressful. Unfortunately, this time of year and the pressures it brings often correlate with an increased rate of domestic violence arrests.  Briefly, domestic violence in Washington state occurs when a particular crime (including but not limited to assault, trespassing, burglary, Read More

When it comes to the attitude and in-court strategy of your attorney, the “bull dog” style is not always the best approach. Many clients want an attorney who will combat every small point in fight mode or an attorney who has a court style that is dominating and combative.  However, sometimes this approach can actually do more harm than good.   Not every detail is relevant and warrants a fight.  Combativeness by your Read More

Many of those who are up against criminal charges assume they’re going to serve at least some jail time. As we discussed last month, just because you’re up against criminal charges, you’re not assuredly going to prison - and there’s a big difference between prison and jail. Depending on the severity of your charges, you may be eligible for pretrial diversion, a program that seeks to rehabilitate criminal offenders by Read More

If it’s your first time facing criminal charges, you’re likely afraid of facing jail time. These feelings are completely understandable - the chance of spending time incarcerated is scary for almost anyone. It’s important to remember that criminal charges on their own aren’t a guarantee of jail time, and there’s still a lot of work to be done with the help of your legal counsel. Remaining calm and collected so that Read More

Will Smith’s slap during the 2022 Oscars may very well have been a slap heard across the world. In mere minutes, the event took over social media - overshadowing any award, speech, or heartfelt moment of the night. This situation and the resulting discussions on social media can give us an interesting insight into how the law operates around assault, and what really matters when it comes to getting charged for a Read More

Google is a great resource for information - we all likely use it on a daily basis, whether it’s to find out who “that guy from that movie” is, or a piece of critical information we need for our work. This ease of access to a limitless amount of information enables anyone to become an expert on almost anything, at the press of a few buttons. What’s critical to remember, however, is that Google doesn’t know anything Read More