As mentioned, Divorce in Washington, and thus Kennewick and the Tri-cities WA, is very complicated. There are four primary things that everyone facing a divorce should consider:
Division of Property and Debt. Washington is a Community Property State. This means that a married couple owns the majority (though not all) of their property as a joint entity. Part of the divorce is ending that joint entity, and distributing the property of the community to the two former spouses. Spousal Maintenance. This is commonly called alimony. It is a payment from one spouse, to another, to provide for the support after marriage. The truth is that the court has wide discretion in awarding alimony, and it is very difficult to calculate the 'right' amount of maintenance. Not every divorce will end with maintenance, and those that do will differ in amount, purpose, and for how long it will last. Parenting Plan. If the two spouses share minor children in common, the court must establish a parenting plan. A parenting plan will determine which parent is custodial (that is who the child resides with by default) and what the visitation will be of the noncustodial parent. Also considered will be the decision making for matters concerning the child. Child Support. Every parenting plan in Washington must be filed together with an order of Child Support. Child Support can be calculated by the Division of Child Support, or the court can do it.