Jeff and Elizabeth Steen
We can serve as a mentor and guide, but you are in control. Your divorce agreements, child support, and financial asset division will help you create the life that you want. You can protect your relationships and financial future with an agreement that is fair. We can help make the process as easy and comfortable as possible.
At Divorce Without Court: Westside Collaborative Law PLLC, you are in control. Our firm provides mediation, settlement agreements/CR2A contracts, asset/debt division, child support calculations and estimates, and everything else you need to move forward – whether you need a divorce, a legal separation, or a property agreement when you’ve never been married. Our process is private, informal, and saves you the time and fees required for litigation.
Call 206-747-3029 for a free consult to see if we can help you take the next steps.
Client Recommendations
Talking to Kids
About Divorce
If you’re a fan of Mr. Rogers, we’ve found that his style can be helpful when telling your children about your divorce. Here are some tips:
- Stay in the present. Try to only explain what’s relevant for that day, and keep to your usual routines as much as possible. Young children don’t understand the future or the past. Say, “We love you very much. You’re going to stay here tonight. Dad will take you to school tomorrow, just like always.” Don’t talk about next week or next summer. Keep information focused on right now to help your child feel like the situation is manageable.
- Tell your child together. Your child will understand how you act more than what you say. If you and your former partner can sit down and together protect your child’s feelings in a conversation, then your child will know that you can work together in the future.
- Timing matters. Tell your child about the divorce in the morning, on a weekend, and stay with them the rest of the day. Children need time to process the news before they go to bed.
Knowing When
to Step Away
At Divorce Without Court, we rely on research-based methods from The Gottman Institute to help you both feel heard. Dr. John Gottman was divorced twice before he met his current wife, and together, they became famous for his research on successful relationships. A successful relationship is not necessarily one where two people live together forever. A successful relationship during a divorce is one where each person can listen and help each other write the “story of your divorce” in a way that helps both partners, and any children, to feel safer and more comfortable. We help partners focus on facts and move forward in a way that respects everyone in the family.
Divorce Doesn’t Have to Be a Battle
We offer a free consultation and we’ll gladly discuss your situation with you and your partner at your convenience. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
Next steps
- If you want to chat with a neutral person who can help you sort out your options, click here to set up a free no-obligation consult.
- If you think mediation might be for you, click here to start getting ready.
- If you have children, need to pay for your household while you’re waiting for a divorce, and you want to get started collecting the information you need to set up fair child support, click here to fill out our intake for child support. You can keep the form and use it on your own, or work with us to make a plan that will work for your family. Click here to learn more about your child support options.
- If you want to get started on your court forms right away, for free, click here to fill out your forms for free online. If you already mostly agree on moving forward with an uncontested divorce, and only want a fast, simple way to get through your divorce court forms, then you can do it on your own. There’s no need to pay a lawyer.
- If you already tried to fill out your forms and you’re feeling stuck, click here for free help filling out your court forms for a divorce in Seattle/King County.