Family Law: Adoption Placement Report Adoption is an important legal proceeding that must be followed in detail for everyone’s protection. PRE PLACEMENT REPORT Before a family can “advertise” for a child, the adopting family must have an approved Pre Placement Report prepared by a social worker. This report must be filed with the court prior […]
About Ed Shoemaker
Posts by Ed Shoemaker:
Consent in Adoption
CONSENT IN ADOPTION A birth parent’s rights to their child may be terminated voluntarily by the parent signing a Consent. A Consent in adoption is a legal document signed by a birth parent in front of a Notary Public and in front of a Witness. The Consent document identifies the child and indicates that the […]
DSHS Adoption
Are you looking for an experienced attorney to do a DCFS or DSHS (public agency) adoption for you? Washington State Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) or Division of Social and Health Service (DSHS) are the local public agencies involved in Foster Care services. In previous years, DCFS or DSHS could maintain a listing […]
Open Adoption
Family Law: Open Adoption in Washington An open adoption in Washington is an adoption that allows for ongoing contact between the birth parents and the child after the adoption has been finalized by the courts. Or it may just allow for the transfer of information about the child (letters, pictures, etc.) to be shared with […]
Step Parent Adoption
STEP PARENT ADOPTION A step parent adoption is an adoption when only one birth parent relinquishes or terminates his/her rights to the child. Then, by adoption, the other birth parent’s new husband or wife may adopt their step child. When the adoption is finalized, the new spouse of the custodial birth parent is put on […]
Adoption
Family Law: Adoption in Washington HISTORY Adoption in Washington has historically served parents seeking infant placement. Currently, any person is considered adoptable, whether he or she is an infant, older child, adult, child with special needs, or part of a sibling group. Adopting parents may be married or single. PROCESS The decision to adopt is […]
What to do in Case of Accident
If you are involved in an automobile accident and the collision is the fault of the other driver, the following are some guidelines you should follow: Assist the injured: If someone is injured, call for help. Make the injured person comfortable, but do not move them. Insist on a police investigation: In many cases, there […]
Personal Injury – FAQ
Q: HOW IS MY LAWYER PAID? WHAT IF I CAN’T AFFORD A LAWYER? A: Unlike most other lawyers, personal injury (accident) lawyers frequently work on a “contingency basis”. What that means is that the lawyer gets paid only if he or she collects money for you. If the lawyer is successful, a percentage of the […]
Personal Injury Damages
COMPENSATORY LOSS The law permits recovery of all “general damages” for loss which includes pain, suffering, fright, shock, nervousness, humiliation, embarrassment, anxiety, and loss of services to your spouse. These are all presumed damages which may result due to your injury from the accident but must be proven. It is advisable to keep a daily […]
Personal Injury
GOAL IN PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM Washington State law provides compensation for loss due to personal injury. If you have been injured in an accident caused by another person you may have a right to be compensated for your total loss. This includes much more than reimbursement for medical bills, lost time from work, or property […]