Pierce County Mediation Services
Lawyers with Decades of Experience Serving Tacoma, Bonney Lake, Lakewood, Gig Harbor, University Place, & Puyallup
At Bolan Law Group, P.S., we are committed to helping parties reach creative and lasting solutions to their legal disputes. Our attorneys can provide mediation services for a wide variety of practice areas, including family law, real estate, business, and other civil litigation.
Our mediators include:
Nicole brings 21 years of experience in litigation and settlement negotiations. Having a varied practice area (including family law, real estate, business law, and civil litigation) gives Nicole the ability to help parties craft detailed and thorough solutions for even the most complex matters. Nicole has broad experience with high asset divorces, including the division of business interests and extensive real estate holdings. In addition to family law, Nicole offers mediation for real estate, construction, business, contract, and most other civil disputes.
David is an attorney with 15 years of experience with divorce, family law, and child custody cases. David previously served as a Guardian ad Litem for seven years, handling over 100 high-conflict custody cases in that role. As an attorney, he has contested court hearings and over 40 trials. More importantly, he has successfully resolved hundreds of cases through mediation. As a mediator, he is dedicated to resolving disputes efficiently and compassionately, by offering honest opinions and practical solutions.
Lindsey is a certified mediator based in Tacoma, Washington, with expertise in all aspects of family law. Lindsey is dedicated to helping clients navigate complex family dynamics with a focus on resolution and collaboration. Lindsey has been practicing since 2012 and has received accolades for her client service. As the former president of the Collaborative Law Professionals of Pierce County and an active member of various legal associations, she is committed to providing high-quality mediation that empowers parties to create a better future.
Chelsea has been mediating with clients since she began practicing family law in 2015, and is excited to offer mediation services to others. With her own military service and experience as a military spouse, Chelsea comes with wealth of knowledge of the unique experiences of military families. Over the past ten years, Chelsea has presented CLEs for the legal community focused on family law from a military lens. Chelsea is dedicated to guiding parties through complex family law issues with the goal of ensuring both parties walk away feeling heard and respected.
Reach out to Kristen@bolanlawgroup.com to schedule with us today.
Mr. Braswell is worth every penny! I can start my new life with my children thanks to him.
- G.D.
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Are minors required to testify in court?
Any person who is “competent” to testify, whether or not they are a minor, can be required to testify in court. Competence generally means that the person understands the difference between truth and falsehood and understands the duty to tell the truth. Competency also requires that a person have personal knowledge of the topics about which they are called to testify.
Even though children may be competent and qualified to testify in court, many courts look unfavorably on children testifying. This is especially true in family law cases. Calling a child to testify in a family law case often involves asking the child to testify against a parent, which is not in the best interest of a child. -
What constitutes a “severe economic hardship” in a child support case?
The term “severe economic hardship” can be relevant in child support cases in a few different circumstances. If a parent or child is experiencing a severe economic hardship, that can be a basis for the court to modify an order of child support. Economic hardship to the parent receiving child support may be a factor in determining how much the other parent is required to pay. Also, economic hardship may be a basis for the court to increase child support in steps, as opposed to all at once.
There is no exact definition of economic hardship. It is a condition that depends on the specific circumstances of each case. However, if an economic hardship is self-created, it likely will not be a basis to modify child support or use a graduated increase. Self-created hardships may include voluntarily quitting a job or reducing work hours to part time. On the other hand, involuntary financial situations, such as a medical emergency or layoff, may be a basis for modification of child support.
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Can spousal maintenance (or alimony) be changed after the divorce decree is entered?
Yes, unless the decree specifically states that the obligation to pay spousal support (or alimony) is non-modifiable. This obligation will only be changed by the court after entry of the decree in exceptional circumstances. This may include a drastic and unexpected change in income of either party or that one party failed to disclose assets in the divorce process.
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What constitutes domestic violence, and what can I do about it?
Domestic violence is defined as (a) physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the infliction of fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury or assault, between family or household members; (b) sexual assault of one family or household member by another; or (c) stalking as of one family or household member by another family or household member.
“Family or household members” includes, but is not limited to, spouses, domestic partners, former spouses, former domestic partners, persons who have a child in common, adults related by blood or marriage, adults who are presently residing together or who have resided together in the past, and people who have a biological or legal parent-child relationship, including stepparents and stepchildren and grandparents and grandchildren.
If you are the victim of domestic violence, you can seek a domestic violence protection order. The order may restrain the respondent from having any contact with you; from coming to your home or workplace; from coming within a certain distance of you, your home, or workplace; and/or from harassing, stalking, or keeping you under surveillance. In Pierce County, you can apply for a protection order in Room 108 of the Pierce County Superior Court, at the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center, or at a domestic violence kiosk. More information can be found here.
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