Tacoma Family Law Speaker Series - Announcing 2014 CLE Schedule

We are happy to announce the lineup for the 2014 Tacoma Family Law Speaker Series. Check out the full schedule below.

These lunchtime CLEs are free and offer 1.0 live CLE credit. There are a limited number of seats. To reserve yours, email cle@mckinleyirvin.com or call 253-952-4290. Please include the name of the CLE(s), your name, state bar number, and email address on your RSVP.

The following CLEs are held from 12:00pm to 1:00pm at our Tacoma law office (1201 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA – Fountain Court Level, Conference Room C-5):

March 12 - Parental Alienation and High Conflict Personalities

Observing how high conflict divorces escalate is important to protect the children involved, as the results of parental alienation on children is long term. Counselor Jennifer Knight will discuss how promoting client control and a moderate approach are key to being a positive advocate for children. Services available to assist families with these issues will be discussed, including co-parenting, re-unification counseling, and parenting assessments.

April 9 - Dissecting Form 1040C for Business Profit and Loss

Tacoma CPA Cary Deaton will lead you through a personal tax return, focusing on “Schedule C – Profit or Loss from Business” (sole proprietorship), and a brief look at other tax issues often overlooked in a family law proceeding. A roundtable discussion of other related topics will also be included.

May 14 - De Facto Parenting: Understanding Local Laws

McKinley Irvin associate Elizabeth Hoffman will provide an overview of the evolving law of de facto parentage in Washington State. She will cover the history of the doctrine, from its adoption by the Supreme Court in the 2005 case In re the Custody of L.B. to the Court’s most recent opinions in In re Custody of A.F.J. and In re the Custody of B.M.H. This will include a discussion of each factor of the doctrine as applied and interpreted in past de facto cases, and how to identify and litigate de facto cases under the current case law.

June 11 - Recognizing and Addressing Abuse or Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults

The elderly–particularly those afflicted with dementia, disability, depression or grief–are increasingly targeted by individuals, including family members, who present themselves as “caregivers” or advocates, but who really are seeking to exploit the elderly for their own personal advantage. Attorney Scott Winship of Vandeberg Johnson & Gandara will address how such exploitation manifests itself and what resources are available to address occurrences of abuse or exploitation of vulnerable adults.

Sep 10 - The Intersection of Family Law and Bankruptcy

When it comes to family law, bankruptcy can be a both a shield which can be used to protect clients, or a sword with which to strike back against a former spouse. Attorney Jonathan Sprouffske, a Shareholder with the law firm of Connolly Tacon & Meserve, will discuss how a competent family law attorney must work to recognize when bankruptcy might be right for a client, or when to inform the client of the possibility that the opposing party might be preparing to file for bankruptcy.

Nov 12 - Elder Law: How Traditional Estate Planning Fails Retirees

Rajiv Nagaich, an elder law attorney and senior partner with the Law Firm of Johnson and Nagaich PS, will present ideas on estate planning that better help retirees protect their assets, plan for a better housing solution, and avoid becoming a burden on their family and loved ones by anticipating and planning for long-term care costs.