Washington Family Law Group, PLLC

06/01/2026

This summer, Indiana state lawmakers will study the role of volunteers in the child welfare system, also known as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) or Guardians Ad Litem (GALs).

05/21/2026

Washington state doesn’t do enough to help undocumented kids in foster care, lawsuit says.

Two teens in the custody of Washington’s foster care system claim the state has failed to provide adequate immigration support to help them avoid the risk of deportation.

05/21/2026

Judge rejects lawsuit against rewrite of WA parental rights law.

A Washington judge on Friday sided with the state as he turned back a lawsuit seeking to block a controversial 2025 law concerning rights for parents of public school students.

05/12/2026

A draft Family Law Act would require adoptive families to inform children of their adoption and would grant children the right to obtain information about their biological parents without the latter's consent.

05/04/2026

Under the proposal, insurers would pay 82 cents per enrollee per month in the first year, then about 16.5 cents in later years. The first payments would be due in March 2027. A fiscal analysis estimates that the assessment would generate roughly $10 million in the first year and about $2 million annually thereafter – funds intended to support abortion services in Washington. With Ferguson’s approval, organizations like Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, along with independent clinics and some hospitals, would likely benefit indirectly by receiving payment for care delivered to eligible patients. Insurance carriers that fail to provide required information to the state’s insurance commissioner could face fines, and unpaid assessments would accrue interest.

The bill also says insurers must absorb the cost themselves — meaning they cannot pass the assessment on to customers through higher premiums or fees, unless doing so would create a serious risk of insolvency or consumer harm. The measure has been sent to the governor’s office for final approval.

This week: Legislative round-ups, measles testing, a proposed library levy, how to talk to kids about war and more.

05/04/2026

Minimal oversight of court investigators makes it difficult for parents to challenge flawed reports without risking damage to their cases.

04/19/2026

The state department of ecology has “doubled down” on efforts to stop Wade and Teresa King from grazing state and privately owned land.

A judge denied a preliminary injunction on March 20, 2026, and the case moves forward as the family continues to fight for their constitutional right to a jury trial.

“Today’s denial is disappointing, but Washington’s constitution is unambiguous that the right to a jury trial shall remain inviolate, and we intend to hold the State to that promise,” said Oliver J. Dunford, senior attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation, in a Friday news release. “The Kings have spent generations building their ranch. They deserve to have their day in court before a jury of their peers, not a panel of government appointees,” he said.

The state department of ecology has “doubled down” on efforts to stop Wade and Teresa King from grazing state and privately owned land. A judge denied a preliminary injunction on March 20, 2026, and the...

04/13/2026

Representative Travis Couture is trying to get a new law on the books to prevent child death due to what he says are the unintended consequences of the Keeping Families Together Act.

"We’re just not getting the answers, and we’re not getting the results – even here at this rally, you have a lot of DCYF employees and social workers who work for DCYF who are fed up, because you have social workers with caseloads of 30, 40, 50, and they know that when they go back to that home the next day there is a high likelihood that child will be dead," he said.

Couture says he has support from both Democrats and Republicans to pass his new law (HB 1029) which would make hard drugs, like fentanyl, enough of a reason to remove a child from their parents’ custody.

People are fed up with a Washington state law that they say leaves children in dangerous and even deadly situations.

04/13/2026

In hundreds of custody disputes across Washington each year, judges appoint neutral court investigators to look into how parents’ issues like substance use, domestic violence and mental health could impact kids. But as a growing number of families and advocates raise concerns about how flawed investigations can flip cases against parents trying to protect their kids, legislators are beginning to look at reforms.

These guardians ad litem, also referred to as GALs, have no direct authority on custody rulings, but their reports can have a large influence on judges’ parenting plan decisions — and on children’s safety. Yet in many counties, they have limited training, aren’t required to have a professional license and have little independent oversight, leading in some instances to biased reports without a meaningful way for families to challenge them. Parents have shelled out thousands of dollars in legal fees trying to remove guardians ad litem from cases, a process that is rarely successful and that some fear will only worsen their chances of retaining custody, InvestigateWest reported.

In hundreds of custody disputes across Washington each year, judges appoint neutral court investigators to look into how parents’ issues like substance use, domestic violence and mental health could impact

03/28/2026

'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Kandi Burruss will not be paying her ex-husband Todd Tucker a dime in child or spousal support -- but she will be coughing up a hefty 6-figure lump sum as part of their divorce settlement ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ obtained the settlement agreement signed by Kandi and Todd. The exes wed in April 2014 and split last year.

Per the deal, neither party will be paid child support or spousal support. Kandi and Todd agreed to share joint legal and physical custody of their kids, Ace, born in 2016, and Blaze, born in 2019.

'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Kandi Burruss will not be paying her ex-husband Todd Tucker a dime in child or spousal support -- but she will be coughing up a hefty 6-figure lump sum as part of the...