Oregon custody laws encourage parents to share in the rights and responsibilities of raising their children so long as it is in the best interests of the children. There is a distinct difference between a custody determination and parenting time. Custody decisions are about who will have... Read more »

The deceased wife's estate will have to go through probate. Probate is the legal process whereby a court oversees the distribution of assets left by a deceased person. The house is considered an asset of the surviving spouse if they held title as husband and wife. When the husband died, the... Read more »

Oregon and most other states follow the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act. This law generally requires that custody disputes be resolved in the home state of the child. The home state of the child means the state in which the child resided for at least the six months immediately... Read more »

An inheritance is considered a gift. Gifts received by one spouse during the marriage are not subject to a presumption that the gift was acquired by the parties equally as long as the gift was held separately and not commingled into the joint financial affairs of the spouses. Although the... Read more »

A restraining order is a court order, and as is true with all court orders, it must be complied with by both parties.

The restraining order is effective for one year and can be renewed annually.

You may request a hearing within 30 days after you were served with the order. If... Read more »

The petition is the document that is filed with the court to begin the probate process. Probate is the legal process whereby a court oversees the distribution of assets left by a deceased person. Assets are anything a person owns with value, such as real and personal property and cash.

If you and the at-fault driver are residents of Oregon, then you have the option of filing suit in Oregon or Idaho. In Oregon, you would have to file suit in the county in which the at-fault driver resides or the insurer conducts business. If the insurer conducts business in ID and OR, which is... Read more »

When an unmarried couple separates, Oregon courts attempt to determine the parties’ intent when deciding whether and how to divide property acquired during the relationship. The key inquiry is whether the parties intended to “pool their resources for their common benefit.”

You... Read more »

Once you are divorced, the court's General Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage is the court order determines your and your former spouse's rights and responsibilities regarding ownership and occupancy of the home and payment of the mortgage. You will have to review your General Judgment... Read more »

A court has authority to modify a child support order when there has been a substantial change in economic circumstances that was not anticipated at the time of the original judgment. To determine one's income, the court considers both actual and potential income. “Actual income” means... Read more »

In Oregon, there is a legal presumption that the value of any asset, except inheritances or gifts, acquired during the marriage will be shared equally at the time of divorce. Typically in Oregon the court uses the value of assets at the time of divorce, not separation. There are some exceptions.... Read more »

Filing a lawsuit against your mother would certainly create awkward times during the holidays. There are other ways to get the information you seek. Get a certified copy of your birth certificate from the state in which you were born. If that doesn't have the information you seek, then... Read more »

There are many different types of protection orders under Washington law so it is difficult to answer your question. Generally, any order, including a protection order or no contact order, can be modified by the same court that issued the original order if there is good cause. For example, a court... Read more »

I am so sorry to hear of your dilemma. You will need to consult with an attorney in your area to determine whether you have unwittingly undermined your claim by trying to present your claim without legal representation. Generally, whenever there is a motion to modify custody, you as the moving... Read more »

As the owner of the vehicle, you are generally liable for the actions of persons you permit or allow to use the vehicle. You do not want your brother's legal and financial problems to become your legal and financial problems. Steve Dashiak's answer is spot on. There's an old... Read more »

It is now possible under Oregon's "harmless error" statute that a written document that is not signed in the presence of, and by two qualified witnesses may be a valid will.

The question is whether there is clear and convincing evidence that the testator intended the... Read more »

You may have a private nuisance claim against the owner of the adjacent property. A private nuisance is a substantial and unreasonable interference with the use and enjoyment of land.

To prevail on a claim of private nuisance, the plaintiff must prove it is more likely than not that:... Read more »

A personal representative (or executor) is someone who handles the deceased person’s affairs. A will generally names a personal representative who, if willing to serve and otherwise qualified, will be approved by the probate court.

If your mother owned the real estate in her individual... Read more »

If the power of attorney does not contain an ending date, the law assumes it is “durable.” That means the authority does not end, even if the person giving the power of attorney is incapacitated. A durable power of attorney is useful when the person who authorized it later becomes unable to... Read more »

An 18 year old is considered an adult and is no longer subject to a court order for parenting time.