Ending a long-term relationship can leave you feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted. If you and your partner were not legally married, you are also left with difficult questions related to your financial situation. While you do not automatically have the same rights as divorcing spouses, Washington courts use a framework known as a committed intimate relationship (CIR) to ensure a fair distribution of property and assets.
If you lived with a partner in a stable, marital-like relationship for years, hiring a divorce and family law attorney could still help protect your interests. A Kent committed intimate relationship lawyer knows how to identify your contributions to a shared home and the assets you acquired over the course of your relationship. At Lutz & Associates, P.S., we have worked exclusively with family law cases since 1997 and understand how to achieve a fair resolution for our clients with minimal conflict.
The Five Factors of a Legal Relationship in Washington
In the case of Connell v. Francisco (1995), the Washington Supreme Court established that assets acquired during a non-marital relationship can be divided equitably. To do this, a judge must first determine if your partnership qualifies as a committed intimate relationship by analyzing factors that include:
- Duration of the relationship: How many years you lived together
- Intent of the parties: Whether you both intended to function as a unit
- Purpose of the relationship: Whether shared goals and a domestic life existed
- Pooling of resources: Whether you combined your finances for your household
- Continuity of cohabitation: Whether you lived together throughout the relationship without separations
A Kent attorney familiar with committed intimate relationship cases can help you organize your credit card statements, property titles, and any other legal documents or agreements to satisfy these legal thresholds.
How We Can Help With Property and Asset Division
Under the Connell ruling, property that would be considered community property in a marriage is treated as jointly acquired property in a CIR. This includes:
- Real estate purchased during the years you lived together
- Retirement contributions made during the relationship
- Vehicles, furniture, and high-value personal items
- Debt accrued for the benefit of the household
Without a lawyer, you risk disputes over property, such as your former partner claiming that an asset is their separate property. In the absence of a marriage certificate, courts rely heavily on local rules to determine the true nature of your shared finances. Under King County Local Family Law Rule 10, you are required to disclose extensive evidence of your finances during a separation. A Kent committed intimate relationship attorney could help you produce this documentation effectively.
What Are The Legal Limitations of a Committed Intimate Relationship?
Unlike a standard divorce under Revised Code of Washington § 26.09.030, a CIR case does not allow for spousal support payments, also known as alimony, or for one party to pay the legal fees of the other. After the case ends, you cannot receive continued financial support, so the initial property division is your only opportunity to safeguard your finances.
A Kent lawyer can ensure that the calculation of assets is accurate and that no accounts are hidden or undervalued during the separation of your CIR. If your relationship involves children, matters of child support and parenting plans fall under standard family law statutes regardless of whether the relationship constitutes a committed intimate relationship or a marriage. Working with our lawyers could help ensure a fair outcome.
Call a Kent Committed Intimate Relationship Attorney Today for Compassionate Guidance
The aftermath of a serious relationship can be difficult to process, but you do not have to face it alone. Family law is all we do, and we help our clients through separation step-by-step, prioritizing communication and minimizing conflict. By hiring a Kent committed intimate relationship lawyer, you can protect years’ worth of contributions you made to your shared life with a significant other. If you are struggling financially after a breakup, we would love to talk to you. Call us today at (206) 672-9291 or reach us online for your consultation.
