Benjamin Law Group, PLLC

"Recently, we had a divorce case where the opposing party was unwilling to agree to a result within the reasonable range of outcomes. This meant that we had our first in-person divorce trial since before the pandemic. We are pleased to report that we were able to secure a strong decision from the Snohomish County Superior Court Judge, which allowed our client to keep all his financial accounts, all his business interests, and over half of the equity in the family home. On the parenting side, we were able to prove the need for limitation of time with the children for the opposing party based upon a history of drug and alcohol problems and a lack of emotional ties with the children. Our client received 97% of overnights with the children and sole decision-making power for education, healthcare, and religion. This was certainly an instance where it made sense to go through the trial process to secure a better outcome for our client than was available in the settlement negotiations."

Settlement or Trial? When is Trial Necessary? - Benjamin Law Group, PLLC When we handle a divorce, our goal is not to take the case to trial. We are not scared of going into court and do not mind the hard work and preparation it takes to be ready for trial. However, there are three main reasons to avoid trial. First, there is an increased risk of […]

The recent news regarding gun violence in this country has been frightening, saddening, and devastating. It is an unfortunate part of our reality that this is such a frequent occurrence, where we learn the facts and the lives lost unnecessarily.

Many of you probably saw the story from last week, when a man in Tulsa, Oklahoma blamed his physician for pain after a recent back surgery and went into a medical building at Saint Francis Hospital where he shot and killed his physician, Preston J. Phillips, M.D., along with three other people, before killing himself.

This story has hit close to home because we knew Preston Phillips. I went to middle school and some of high school with his son and played basketball with his son for years. Preston was an active and involved father at our games. I fondly remember Preston being the best basketball player of all the dads during a dads versus sons game. Preston was also a fantastic and personable doctor. When I broke my foot playing basketball in eighth grade, I went to see him at his clinic at Swedish Medical Center. He gave me great medical care and I was back to full speed quickly. Their family had moved to Oklahoma and Preston became a well-respected member of the community.

One of the most tragic parts about this event is that the facts show it was likely preventable with more effective laws in place. The shooter purchased an AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle at about 2:00pm. Less than three hours later, he had completed the slaughter.

In Washington State, we are fortunate to have several laws in place to prevent gun violence, including requiring universal background checks during gun sales, a ban on high-capacity magazines, and disallowing people under 21 to buy semiautomatic weapons. However, there are still no federal laws governing any of these items. It is disappointing that we as a country have fallen short and not made the nation a place where all our fellow citizens feel safe. America prides itself on its ability to defend oneself and one’s home, but changes must be made to our laws to keep up with the technological advancements to weapons.

We stand with this movement to help solve the unacceptable level of gun-related violence and death in our country.

I recommend this amazing article from The Atlantic on why everyone should have a Last Will and Testament. At Benjamin Law Group, PLLC, we work on planning and/or administration of estates on an almost daily basis. We would be pleased to confer with you on this important project.

The Problem With Wills A striking proportion of Americans doesn’t have one. Nontraditional families are left uniquely vulnerable.

We are so pleased to announce that after over six years as an Associate, Nathan Benjamin has been named Partner at Benjamin Law Group! We congratulate this massive achievement and believe that the law firm is in great hands moving forward!