The focus of financial divorce settlements has shifted from equitable division of generally ample assets to minimizing considerable debts. Many families are upside-down on their mortgages, with retirement plan values dwindling. Are you prepared to tackle these new challenges head on? Do you have the knowledge to help your clients maintain financial independence after the divorce is final? Order today and stay on the cutting edge of your practice!

1. Dividing Retirement Assets
2. Finding, Valuing and Dividing Other Assets and Debts
3. Bankruptcy in Divorce
4. Tax Treatment and Consequences of Divorce
5. Ethics

1.    Dividing Retirement Assets
   8:30 - 9:45, Marie White
1. Types of Retirement Plans
1. Defined Contribution
2. Defined Benefit
3. IRAs
4. Municipal/Public Employee Plans
5. Military Pensions and Federal Retirement Plans
2. QDROs and Other Resolutions for Different Types of Retirement Plans
3. Drafting QDROs
4. Using Retirement Accounts to Cover Maintenance Obligations – Past and Future
5. Malpractice Risks in Allocating Retirement Accounts in a Divorce
6. Valuing the Impact of Social Security Benefits in an Equitable Division
7. Cost of Living Adjustments
8. Survivorship Benefit
2. Finding, Valuing and Dividing Other Assets and Debts
   10:00 - 12:00, James C. McGuire and Caleb Oken-Berg
1. Health Care Benefits (e.g. COBRA)
2. Trusts
3. Offshore Assets
4. Cash Businesses
5. Valuing Business Interests – Reading and Analyzing a Business Valuation Report
6. Valuing and Dividing Goodwill
7. Dealing with Sudden Changes in Assets' Value
8. Hidden Debts and Creditors
3. Bankruptcy in Divorce
   1:00 - 2:15, Donald A. Bailey
1. Who Files and When
2. Chapter 7 or Chapter 13? The Means Test
3. The Bankruptcy Estate and Its Limitations
4. Priority and Dischargeability of Debts
5. Fraudulent Conveyances
6. The Impact on Spouse not Filing Bankruptcy
7. Application of the Automatic Stay
4. Tax Treatment and Consequences of Divorce
   2:15 - 3:25, John M. Colvin
1. Filing Status
2. Dependents
3. Tax Basis of Assets
4. Tax-Free Asset Transfers
5. Innocent Spouse Relief
6. Maintenance Liabilities
7. General Division of Assets – Section 1041
8. Marital Residence
9. Stock Options
10. Pension Plans
11. Miscellaneous Tax Issues
12. Tax Consequences of Premature Distributions
5. Ethics
   3:40 - 4:40, Michael W. Louden
1. Rules of Professional Conduct
2. Conflicts of Interest
3. Confidentiality and Disclosure Issues
4. Attorney Fees
1. Client Screening
2. Engagement Agreements
3. Billing Systems
4. Collections Strategies
5. Fee Disputes

DONALD A. BAILEY is a partner in the Seattle firm of Shafer & Bailey, where he practices in the areas of bankruptcy law, commercial disputes and business reorganization. Mr. Bailey is a past author of the bankruptcy section of the Washington Lawyer Practice Manual. He has lectured to various professionals on bankruptcy issues and the dissolution of marriage. He is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, and the Seattle King County and Washington State bar associations. Mr. Bailey received his B.A. degree, cum laude, from Yale University and his J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Cornell Law School.

JOHN M. COLVIN is a partner in the Seattle law firm of Chicoine & Hallett, P.S., where he practices in the areas of taxation, tax litigation and white collar criminal defense. He received his B.A. degree from Reed College and his J.D. degree from the University of Washington. Mr. Colvin is a member of the Washington State Bar Association (member, Tax Section).

MICHAEL W. LOUDEN is an attorney with Wechsler Becker, LLP, and has been practicing law in Seattle since 1995. He focuses primarily on family law matters, but also has handled property and landlord-tenant disputes, personal injury cases, bankruptcy issues, and criminal defense cases. Mr. Louden is a certified mediator and serves as a mediator and arbitrator in family law cases. He also serves as a King County Family Law Commissioner Pro Tem. Mr. Louden has been appointed as a Guardian ad Litem and court appointed special advocate to represent children's interests in domestic relations matters. He is a past chair of the King County Bar Association Family Law Section and has a long-term involvement in the King County Bar Association's family law legislative agenda. Mr. Louden has handled a number of family law appeals. He is the editor of the Washington Lawyer's Practice Manual Family Law Section. Mr. Louden was educated at Earlham College and the University of Washington School of Law.

JAMES C. McGUIRE is an attorney with Moschetto, Koplin, McGuire in Bellevue, Washington, where he practices exclusively in family law, handling complex dissolution and child custody matters. He earned his B.S. degree from California State University and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Seattle University School of Law. Mr. McGuire is licensed to practice in Washington, California, and for the Tulalip Tribes. He has been an adjunct instructor in law at California State University School of Business and Economics and Highline Community College's paralegal program, and is a frequent lecturer for National Business Institute in family law and ethics. Mr. McGuire is vice president of the QLaw Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors of QLaw: the GLBT Bar Association of Washington.

CALEB OKEN-BERG is an attorney at Moschetto, Koplin, McGuire in Bellevue, Washington. Mr. Oken-Berg's practice focuses primarily on family law, including complex divorce/dissolution, legal separation, domestic partnership dissolutions, parenting plan and child support modifications, and child custody issues. Prior to joining Moschetto, Koplin, McGuire, he served as a Law Clerk for Spencer Anderson Buhr PLLC in Seattle, working primarily in the areas of family law, estate planning, and small business litigation.  Mr. Oken-Berg is a graduate of Seattle University School of Law.

MARIE WHITE is the founder and CEO of Pro Se University PS and has been a solo-practicing lawyer for the past 18 years, focusing almost exclusively on family law.  Throughout her career, she has seen an unmet need in her practice area for people who are not able to hire an attorney. While family law procedures are very simple for an experienced attorney, they are significant hurdles for others, and Ms. White has noticed that several hours of affordable attorney support prevents people from making painful errors that deeply affect the outcome of their legal proceeding and their lives.  This is why she started Pro Se University. She first settled in Seattle because it was a happy medium between her hometown of Glennallen, Alaska, and the Los Angeles area, where she graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law.  She loved the water and how friendly and non-judgmental she found the people of Seattle to be, and she quickly realized and appreciated how open King County's court system is to adapt to changing family patterns.  Ms. White is proud that our court system is so focused on children and making sure that they are supported and stable. Her goal through Pro Se University is to provide pro se parties with the mind set, information, and understanding they need to get through their family law case. Family law issues can be intensely emotional and painful, and legal research is scary and overwhelming. By breaking family law issues into small steps and detailed instruction, Ms White hopes to make this process more successful and focused for individuals in King County.

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