Agenda

Webinar instructions will be emailed before the date of the webinar.

Please log into the webinar 15 – 30 minutes before start time.

Wednesday, November 30, 2022 
8:30 am – 4:00 pm PST (including a 30-min. break)

 

Presented by
Linda Mason Wilgis
Patrick W. Rawnsley
Rhea Rolfe
Ron Culpepper

Agenda
Assisting with Family Law Case Intake
Performing conflicts checks
Assisting with initial client interview
Preparing engagement letter, opening file
Collecting information

Preparing Pleadings and Assisting with Motion Practice
Preparing initial pleadings
Requesting temporary relief
Preparing for the temporary orders hearing
Preparing the temporary orders

Obtaining and Evaluating Financial Information
Identifying relevant information on assets, debts, income and expenses
Obtaining financial information
• Using financial information questionnaires
• Using interrogatories, requests for production, deposition testimony, private investigators
• Valuing assets
Evaluating the information you have obtained
Working with accountants and financial experts
Preparing financial statements

Assisting with Child Custody and Visitation Issues
Recent developments in Washington custody law
Obtaining relevant information
• Client interview, custody questionnaires, authorizations for disclosure, formal discovery
Working with guardian-ad-litem
Working with experts
Drafting and reviewing parenting plans

Assisting with Alternative Dispute Resolution
Assisting in family law mediation
Understanding and assisting in divorce arbitration
Assisting in the collaborative divorce process

Handling Ethical Issues in Family Law Practice
Complying with rules of professional responsibility and ethics guidelines for attorneys and paralegals
Avoiding conflicts of interest
Maintaining client confidentiality
Avoiding the unauthorized practice of law
Working with the secretive or dishonest client
Handling allegations of abuse or neglect
Zealous (vs. over-zealous) representation
Fee agreements, retainers, and collection of unpaid fees

 

Webinar Instructions
All attendees must log-on through their own email – attendees may not watch together if they wish to earn continuing education credit. HalfMoon Education Inc. must be able to prove attendance if either the attendee or HalfMoon Education Inc. is audited.

Certificates of completion can be downloaded in PDF form upon passing a short quiz. A link to the quiz will be sent to each qualifying attendee immediately after the webinar. The certificate can be downloaded from the Results page of the quiz upon scoring 80% or higher.

Webinars are presented via GoToWebinar, an easy-to-use application that can be run on most systems and tablets. Instructions and login information will be provided in an email sent close to the date of the webinar. It is highly recommended that you download, install and test the application before the webinar begins by clicking on the link in the email.

GoToWebinar App requirements:
Windows 7 – 10 or Mac OSX Mavericks (10.9) – macOS Catalina (10.15)

Web Browser:
The two most recent version of the following browsers:
Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge
Internet Explorer v11 (or later) with Flash enabled

Internet connection: Minimum of 1Mbps       Hardware: 2GB RAM or more

For more information, visit the Support section at www.gotowebinar.com

Credits

Paralegals/Legal Assistants:
6.5 CLE Hours

Washington State Bar Association
6.5 Credits for Paralegals and LLLTs (Includes 1.0 Ethics Credit) 

NALA:
6.5 Substantive CLE Hours (Includes 1.0 Ethics Hour)

NFPA:
6.5 Total CLE Credits (Includes 1.0 Ethics Credit)

 

Continuing Education Credit Information
This webinar is open to the public and is intended to offer 6.5 CLE hours to paralegals and Limited License Legal Technicians in Washington, including 1.0 ethics CLE hour. Paralegal certification is not required in order to participate. 

This course has been evaluated and approved by the Washington State Bar Association’s MCLE Board for a total of 6.5 credits (5.5 Law & Legal credits, 1.0 ethics credit). 

 The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) has approved this course for a total of 6.5 CLE hours, including 1.0 legal ethics hour. 

 The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) has evaluated and approved this course for 6.5 total CLE credits: 5.5 general CLE credits and 1.0 ethics CLE credits. 

 Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the webinar for those who attend the entire course and score a minimum 80% on the quiz that follows the course (multiple attempts allowed). 

 

Speakers

Ron Culpepper

Hon. Ron Culpepper
After more than 29 years of judicial experience, retired Judge Ronald Culpepper is available to help resolve disputes through mediation and arbitration. Mediation or arbitration will save clients time, money, and stress. Judge Culpepper graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington, with a degree in history, then attended and graduated from the University of Washington School of Law. After eleven years of private practice in Seattle and Tacoma, he began his judicial career in Pierce County District Court, first as Commissioner, and then as Superior Court Judge. Governor Gary Locke appointed Judge Culpepper to Superior Court in 2003. Judge Culpepper served as an officer of the Superior Court Judges Association and was selected as a Superior Court Representative to the Statewide Board of Judicial Administration for a four year term.

Linda Mason Wilgis

Meridian Family Law, PLLC

Ms. Wilgis is a passionate advocate for her clients, representing children and families for over 25 years as an attorney in private practice, as a former Assistant Attorney General, and as a family and children’s Ombudsman for the State of Washington. Ms. Wilgis is committed to helping clients navigate difficult transitions in their lives through compassionate advice and skilled advocacy, both through negotiation and litigation. 

 

Patrick W. Rawnsley

PWR Law, PLLC

Mr. Rawnsley has been licensed to practice law since 2004 and has been employed in the legal field since 1992. He has been fortunate to have served clients in both the capacity of an attorney and as support staff for civil litigation covering a wide range of issues including but not limited to family law, probate, general civil litigation, collections, debtor/creditor rights, real property issues and the like. His practice is litigation intensive with an emphasis on trial preparation which generally results in cases settling prior to trial. All too often the outcome of a case is determined in its initial stages and such highly contested litigation requires a proactive approach. Mr. Rawnsley is a former chair of the Family Law Section of the Thurston County Bar Association (2014 & 2015). He also serves as an elected member of the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Family Law Executive Committee (FLEC). In addition to his duties as a member of FLEC, he also serves as a legislative liaison for FLEC to the Washington State Legislature. Mr. Rawnsley also serves as a mentor attorney to the Thurston County Volunteer Legal Clinic and has presented at many continuing legal education seminars on a variety of issues involving family law and civil procedure.

Rhea J. Rolfe

Rhea Rolfe Gilson-Moreau & Associates, P.S.
Ms. Rhea J. Rolfe has been practicing law for over 35 years, primarily as a private solo practitioner. She has taught college-level law-related courses, including Women and the Law, Business Law, and Women of Color in America, and she has been a featured speaker for continuing legal education seminars. She has been an investigator for human rights agencies, and the Washington State Bar Association. Ms. Rolfe has been an arbitrator, mediator, and guardian ad litem for the courts, and a hearing examiner for the City of Seattle Civil Service Commission. She currently focuses her practice on family law, with a specialty in interstate and international custody and abduction issues (UCCJEA and Hague Convention). Ms. Rolfe was an editor for the WSBA Family Law Deskbook, and is on the YWCA Pathways for Women Displaced Homemakers’ Advisory Board, Operation Lookout Advisory Board, and the Washington Blues Society Board of Directors.