Legal Question in Family Law in Washington

separation settlement

I got engaged and moved in with

my boyfriend a year ago. He has

a teenage son and I have an 8 yr

old daughter. We planned a wedding

in August. He backed out in July deciding he was not ready. I moved in with the intention of being married. We agreed I would quit my job since my daughter and I relocated. I was making an average

of $7,500 a mo and never less the

last few years. I gave away approx

$20,000 in personal property. He told last week he wanted my dauther and I to leave. After a yr

in therapy for grief, he felt better

and was no longer afraid to be alone. The relationship was hard due

to this fact, but I hung in there and

supported he and his son. He proposed that I leave with my engagement ring (he paid $30,000 for) to sell to help me get on my way.

Now my daughter and I are displaced staying with family. He is acting cordial and says he loves me,

but is not putting an effort into truly

helping us move on. My daughter goes

to private school which he offered to

pay for when we moved in. Now he

doesn't show care of her having to be uprooted again. He made $700,000 last year as a Dr. I want to know if I have a right to pursue

a settlement of $50K to support my daughter and get on my feet?


Asked on 3/09/09, 1:22 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Christopher Steuart IT Forensics, Inc.

Re: separation settlement

It would APPEAR that WA would still has a limited form of a breach of promise to marry action. Your former fiance's income and property would not be relevant (loss of future financial security is not recoverable), but your detrimental reliance on the promise to marry, that resulted in your financial damage (sold and purchased furniture, lost income from employment when you quit, etc may be recoverable), mental anguish, loss to reputation, and injury to health may be recoverable. There has not been litigation on these points in 30 years in WA, but there also does not appear to be any statutory changes in that period.

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Answered on 3/09/09, 4:21 pm


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