June 2020 Bar Bulletin
By Megan Stanley
While there is an overall trend in the court adopting equal parenting schedules, there remain cases in which a parent struggles with RCW 26.09.191 restrictions that require the court to carefully consider limitations necessary to protect the children’s best interests. Among the most difficult cases, are those in which a parent suffers from dual diagnoses.
Dual diagnosis is a term used when a person suffers from interrelated mental health and substance abuse problems. One of the most frequently correlated diagnoses are bi-polar disorder and addiction. Individuals with co-occurring conditions attempt to level out their emotional state with drugs or alcohol.
According to a...