Christenson, Heather, ATTY

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(360) 352-8311Visit WebsiteMap & Directions324 W Bay Dr NWOlympia, WA 98502 Write a Review

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Phone: (360) 352-8311

Address: 324 W Bay Dr NW, Olympia, WA 98502

Website: http://buddbaylaw.com

Christenson, Heather, ATTY

Family Law

Divorce
Child Support
Child Support – Since both parents have a legal duty to support their children financially, the court will order one or possibly both parents to pay child support. The amount of support is determined using a complicated formula based on a number of factors, including income and expenses of both parents and needs of the child for health care, day care, or any special needs. The judge does have the ability to deviate from the statutory formula if convinced it would be in the best interest of the child to do so.
Child Custody and Visitation
Child Custody – The court starts with a presumption that some form of joint custody will be awarded, although it is possible that the judge will award custody solely to one parent. Even under a joint custody arrangement, the child may not necessarily spend an equal amount of time with each parent, and a parenting plan will need to be developed that addresses issues of physical possession and legal custody.
Adoption
Adoption – We assist families in the legal proceedings required to achieve a step-parent adoption or agency adoption, including public, private, and international adoptions.
Paternity
Premarital Agreement
The family law practice at Budd Bay Law, P.S. covers issues of separation and divorce, paternity, adoption, domestic partnerships, prenuptial and antenuptial agreements, and more for individuals and families in Olympia and throughout the South Sound.
Spousal Support
Spousal Maintenance – The court has a wide amount of discretion to decide whether or not to make an award of spousal maintenance, including how much to award and how long to order maintenance to be paid. Factors considered by the court include the financial need of the receiving spouse and the financial ability of the paying spouse.
Legal Separation
A common question I am asked during an initial consultation with a new client is whether they should file for legal separation or divorce. For most people, divorce is the better option. One thing I always tell clients I cannot advise them on is if they are ready to file for divorce as it is a very personal decision that should not be taken lightly. I can, however, explain the legal process and ramifications of both divorce and separation.

Criminal Law

Criminal Defense
The criminal defense attorneys at Budd Bay Law, P.S. have maintained a dynamic practice in Olympia, WA for more than 36 years, defending clients in state and federal courts on charges ranging from minor offenses to serious felonies.
DUI/DWI
Even for a first offense, a DUI conviction carries the potential for stiff penalties, including up to a year in jail and $5,000 in fines. You can also be placed on probation for up to five years and have an ignition interlock device installed in your car for five years. Additionally, you may be ordered to undergo up to two years of alcohol evaluation and treatment. And that is just for a first offense; the penalties increase for multiple offenses. In fact, your fourth arrest for a DUI can be charged as a felony. The law also provides enhanced penalties if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) tests at above a certain level, or if you refuse to test.
Wrongful Death
Trucking accidents are another significant source of motor vehicle accidents in and around Thurston County and the Puget Sound area. With an extensive timber and logging industry in the Pacific Northwest, logging trucks are prevalent on roads and highways throughout the region. These heavy vehicles require increased stopping distance and reaction time to avoid collisions, while their size creates blind spots for both the truck driver and surrounding vehicles. Also, the loads carried on logging trucks are more susceptible to shifting and becoming unbalanced compared to the more standardized cargo usually hauled by your average semi-truck tractor-trailer. Due to the immense weight of a fully-loaded rig, a collision between a logging truck and a much smaller, lighter, automobile is likely to cause serious personal injury or wrongful death to the occupants of the automobile.
Sex Crimes
If you have been charged with, or are under investigation for, any of the many sex crimes, you risk a conviction that could affect every aspect of your life. The attorneys at Budd Bay Law, P.S. bring more than 150 years of combined legal experience to ensuring that their clients get a fair hearing. Our incomparable knowledge of all facets of the Washington State criminal justice system guarantees that your rights are protected through the entire legal process.
Robbery
Robbery — the taking of property from a person with force — is considered First Degree Robbery and a Class A felony when it involves a deadly weapon, the infliction of body injury or is committed against a financial institution. The maximum penalty is up to life in prison and fines reaching $50,000.
Burglary
Burglary is the unlawful entry into a building, including home invasion, with the intent to commit a felony. Depending if the accused was armed or assaulted another person, it can be either a Class A or B felony with a maximum penalty of up to life in prison and a $50,000 fine.
White Collar Crimes
You are innocent until proven guilty, even when charged with crimes like homicide, sex offenses or white collar crimes, where you risk judgment in the court of public opinion. Budd Bay Law, P.S. safeguards clients’ rights through the entire criminal process, for cases including...
Theft
Misdemeanors
In general, if you have spent five or more consecutive years in the community without being convicted of, or currently charged with any felony, gross misdemeanor, or misdemeanor crimes, and you don’t have any prior felony convictions that prohibit possession of a firearm, you are eligible to petition to restore your right. In addition, you must have completed all conditions of your sentence (i.e. paid all fines, completed community service and treatment, etc.).
Drug Crimes
Drug crime charges are still serious in Washington State and penalties increase for intent to manufacture, deliver or possess with the intent to deliver (sale of drugs). Like the federal government, Washington law divides drugs into schedules according to their addictiveness.
Assault
Homicide
If you are arrested and charged with a crime, no matter what the offense, contact an attorney before talking to anyone else. Things that you say, even claims of innocence or otherwise seemingly harmless statements, can be used against you later. This includes not only the police and prosecutors, but also other inmates in the holding cell, family and friends, a bonding company and others. As the police are experts at this tactic, your statements only help them build their case against you. Budd Bay Law, P.S. can help you from the very start, arranging for bail or your release from custody. Making sure your rights are protected throughout the process, we work to get the best possible result available in your situation. That can mean having the charges dropped and the case dismissed, winning an acquittal at trial, or obtaining a deferred prosecution or alternative sentencing that avoids jail time or other harsh punishment. We have successfully defended clients facing criminal charges ranging from misdemeanor theft and property crimes to drug offenses, homicide, and other serious felonies.
Shoplifting
Theft, also known as larceny in other states, is the least serious. There are three degrees of theft crimes, depending on the value of the stolen item and other factors. First Degree Theft is the most serious. When property or services valued at over $5,000 are stolen, or property of any value is taken from another’s person, it is considered a Class B felony. The maximum penalty is 10 years in jail and a $20,000 fine. Shoplifting is considered theft in Washington State.

Business and Corporate Law

Corporate Law
The business and corporate attorneys at Budd Bay Law, P.S. have been advising and representing small business owners in Olympia and the South Sound for 30 years. As small business owners ourselves, we are aware of the challenges involved in starting and maintaining a successful business. Our goal in every legal matter is to deal with the issues in the most expeditious and efficient manner, enabling you to focus on running your business.
Business Disputes
Business law. Choosing the right business entity is vital for fostering profitability and business expansion. Aside from assisting business owners with formation, business lawyers also help companies protect their interests and ensure their transactions are sound. In the event of a business dispute over a breach of contract or tort, skilled representation is necessary to resolve issues, whether through alternative dispute resolution techniques or litigation.
Business Transactions
Our experienced corporate lawyers engage in negotiating, drafting and reviewing business contracts across a wide range of occupations and industries, including healthcare, architectural, engineering, accounting and legal professions, restaurants, computer software, and real estate development. Our transactional experience includes the following matters, among others...
Limited Liability Companies
If you are just starting out in business, deciding what type of entity to form can have a significant impact on many aspects of the business, including how you and the company are taxed, the exposure to liability for the company and its owners, and issues of management, control, succession and dissolution. Washington state offers many chooses of corporate forms, including subchapter S corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and more.

Employment Law

Employment Discrimination
Never stumbled,” and she didn’t give a rebuttal. RBG said she asked her nephew why he wrote it on that 1971 case which was “just” a Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals case when she had taken many other cases about sex discrimination to the SCOTUS. Her nephew responded that he wanted it to be just as much of a love story with her husband, Martin Ginsburg, as it was about her work. Her eyes seemed to sparkle when she talked about her husband.
Employment Contract
Attorney Heather Christenson’s professional practice focuses on general business transactions, with a concentration on negotiating and drafting business contracts, real property leases, employment agreements, loan agreements, asset purchase agreements, and stock purchase agreements. Heather also has extensive experience with the formation and maintenance of corporations and limited liability companies.

Property Law

Easement

Health Law

Personal Injury
At Budd Bay Law, P.S. in Olympia, our personal injury attorneys frequently represent victims of auto accidents in western Washington and the South Sound, who deserve compensation for their medical expenses and other damages caused by the negligence or misconduct of another.
Medical Malpractice
A woman received $275,000 for a medical malpractice claim against an orthopedic surgeon who had two chances to correctly perform a hip replacement surgery, and instead left her in pain and without viable medical options to repair the damage done.
Auto Accidents

Trusts and Estates

Estate Planning
As a full-service law firm attending to the legal needs of our clients in Olympia and neighboring communities, Budd Bay Law, P.S. provides quality estate planning services that are individually tailored to the needs and goals of our clients.
Wills
Our experienced probate attorneys are capable of providing legal assistance in the administration of estates of all sizes and value. In addition, we represent parties in probate-related litigation, including challenges that the personal representative has failed to perform certain fiduciary duties, or will contests claiming that the testator lacked the capacity to make a will, or that the will was prepared under fraud, duress, or undue influence. We also handle cases in which there is more than one will in existence, and legal intervention is required to determine which will should be admitted to probate. We handle petitions under the Washington Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution Act (TEDRA) as well as general civil litigation.
Trusts
While a will is still very important, trusts are another tool which can be of great benefit to your estate plan. Through a trust, you transfer title in an asset to a trustee to manage for the beneficiaries, who will later take over the asset at a designated time. You can have the assets professionally managed, maximizing wealth accumulation for the beneficiary. At the same time, the trust can be used to avoid estate tax on the asset and avoid probate at the same time. With a revocable living trust, you can cancel or change the trust during your lifetime, should your needs or desires change. Trusts are often an integral part of financial and tax planning.
Power of Attorney
A little known benefit offered by many employers is the preparation of Estate planning documents at no charge to employees. As an example, any employee of the State of Washington who purchases additional life insurance through Met Life can have Wills, Powers of Attorney and Health Care Directives done for the employee and spouse at no cost. While we have worked with hundreds of State employees in taking advantage of the benefit, there are thousands of State employees who have yet to reap the rewards associated with plan. State employees can check their benefits here.
Probate

Finance Law

Foreclosure
Kiirsti’s love for the Pacific Northwest called her back to the area when she joined the long-standing firm where her father was a named partner: Brown, Lewis, Janhunen & Spencer in Montesano. In addition, Ms. Janhunen represented the City of Ocean Shores in their annual real estate foreclosure action. Kiirsti has also served as the secretary and vice-president for the Grays Harbor County Bar Association since 2018.
Tax Law

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