David Marshall and Joshua Saunders recently presented at the 2025 Family Law Midyear Meeting & Conference held at the Historic Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington, July 25-27. The attorneys delivered a comprehensive presentation titled, "Nobody Can Parent from Prison: Managing an Accused Client’s Participation in Family Litigation".
The presentation addressed critical strategies for attorneys handling cases where criminal allegations intersect with family law matters. Marshall and Saunders emphasized the importance of properly sequencing criminal and family law proceedings, with criminal cases taking priority to protect clients' interests in both arenas.
Key topics covered included:
- Strategic management of accused clients' roles in family law proceedings during criminal defense.
- Understanding how a single allegation can trigger multiple legal proceedings, including CPS investigations, police investigations, family law cases, and protection orders.
- The critical importance of client silence and communication boundaries when facing allegations.
- Psychosexual evaluation purposes and their role in determining treatment alternatives.
- The legal doctrine of collateral estoppel and its impact on subsequent proceedings.