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Filing for divorce in Washington

What you file, where you file, what it costs, and the rules that catch people out. Compiled from Washington court and statute sources.

How to read these entries.

This is general legal information compiled from state court websites, state statutes, and official self-help materials. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with anyone.

Why we publish it. Most people meet the family law system once, at the worst moment of their life, knowing nothing about it. That gap is where people get overcharged and poorly served. This page exists so you can walk in already knowing roughly how your state works, ask sharper questions, and recognize when an answer does not sound right. It is here to help you hold your attorney to a standard, not to replace what they do.

Talk to a lawyer licensed in your state. That is the normal path, not a fallback for when something goes wrong. Nothing here can account for the facts of your marriage, your finances, or your children, and those facts are usually what determines the outcome. Many states also have free legal aid and court self-help centers, and we link to them by state.

Verify before you rely on anything. Every entry cites its source. Follow that citation to the official state site and confirm it still says what we say it says, and that it applies to your situation. Filing fees, form numbers, e-filing rules, and local standing orders change frequently, and a form number that was right last year can get your filing rejected today.

The same state can treat you very differently depending on whether your spouse agrees, whether you have minor children, whether you file jointly or alone, and which county or judge hears it. Waiting periods run from filing in some states and from service in others. Deadlines described here as fixed are the statutory default, and a judge may still have narrow discretion in an emergency.

If you are in danger, do not wait on any of these timelines. An order of protection is a separate and much faster process than a divorce, and it does not depend on any waiting period described on this page.

Your roadmap
What you file
FL Divorce 201 Petition for Divorce, FL Divorce 200 Summons
FL All Family 001 Confidential Information Form
DOH 422-027 Certificate of Dissolution
FL All Family 119 Agreement to Join Petition, which removes the need for service
FL All Family 131 Financial Declaration
FL All Family 140 Parenting Plan and the WSCSS child support worksheets, if you have children
FL Divorce 231 Findings and Conclusions, FL Divorce 241 Final Divorce Order
GR 34 fee waiver, for households at or below 125% of federal poverty level
Where you fileSuperior Court in any county where either spouse lives. Most counties e-file. No minimum residency, only residency on the filing date.
What it costsRoughly $280 to $400 by county. Waivable under GR 34.
The sequence
1. Prepare the petition, summons, confidential information form, and dissolution certificate, adding a parenting plan and support worksheets if you have children.
2. File with the Superior Court clerk and keep your stamped copies, since the file date drives your deadline.
3. Serve your spouse, or have them sign the Agreement to Join Petition so no formal service is needed.
4. Your spouse has 20 days to respond if served in Washington, 60 days if served out of state, or 90 days if served by publication.
5. Wait the 90 days, counted from the later of filing or service. It cannot be waived by you or the court. If you have children, many counties require a parenting seminar within 60 days.
6. On day 91 or later, submit the Findings and Conclusions and the Final Divorce Order.
Even cooperative couples commonly take four to six months because of court calendars. Child support worksheet versions change, and courts reject filings made on outdated forms. Download the current worksheets from the Washington Courts forms site immediately before you file rather than reusing a saved copy.
Court forms

Washington calls divorce a "dissolution of marriage." You start with a Petition for Dissolution (FL Divorce 201) and Summons (FL Divorce 200) in Superior Court, plus a Financial Declaration (FL All Family 131). Filing fees run about $300 to $360 by county, and can be waived under GR 34 for households at or below 125% of the federal poverty level.

Washington Courts: dissolution (divorce) formsThe official statewide forms for ending a marriage, with instructions, free to download.
State rules and gotchas

No waiting to establish residency, but a 90-day clock you cannot skip Verified Jul 2026

Washington has no minimum length-of-residency rule; you can file the day you become a resident (or if you are military stationed here). But once you file and serve, a mandatory 90-day waiting period runs before any decree, and it cannot be waived or shortened even when you agree on everything.

Source: RCW 26.09.030. Confirm the current rule with the court before relying on it.

Community property, but not an automatic 50/50, and even separate property is on the table Verified Jul 2026

Washington is a community-property state, yet courts divide everything in a way that is "just and equitable," not strictly in half. Judges can even reach separate property (owned before the marriage, or received by gift or inheritance) when fairness requires it.

Source: RCW 26.09.080. Confirm with the court.

Your spouse cannot stop the divorce, only argue the terms Verified Jul 2026

Washington is pure no-fault. If you state the marriage is irretrievably broken, the court grants the dissolution regardless of the other spouse's objection. They can contest property, parenting, and support, but not the divorce itself.

Source: RCW 26.09.030. Confirm with the court.

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