Minimum period or timing rule
At least 90 days must pass after the filing and service requirements are met; the period is measured from the later of filing and valid service. Even an agreement does not automatically eliminate this period.
Prepare for a divorce case in Washington.
This page organizes the recorded statewide starting rules and official sources for Washington. Court location, local forms, fees, service, deadlines and individual eligibility still require confirmation before filing.
Source record reviewed: 2026-10-29 · Page updated: 2026-11-03 · Not attorney-certified legal advice
STATE SNAPSHOT
Timing and financial issues need separate review.
Classification and division
Property and debt classification and division must be separately verified under local law.
Guidance and official links
Divorce Filing Path provides an intake roadmap and source links for this jurisdiction. Selected official PDF drafting is not currently offered for this state; do not purchase expecting state-form generation.
PREPARATION ROADMAP
Use this order before filing.
- 01
Confirm residence and filing eligibility
There must be a connection under RCW 26.09.030, such as one spouse being a Washington resident or a member of the military stationed there. The statute does not impose a general prior 6-month divorce-residence period; child-custody jurisdiction is evaluated separately. Record actual dates and do not combine two people’s residence periods unless the controlling rule expressly allows it.
- 02
Identify the correct court and county
Use the official statewide source to locate the trial court or clerk. Confirm venue, the family-law filing location, accepted filing method, current fee and required local packet.
- 03
Select the procedure that matches the facts
Check whether the state distinguishes regular, joint, simplified, summary, contested or uncontested procedures. Agreement alone does not prove eligibility for a shorter procedure.
- 04
Collect the facts requested by the forms
Prepare legal names, marriage and separation dates, residence history, children’s information, income, expenses, assets, debts, requested relief and existing orders.
- 05
Prepare opening documents without inventing events
Complete only facts you know. Leave clerk, court, signature, notarization, service and later-event fields for the correct person and stage.
- 06
File and complete valid notice
A draft or download is not a filed case. Follow the clerk’s instructions and record service or waiver only after the legally effective event occurs.
- 07
Address disclosure, children and unresolved issues
Use current financial, child-jurisdiction, parenting and support documents. Settlement terms should match the procedure and be reviewed before rights are waived.
- 08
Obtain and review the final judgment
A waiting or separation period does not itself end a marriage. Confirm entry and the effective date from the court’s signed or entered order.
RESIDENCE CHECK
Which spouse is a Washington resident or a member of the armed forces stationed in Washington when filing?
RCW 26.09.030 does not impose a general prior 6-month divorce-residence period. A spouse of a qualifying resident or stationed servicemember may petition. Child jurisdiction and the post-filing/service 90-day period are separate.
This intake question helps organize facts; it does not decide domicile, jurisdiction or venue for an individual case.
IMPORTANT STATE NOTES
Questions to verify before relying on a packet
- Use the current revision of the mandatory state family-law forms; for example, the Summons is listed as 09/2026 and child-support schedules as 06/2026.
- County Superior Court rules may require additional documents and hearing arrangements.
- Pregnancy alone cannot be used as a reason to deny or delay a divorce; the child’s parentage is addressed separately.
OFFICIAL FORM STARTING POINTS
Forms and packets identified in the current review
Open the official page and read the current instructions. A listed document may be conditional or require local additions.
Petition for Divorce (FL Divorce 201) / Summons (FL Divorce 200)
Initial request and notice starting the case.
Open official starting point ↗Confidential Information (FL All Family 001)
Proper submission of confidential party and child information.
Open official starting point ↗Parenting Plan (FL All Family 140)
Decision-making and parenting arrangements for children.
Open official starting point ↗Child Support Order / WSCSS Worksheets
Child-support order and current official calculation worksheets.
Open official starting point ↗Financial Declaration (FL All Family 131)
Financial disclosure for relevant requests; sealed source documents are kept separate.
Open official starting point ↗PRIMARY SOURCES
Verify with the official source
Rules, forms, fees and local procedures can change. These links are the controlling starting points; the explanations on this site are preparation guidance, not a substitute for the current source.
- Washington Courts — Divorce forms ↗Official or recorded public starting source
- Washington Legislature — RCW 26.09.030 ↗Official or recorded public starting source
- Washington RCW26.09.010 venue ↗Official or recorded public starting source
- Washington RCW4.12.025 general venue ↗Official or recorded public starting source
- Washington Supreme Court — Civil Rule82 venue ↗Official or recorded public starting source
- Washington RCW4.12.080 venue transfer by agreement ↗Official or recorded public starting source