To file a motion in Washington State court, you prepare three documents — a written motion, a supporting declaration, and a proposed order — then file the originals with the superior court clerk in the county where your case is pending, serve copies on every other party, and note the matter for a hearing date on the court’s calendar. The rules come from two places at once: the statewide Superior Court Civil Rules (especially CR 5, 6, and 7) and the local civil rules of your county. Miss either layer and the clerk or the judge will bounce your filing.
What Your Motion Package Contains
Superior Court Civil Rule 7 requires that a motion made outside of a hearing or trial be in writing, state the grounds for the request with particularity, and set forth the specific relief you want.1Washington Courts. Superior Court Civil Rules – CR 7 Pleadings Allowed; Form of Motions In practice, that means three separate documents.
The Motion Itself
Every motion opens with a caption block below the top margin: the name of the court, the names of the parties, and the case number the clerk assigned when the case was opened. Confirm the case number character by character. A single wrong digit can route your filing into another case or get it rejected.
Below the caption, state what you’re asking for and why. “Particularity” under CR 7 means naming the specific order you want — modification of a parenting plan, a trial continuance, dismissal of a claim — and citing the statute or court rule that gives the judge authority to grant it. Keep the motion itself short. The factual story belongs in the declaration.
The Supporting Declaration
A declaration is your evidence in written form. Washington lets you sign an unsworn statement under penalty of perjury instead of a notarized affidavit.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 9A.72.085 – Unsworn Statements The document must close in substantially this form: “I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the state of Washington that the foregoing is true and correct.”3Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 9A.72.085 – Unsworn Statements, Certification Sign and date it, and add the city and state where you signed.
Stick to facts you personally know: what you saw, said, paid, or experienced. Judges give little weight to opinion, speculation, or secondhand accounts. If someone else has facts the court needs, they should write and sign their own declaration.
Attach documentary evidence — contracts, emails, photographs, financial records — as exhibits. Label them sequentially (Exhibit A, Exhibit B, or Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2) and refer to each one in the body of the declaration so the judge knows what it is and why it matters.
The Proposed Order
A proposed order is a draft of the ruling you want the judge to sign, and most Washington courts expect one with every motion.4King County, Washington. LCR 7 – Civil Motions It carries the same caption, then states the court’s findings and its specific directive. Be exact. “The respondent shall pay $500 per month in child support beginning July 1, 2026” is workable. “The respondent shall pay appropriate support” is not. Ask the clerk whether the original proposed order goes into the court file or only to the judge as a working copy; counties handle this differently.
Formatting Rules Under GR 14
Every document filed in a Washington court has to meet General Rule 14’s physical formatting standards. Clerks enforce this strictly, and a rejected filing costs you days.
- Paper size: 8½ by 11 inches.
- Top margin on the first page: three inches, to leave room for the clerk’s filing stamp.
- All other margins: one inch on the bottom, left, and right of page one, and one inch on all four sides of every page after that.
- Font: a standard text face such as Arial or Times New Roman, in 10-point or 12-point. Captions and footers can use other sizes as long as they stay legible when copied, faxed, or scanned.5Mason County WA Government. Proper Format for Filing Documents
That three-inch top margin on page one trips up most self-represented filers. Word-processing templates default to one inch, so adjust the first page manually before you start typing.
Where to Get the Forms
The Washington State Courts website hosts statewide forms sorted by category, including family law, criminal, and general civil matters.6Washington State Courts. Court Forms These cover common motions in divorce, child support, parentage, and other family proceedings, plus criminal and post-conviction filings.7Washington State Courts. Court Forms – List of All Forms
If no pre-printed form exists for what you need, you can draft the motion yourself as long as it complies with GR 14. Check your county’s superior court website before you start. Counties like King, Pierce, and Snohomish maintain supplemental forms and local civil rules that pile requirements on top of the statewide rules.
Filing With the Clerk
Once your three documents are ready, file the originals with the clerk of the superior court where your case is pending. Washington runs an electronic filing portal called eFileWA that lets attorneys, self-represented litigants, and government agencies submit documents online to participating courts.8eFileWA. Court E-Filing Solution for Washington Not every county participates yet, and some filings still require paper delivery in person or by mail. Confirm with your local clerk.
Fees and Waivers
Most motions filed inside an existing case carry no separate filing fee; the initial fee you paid to open the case covers later filings. Some specific actions, like an ex parte motion, may add a small fee (around $20 in some counties).9Snohomish County, WA – Official Website. Snohomish County District Court Fee Schedule If you can’t afford court fees, General Rule 34 provides a waiver. Complete the Motion and Declaration for Waiver of Civil Fees and Surcharges (form WPF GR 34.0100) along with the Financial Statement (WPF GR 34.0300).10Washington State Courts. GR 34 Request for Waiver of Civil Filing Fees and Surcharges
Serving the Other Party
Filing is only half the job. You have to deliver copies of everything you filed to every other party in the case. CR 5 allows several methods for post-complaint documents:
- Hand delivery to the party or their attorney, or by leaving papers at their office with someone in charge.
- Mail, deposited in the post office with postage prepaid and addressed to the person being served.
- Electronic service by email or fax, but only if the other party has consented to electronic service in writing or a local rule authorizes it. Electronic service completed before 5:00 p.m. on a court day is effective on transmission; service after 5:00 p.m., on a weekend, or on a holiday counts as served at 9:00 a.m. the next court day.11Washington Courts. Superior Court Civil Rule 5 – Service and Filing of Pleadings and Other Papers
After you serve the other party, file proof of service with the court. Under CR 5 that can be a written acknowledgment from the recipient, an affidavit from the person who mailed the papers, or a certificate signed by an attorney.11Washington Courts. Superior Court Civil Rule 5 – Service and Filing of Pleadings and Other Papers Without proof of service in the file, the judge may refuse to hear your motion.
Getting a Hearing Date
Filing a motion doesn’t put it on the calendar. You have to “note” it for a hearing. Call the clerk’s office to find out which dates are available for the type of motion you’re filing. Some courts use a Note for Motion Docket or Notice of Hearing form. Where there’s no county-specific form, the statewide Notice of Hearing form (FL All Family 185) works for family law cases.
How Far Ahead You Have to Serve
Under CR 6(d), a written motion and notice of hearing must be served at least five days before the hearing.12Washington Courts. Superior Court Civil Rule 6 That’s the statewide floor. Local rules often stretch it. King County requires the moving party to serve and file all motion documents no later than nine judicial days before the hearing.4King County, Washington. LCR 7 – Civil Motions Miss the local deadline and your motion won’t be heard on the date you picked.
Working Copies
Many Washington counties want “working copies” of your motion papers delivered straight to the judge or commissioner’s chambers, separate from the originals filed with the clerk. In King County, working copies go to the hearing judge the same day you serve the other parties.4King County, Washington. LCR 7 – Civil Motions Mark the upper right corner of paper working copies with the words “working copies,” the hearing date, the judge’s name, and which party is submitting them. Forgetting working copies is one of the fastest ways to lose your spot on the calendar.
Confirming the Hearing
Most counties require you to confirm the hearing a set number of days ahead. Fail to confirm and the court strikes the motion without notifying you. Snohomish County requires confirmation by noon two court days before the hearing, with summary judgment motions confirmed three court days out.13Snohomish County, WA – Official Website. Trial and Hearing Confirmations Mason County requires confirmation by 10:00 a.m. two court days before the motion calendar.14Mason County WA Government. Confirmations Check your county’s procedure early and set a reminder.
Response and Reply Timing
The opposing party has a right to respond in writing. Under CR 6(d), opposing affidavits may be served up to one day before the hearing.12Washington Courts. Superior Court Civil Rule 6 Local rules usually give the other side more time and add structure. King County requires opposition papers four judicial days before the hearing and any reply from the moving party two judicial days before.4King County, Washington. LCR 7 – Civil Motions Replies should address only what the opposition raised; judges disregard new arguments smuggled into a reply.
If a motion is filed against you and you don’t respond, the judge rules on what’s in front of them. Silence isn’t treated as agreement, but the court will hear only one side of the facts.
When You Need an Ex Parte or Emergency Hearing
Some matters can’t wait for the normal calendar. An ex parte motion is heard without advance notice to the opposing party and is reserved for matters that are either truly urgent or unopposed. Agreed orders, where both parties consent, commonly go through the ex parte process because there’s nothing to contest.
Emergency ex parte requests, such as temporary restraining orders in domestic violence or harassment cases, require you to show the court that you’ll suffer immediate and irreparable harm if relief is delayed. Judges want specific facts in a declaration, not general allegations. Any order entered ex parte is temporary; the court will set a full hearing where the other side gets to respond.
Procedures vary by county. King County routes many ex parte matters through the clerk rather than requiring an in-person appearance, and orders to show cause require you to reserve a hearing date through the court’s scheduling website before filing.15King County, Washington. Procedures – Ex Parte and Probate Call the local clerk to confirm the procedure before you go in.
After the Judge Rules
If the judge grants your motion, the signed order is entered into the court record. Get a conformed (stamped) copy for your files. If the order requires the other party to do something, you may need to serve a copy of the signed order on them.
If the judge denies your motion, your options narrow quickly. A motion for reconsideration under CR 59 must be filed within 10 days after the order is entered.16Washington Courts. Superior Court Civil Rule 59 Reconsideration is not a rerun of the same argument. You need to point to a specific legal error the court made or present new facts that weren’t available at the original hearing. Courts deny most reconsideration motions, so weigh whether the issue is worth an appeal before spending your energy re-arguing what the judge has already rejected.