To get divorce papers in Washington State, download the mandatory family law forms for free from the Washington Courts website at courts.wa.gov, then file the completed originals with the Superior Court clerk in your county. Washington is a no-fault state, so the petition only has to state that the marriage is irretrievably broken. The court cannot finalize anything until at least 90 days after filing and service, so starting the paperwork early matters.
Check Residency First
You can file in Washington if you, your spouse, or a military service member stationed in the state lives here on the day the petition is filed. There is no minimum duration requirement. The non-resident spouse can be the one who files, as long as the other spouse lives in Washington or is stationed here.
The Core Forms to Download
All mandatory divorce forms are on the Washington Courts website at no cost. To open a case, you need four documents:
- FL Divorce 200 — Summons. Notifies your spouse that a divorce case has been filed and that they must respond.
- FL Divorce 201 — Petition for Divorce. The formal request to end the marriage, where you set out the facts and what you want the court to decide.
- FL All Family 001 — Confidential Information Form. Holds sensitive identifiers like Social Security numbers and dates of birth. It is sealed and kept out of the public file.
- Domestic Case Cover Sheet. A routing form the clerk uses to categorize your case. It has no FL number and is a separate download on the courts website.
If you and your spouse have already agreed on everything, the respondent can sign FL All Family 119 (Agreement to Join Petition), which tells the court both parties agree to the divorce and its terms. It is optional, but it streamlines the case considerably.
Information to Gather Before You Fill Anything Out
The petition requires specific details set out in RCW 26.09.020. Collecting these before you open the form keeps you from stalling halfway through:
- The last known state and county of residence for each spouse.
- The date and location of your wedding.
- The date you and your spouse stopped living together, if applicable.
- Names, ages, and current living arrangements of any children who depend on either spouse, plus whether anyone is currently pregnant.
- A general statement about whether community or separate property needs to be divided. A full inventory is not required on the petition itself, but detailed financial information comes later in the case.
- Your initial positions on custody schedules, child support, and spousal maintenance.
- A description of the relief you want the court to order at the end.
If your county runs a family court facilitation program under RCW 26.12.260, you may need to confirm participation before filing.
Filling Out the Petition and Summons
The Petition (FL Divorce 201) is the longest form and does most of the work. You enter personal and financial details, identify your children, and check boxes indicating what you want the court to decide: property division, custody, spousal maintenance, or all of the above. Read every question carefully. Checking the wrong box or leaving a section blank can lead the clerk to reject the filing, or leave the court unable to grant what you actually want.
The Summons (FL Divorce 200) is shorter. It identifies both parties and warns the respondent that failing to respond could lead to a default judgment. Most of the text is pre-printed legal notice. You fill in names, addresses, and the court information. Both documents must be signed under oath or affirmation before filing.
Filing with the Superior Court Clerk
Take the completed originals to the clerk’s office at the Superior Court in your county. Some counties also accept electronic filings; check your local court’s website for availability. The clerk reviews the paperwork for completeness, stamps it as filed, and assigns a cause number. You will use that number every time you file anything else or contact the court.
The filing fee is $364, which includes the base clerk’s fee and mandatory surcharges established under RCW 36.18.020 and related statutes. If you cannot afford it, ask the court to waive the fee by filing a financial declaration under General Rule 34. The court reviews your income and expenses and decides whether to reduce or eliminate the fee. GR 34 forms are on the courts website under the fee waiver section.
Serving Your Spouse
After filing, your spouse must receive a copy of the summons and petition. This step, called service of process, starts the 90-day clock and triggers your spouse’s deadline to respond. Superior Court Civil Rule 4 governs who can deliver the papers: any person over 18 who is not a party to the case. That includes a friend, a professional process server, or the county sheriff. You cannot hand the documents to your spouse yourself.
The server must deliver the papers directly to your spouse, or if your spouse is not available, to someone of suitable age at your spouse’s home. After delivery, the server completes FL All Family 101 (Proof of Personal Service), a sworn statement confirming when and where the documents were delivered. File that proof with the clerk. Without it, the court treats your spouse as unserved and the case stalls.
If Your Spouse Will Cooperate
A cooperative spouse can sign FL All Family 117 (Service Accepted). Signing does not mean they agree with anything in the petition; it only confirms they received the documents. This avoids the cost and logistics of a process server and tends to keep the tone of the case calmer from the start.
If You Cannot Find Your Spouse
If your spouse has left the state, is hiding, or cannot be located, you can ask the court for permission to serve by publication. File FL All Family 108 (Motion to Serve by Publication) describing what you have done to find your spouse. The court expects a genuine search effort. If the judge approves the motion, the summons is published in a newspaper for a set period. Service by publication limits what the court can do: it may grant the divorce itself but lack authority to divide property, set support, or enter financial orders against someone who was never personally served.
Response Deadline and Default
Once served, your spouse has 20 days to file a written response. If your spouse was served outside Washington or by publication, the deadline extends to 60 days. In the response, your spouse either agrees with the petition, disagrees, or raises their own requests.
If your spouse never responds, you can file a Motion for Default. After the court grants that motion and the 90-day waiting period has passed, you can ask the judge to sign your final divorce orders without your spouse’s participation. You generally do not need to notify your spouse of the default hearing, unless they previously filed a Notice of Appearance or more than a year has passed since filing and service.
If your spouse responds and disagrees on key issues, the case becomes contested. Contested cases involve negotiation, possibly mediation, and potentially a trial. Most Washington counties offer or require some form of alternative dispute resolution before setting a trial date. The forms and timeline expand considerably once a case is contested, though the same core documents remain the foundation.
The 90-Day Waiting Period
Washington law imposes a mandatory 90-day cooling-off period before any divorce can be finalized. The clock starts on the later of two dates: the day you file the petition or the day your spouse is served. Even if both spouses agree on everything and have signed every form, the court cannot enter a final decree until those 90 days have elapsed.
This waiting period comes from RCW 26.09.030 and applies to every divorce filed in the state. There are no exceptions for hardship or mutual agreement. Use the time to finalize your proposed property division, complete required financial declarations, and prepare the documents you will need for the final hearing.
Forms You Will Need to Finalize
After the 90-day period expires, you can schedule a final hearing. In uncontested cases, the hearing is often brief and sometimes handled without both parties present, depending on local court rules. Additional documents include:
- FL Divorce 231 — Findings and Conclusions About a Marriage. The court’s formal statement of the facts that support ending the marriage.
- FL Divorce 241 — Final Divorce Order (Dissolution Decree). The order that actually ends the marriage and addresses property, debts, and any other issues.
- FL All Family 185 — Notice of Hearing. Schedules the hearing and notifies your spouse.
- FL All Family 112 — Proof of Mailing or Hand Delivery. Confirms your spouse received notice of the hearing.
If you have children, the final paperwork also includes a Parenting Plan (FL All Family 140), a Child Support Order (FL All Family 130) with completed Child Support Schedule Worksheets, and a Residential Time Summary Report (FL Divorce 243). Washington law requires every divorce involving minor children to include an approved parenting plan; the court will not finalize the case without one. All of these forms are on the courts website under the divorce forms section.
Once the judge signs the Final Divorce Order, the marriage is legally over. The court sends a record of the decree to the Washington Department of Health for vital records purposes.