King County Superior Court Local Rules: E-Filing, Motions & Fees

The King County Superior Court local rules set the procedural details that Washington’s statewide court rules leave open: where you file, which forms must accompany a new case, filing fees, motion timing, working copy delivery, and the deadlines that appear on every civil case schedule. The rules apply in both the Seattle and Kent courthouses, and the current version took effect on September 1, 2025.1Washington Courts. Local Rules of the Superior Court for King County A procedural misstep can mean a rejected filing, a missed deadline, or sanctions, so it pays to check the rule that governs whatever you are about to do before you do it.

Where to Read the Current Rules

King County posts the rules on the county’s official site with each rule on its own page. The Washington State Courts website also hosts a consolidated PDF you can search across all rule categories.1Washington Courts. Local Rules of the Superior Court for King County

Beyond the permanent rulebook, the court issues Emergency Rules that temporarily change procedures or deadlines. As of mid-2026, King County has at least two active emergency rules published that year.2Washington State Courts. Local Superior Court Rules They can modify filing requirements, hearing protocols, or courtroom access on short notice. Check the permanent rules and any active emergency orders together.

Which Rule Set Applies to Your Case

The rules are grouped by case type. Identifying your group narrows the reading considerably.

King County set the arbitration ceiling at the statutory maximum allowed under Chapter 7.06 RCW.6Washington State Legislature. Chapter 7.06 RCW If you lose at arbitration, you can request a trial de novo. That request costs $400.7King County Superior Court. Superior Court and Clerk’s Fee Schedule

Seattle or Kent: Where Your Case Is Assigned

Every King County case goes to either the Seattle or Kent courthouse. LCR 82 ties the assignment to geography and case type, not to convenience.8King County. LCR 82 Case Assignment Area

Interstate 90 is the dividing line. Cases arising north of I-90 (including Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Issaquah, North Bend, and Vashon Island) go to Seattle. South of I-90 goes to Kent, with exceptions. The specific criterion depends on case type:

  • Personal injury or property damage: where the injury or damage occurred.
  • Family law: where either the petitioner or respondent lives.
  • Probate: where the deceased lived.
  • Guardianship: where the ward lives.
  • Protection and antiharassment orders: where the petitioner lives, though a petitioner who left home to escape abuse can file in either area.

Juvenile offender cases and involuntary treatment cases are assigned to Seattle regardless of geography.8King County. LCR 82 Case Assignment Area Getting the designation wrong on your initial filing can delay the case.

Filing Fees and the Cover Sheet

Common filing fees as of July 2025:

  • Standard civil action: $290
  • Dissolution of marriage or legal separation: $364
  • Parentage or adoption filing: $310
  • Probate or guardianship filing: $290
  • Antiharassment petition: $53
  • Appeal from a lower court: $280

These amounts are set by statute and already include the various surcharges added to the base fee. Guardianship filings are free when the petition states total assets are under $3,000, and minor guardianship filings have no fee when the potential guardian is a relative.7King County Superior Court. Superior Court and Clerk’s Fee Schedule

Every new civil filing must include a Case Assignment Designation and Case Information Cover Sheet under LCR 82(e). The form identifies the parties, the case type, and the correct assignment area. Filing without it triggers a $15 faulty document fee. LCR 10 also requires every pleading to carry a caption with the court name, case number, and party names.9King County. LCR 10 Form of Pleading and Other Papers

Redacting Personal Information

Washington’s statewide General Rule 31 requires redaction on every court filing, paper or electronic. Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and driver’s license numbers should show only the last four digits.10Washington Courts. GR 31 Access to Court Records

The court and its clerks do not review documents for redaction errors. That responsibility falls on the filer. If unredacted information gets into the file, the opposing party or the person whose information was exposed can ask the court to order redaction and to reimburse the costs of bringing the motion.10Washington Courts. GR 31 Access to Court Records Court records are often publicly accessible, so an unredacted Social Security number in a case file is an identity theft risk.

Electronic Filing Through KC Script

Under LGR 30, King County requires attorneys to file electronically through the Clerk’s online e-filing application.11King County. LGR 30 Mandatory Electronic Filing and Service The portal is called KC Script, and it also handles e-working copies and other clerk services.12King County Superior Court Clerk’s Office. KC Script Portal You’ll need to create an account, and filing fees can be paid through the system.

Self-represented parties may e-file through the same portal. The rule allows exceptions from mandatory electronic filing in certain circumstances, but any paper submission still has to meet the same formatting requirements as an electronic one.

Motions Under LCR 7

Motion deadlines in King County are measured in judicial days (court business days), not calendar days. That is where filers most often go wrong. The sequence:

  • Moving party files and serves the motion no later than 4:30 p.m., nine judicial days before the hearing.
  • The opposing party’s response is due no later than 4:30 p.m., four judicial days before the hearing.
  • The moving party’s reply is due no later than 4:30 p.m., two judicial days before the hearing.

Along with the motion you must file a Notice of Court Date identifying the moving party, all parties entitled to notice, the hearing judge, the trial date, and the hearing date and time.13King County. LCR 7 Civil Motions

Working Copies

Filing with the clerk is not enough. You also have to deliver working copies to the assigned judge or commissioner. For e-filed motions, working copies can be submitted electronically through KC Script at $40 per set, plus a small transaction fee of $1.00 to $2.49.14King County. E-Working Copies Documents of 500 pages or more cannot be submitted electronically and must be delivered in paper.1Washington Courts. Local Rules of the Superior Court for King County

Paper working copies must be marked “working copies” in the upper right corner and note the hearing date, the judge or commissioner’s name, and the submitting party. They go to the judges’ mailroom at the courthouse where that judge sits.1Washington Courts. Local Rules of the Superior Court for King County If working copies never reach the judge, the motion may go unheard.

The Case Schedule

When a new civil case is filed, the clerk automatically issues a Case Schedule that lays out every major deadline between filing and trial.15King County. LCR 4 Civil Case Schedule It is a court order. Missing a date on it can lead to sanctions or lost rights. Key benchmarks in a typical civil case:

  • Confirmation of joinder: 23 weeks after filing.
  • Arbitrability statement deadline: 23 weeks after filing.
  • Disclosure of primary witnesses: 22 weeks before trial.
  • Discovery cutoff: 8 weeks before trial.
  • Alternative dispute resolution deadline: 8 weeks before trial.
  • Joint trial readiness confirmation: 7 weeks before trial.
  • Exchange of witness and exhibit lists: 3 weeks before trial.
  • Dispositive pretrial motions heard: 2 weeks before trial.

Family law cases follow a somewhat different schedule, with a confirmation of issues deadline at 16 weeks after filing and, in some cases, a status conference at 20 weeks.15King County. LCR 4 Civil Case Schedule

What Happens If You Don’t Comply

Judges have broad authority to enforce the rules, and they use it. Under the statewide discovery rule (CR 37), a party who fails to cooperate in discovery can face having disputed facts treated as established against them, being barred from introducing certain evidence at trial, having pleadings struck, having the case dismissed, having a default judgment entered, or being held in contempt. On top of any of those sanctions, the court is generally required to order the non-complying party or their attorney to pay the other side’s reasonable expenses, including attorney fees, unless the failure was substantially justified.16Washington Courts. Rule 37 Even a minor discovery dispute almost always comes with a bill for the other side’s legal costs.

At the clerk level, non-compliance creates smaller but still costly problems. Filing a new case without the Case Information Cover Sheet triggers the $15 faulty document fee. Improperly formatted documents can be rejected outright, which forces a refile and can push you past a deadline.

Help for Self-Represented Filers

The King County Department of Public Defense represents people charged with crimes who cannot afford an attorney, along with youth in juvenile proceedings and respondents in dependency cases.17King County. Legal Assistance Resources

For civil and family law matters, the King County Bar Association runs neighborhood legal clinics offering free 30-minute consultations, along with a self-help program covering divorce, child support modification, and parenting plan changes. The Northwest Justice Project provides free civil legal services to low-income King County residents in areas including family law for domestic violence survivors, housing, and consumer issues.17King County. Legal Assistance Resources The court also publishes a handbook for self-represented litigants and instructional videos on appearing without an attorney. A single clinic consultation can help you identify which local rules apply to your case and avoid the procedural errors that most often derail self-represented filings.