Thurston County Local Rules: Motions, Trial Setting, and Family Law

The Thurston County local court rules govern how cases are filed, scheduled, and argued in the county’s Superior and District Courts, and the current Superior Court rules took effect September 1, 2025.¹ They fill in the procedural gaps that Washington’s statewide rules leave open, and getting a detail wrong here can get a motion stricken from the calendar.

The first thing to sort out is which court you are in. Superior Court hears felonies, family law, probate, juvenile matters, and civil cases above the District Court’s jurisdictional limit. District Court handles misdemeanors, infractions, small claims, and lower-value civil disputes. The two courts publish separate rule sets, and the requirements differ substantially.

Where to Find the Rules and Forms

Superior Court publishes its local rules, required forms, and calendar information on the court’s website, with hard copies available at Superior Court administration for anyone without internet access.¹ District Court’s local rules are published as a PDF through the Washington State Courts website.²

A new Superior Court case needs a Case Information Cover Sheet, and any motion needs a Notice of Hearing to get on the court’s calendar. Both are available through the Clerk’s office and its website.³ Family law cases and any action involving children also require a Confidential Information Form, which collects Social Security numbers and other sensitive data and is kept out of public files.⁴

Self-represented parties should note one extra step. An ex parte motion (one presented without the other side) must be reviewed and approved for form and completeness by an attorney, a courthouse facilitator, or a legal aid volunteer before a judge will look at it. Fee-waiver requests are the only exception and go straight to the judge.¹ The courthouse facilitator can perform this review at no cost, so build the time in.

Filing Fees

Washington sets the baseline Superior Court filing fee for a new civil action at $200.⁵ Unlawful detainer (eviction) cases are $45. In District Court, a standard civil complaint is $83 and small claims is $50.⁶ A fee waiver is available if you cannot afford the fee.

Thurston County uses the Odyssey system for electronic filing and for case and hearing searches.⁷ Self-represented parties can still file in person at the courthouse or by mail.

Judge’s Copies

This is the requirement that catches people new to the county. Every civil motion and hearing requires a judge’s copy of your filed documents, delivered at the same time you file with the Clerk and serve the other parties.⁸ A motion that reaches the Clerk but not the judge’s chambers effectively does not exist for the hearing.

Formatting matters. Each document must display specific identifying information in the top left-hand corner of the first page, and a document missing that information may not be provided to the judge at all. Attachments or exhibits that cannot be stapled together must be tabbed and placed in a binder.⁸

Delivery options are limited to two: drop hard copies at Court Administration on the Main Campus (2000 Lakeridge Dr SW, Bldg. 2), or pay the Clerk’s Office to deliver the copy when you e-file. Email delivery is not accepted.⁸

Motion Practice and Hearing Deadlines

Civil motions in Superior Court are heard by the assigned judge on a Friday motion calendar, with oral argument, unless the court directs otherwise. The moving party files the motion, brief, and any supporting declarations at or before the time of scheduling through a notice of hearing. The court strongly encourages using the court-approved notice of hearing form. Trying to schedule a hearing without following these rules can lead the court to strike it or refuse to schedule it.⁹

Family law motions run on a tighter clock. Notice of hearing, motions, briefs, and supporting documents must be filed and served before 5:00 p.m. six court days before the motion calendar day. For a Tuesday calendar, that means everything by 5:00 p.m. the preceding Monday. Miss it and the other side can have your motion stricken or continued.¹⁰

Each side gets up to ten minutes for argument on a contested motion, including rebuttal.¹

Striking or Continuing a Hearing

Hearings that require 28 days’ notice must be stricken or continued at least five business days before the hearing date. All other hearings must be stricken or continued at least two business days before. Family law matters follow the same two-court-day minimum.⁹

Trial Setting and the Scheduling Questionnaire

Trial scheduling in Thurston County runs on paper, not phone calls. The scheduling questionnaire is the only channel for communicating with the court about trial dates and deadlines.¹ Phone calls and emails about scheduling accomplish nothing.

Here is how it works. The court assigns a “trial setting date,” but parties do not appear on that date. You submit a scheduling questionnaire showing the anticipated length of trial, whether a jury demand has been filed, and any dates you are unavailable. The court reviews all questionnaires, resolves scheduling conflicts administratively, and issues a case schedule order when the case is ready. All parties are strongly encouraged to file the questionnaire, but failing to file it is not grounds to continue the trial setting date.¹

Requesting a Continuance

A motion to continue trial must be filed and served at least ten calendar days before the trial date. It needs three pieces: written acknowledgment from the client, a declaration explaining the specific reasons, and (if the continuance is agreed) written acknowledgment from all parties. The court grants continuances only for good cause and can impose financial terms on a party who is not prepared, particularly if a jury has already been summoned.¹¹

Family Law: Mandatory Steps Before Trial

Family law cases carry prerequisites that will stall the case if skipped.

Parenting Seminar

Each parent must attend a four-hour parenting class within 45 days of filing or being served with papers related to a new parenting plan.¹² The class must be completed before the case moves forward.

Mandatory Mediation

Any court action involving a parenting plan requires mediation before trial under LSPR 94.05. Cases involving domestic violence are exempt.¹³

Settlement Conferences

All contested family law cases must be set for a settlement conference as provided in the case schedule order. The moving party files a Request to Schedule Settlement Conference and Trial on the administrative calendar. Scheduling should happen within 120 days of the first responsive pleading, unless required mediation is not yet complete. If neither party has requested a conference within four months of filing a dissolution, paternity, or minor guardianship action, the court can order one on its own.¹

Failing to comply with settlement conference requirements can result in immediate sanctions of up to $500, payable to the other party.¹

District Court: Key Differences

District Court practice diverges from Superior Court in several important ways.

Small Claims Exhibits

All exhibits must be filed with the civil court clerk one week before the trial date. The packet must include a table of contents listing each exhibit with a title or description and page number, each exhibit numbered, and all pages sequentially numbered throughout. Audio, video, and photographic files also need exhibit numbers and must appear in the table of contents.²

Civil Discovery and Trial Setting

All civil discovery must be completed at least 60 days before trial. A jury demand must be made no later than five days after the Note for Civil Trial Setting is served. When a jury demand has been filed, the case is set for a settlement conference roughly 90 days before trial, with a confirmation hearing about one week before trial.²

If your case settles, notify the court at least 48 hours before the scheduled trial time. Failing to give that notice can result in the court ordering a party to pay terms at its discretion.²

Criminal Pretrial Motions

Written pretrial motions in District Court criminal cases must be filed and served at least 35 days before trial, with responsive briefs due 14 days after the moving party’s brief is served. Requests for out-of-county subpoenas must be filed at least 14 days before trial. Miss the subpoena deadline and you are responsible for all costs associated with the witness’s appearance unless you can show good cause.²

Default Judgments

District Court default judgments follow a fixed attorney fee schedule based on the judgment amount:

$0 to $5,000: $500 in attorney fees
$5,000.01 to $10,000: $1,000 in attorney fees
Over $10,000: $1,500 in attorney fees

The party seeking default must provide proof of service, proof of inquiry into military status under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, proof of the debt, documentation supporting attorney fees, and proof of the basis for any interest calculation.²

Mistakes That Delay Cases

A few patterns account for most avoidable problems. The most common is failing to deliver judge’s copies at the time of filing. The motion may be well written and filed on time, but without a working copy in chambers the judge cannot rule on it. The second is trying to contact the court about trial scheduling outside the scheduling questionnaire. The third, for self-represented parties in family law, is missing the requirement that an ex parte motion be reviewed by a legal professional before presentation. The courthouse facilitator can do that review at no cost, but the step has to be in your timeline.¹

1
Thurston County Superior Court. Thurston County Superior Court Local Court Rules
2
Thurston County District Court. Thurston County District Court Local Rules
3
Thurston County. Available Forms
4
Washington State Courts. Confidential Information Form
5
Washington State Legislature. RCW 36.18.020
6
Thurston County. District Court Fee Schedule
7
Thurston County. Searching for Case and Hearing Information
8
Thurston County. Judge’s Copies
9
Thurston County Superior Court. Thurston County Superior Court Local Court Rules – LCR 7
10
Thurston County Superior Court. Thurston County Superior Court Local Court Rules – LSPR 94.03B
11
Thurston County Superior Court. Thurston County Superior Court Local Rules – LCR 40
12
Thurston County. Parenting Class
13
Thurston County. Family Law Mediation