Washington State Divorce Papers PDF: Filing, Service, and Final Orders

Every form you need to file for a divorce in Washington is available as a free, fillable PDF on the state courts’ website at courts.wa.gov.¹ Washington calls the process a “dissolution of marriage,” and the forms are grouped by stage: a packet to open the case, additional forms if you have minor children, and a final set to close it. Download the PDFs straight from that page. County clerks reject outdated or non-standard versions, and third-party templates are a common reason cases get bounced at the counter.

Forms to Open the Case

The opening packet is small. These are the documents that actually start a dissolution:

FL Divorce 201, Petition for Divorce (Dissolution). The main document. It tells the court when and where you married, when you separated, whether children are involved, and what you want the court to do with property, debts, and support.
FL Divorce 200, Summons. Notifies your spouse that the case has been filed and explains their right to respond.
FL All Family 001, Confidential Information. Collects Social Security numbers and dates of birth. Stays sealed from public view.
DOH 422-027, Certificate of Dissolution. A vital-statistics form the clerk forwards to the state registrar after the case ends.

The content required in the petition is set by statute at RCW 26.09.020.² Washington is a no-fault state, so you don’t need to prove your spouse did anything wrong. The only ground is that the marriage is “irretrievably broken,” and saying so in the petition is enough.

What to Have in Front of You Before You Start Typing

Opening a blank petition without the underlying facts almost always means starting over. Gather this first:

The exact date and location of your marriage ceremony.
The date you and your spouse physically separated.
Proof of residency. At least one spouse must currently live in Washington or be a member of the armed forces stationed here, or the court cannot hear the case.
A full inventory of what you own and owe, community and separate: real estate, bank accounts, retirement accounts, vehicles, credit card balances, loans.
Names, ages, and addresses of any minor children born or adopted during the marriage.

The petition statute requires all of this.²

Extra Forms When You Have Minor Children

If you share children under 18, the paperwork roughly doubles. Washington requires a parenting plan in every dissolution involving minor children, and child support worksheets must go with it. The additional PDFs appear on the forms page under “If you have a child add”:¹

FL All Family 140, Parenting Plan. Where the children live, how holidays and school breaks split, and how parents make major decisions about education and healthcare.
WSCSS Worksheets, Child Support Schedule Worksheets. Calculate support based on both parents’ gross monthly income, the number of children, and the residential schedule.
FL All Family 130, Child Support Order. The court order that sets the support amount.
FL All Family 131, Financial Declaration. A detailed breakdown of each parent’s income, expenses, and assets.
FL Divorce 243, Residential Time Summary Report. A calendar-style summary of where the children spend their time.

The worksheets need precise income figures, so pull recent pay stubs, tax returns, and records of any other income before you open them.

Filing the Forms and Paying the Fee

You file the originals with the Superior Court Clerk in your county. The clerk stamps everything with a case number that goes on every document from that point forward. Filing fees for a dissolution in Washington generally run from $250 to $320 depending on the county.

If you can’t afford the fee, request a waiver using the GR 34 form. The court grants it if you receive needs-based government assistance, your household income is at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty guideline, or your basic living expenses leave you unable to pay.³ The GR 34 PDFs are on the courts.wa.gov forms page.⁴

Many counties accept electronic filing through a secure portal; in counties that don’t, you deliver documents in person or by mail. Either way, ask the clerk how many copies they want. Most courts expect at least one extra for your own records.

Serving the Papers on Your Spouse

Filing opens the case. It does not notify your spouse. That takes a separate step called service of process. A copy of the filed Summons and Petition has to be delivered to your spouse by someone who is not a party to the case: a professional process server, a county sheriff, or any adult willing to make the delivery. Professional servers generally charge $20 to $150.

After delivery, the server completes FL All Family 101, Proof of Personal Service, and files it with the clerk.¹ The case can’t move until that proof is on file. If your spouse is willing to accept the papers voluntarily, they can sign FL All Family 117, Service Accepted, and you skip the third-party server entirely.

If you genuinely cannot locate your spouse, Washington permits service by publication in a legal newspaper under RCW 4.28.100 after you file an affidavit showing you’ve tried.⁵ A dissolution granted this way can be challenged for up to a year, so most people pursue it only when no other option exists.

If Your Spouse Doesn’t Respond

After being served, your spouse has a limited window to file FL Divorce 211 (Response to Petition about a Marriage). If they don’t, you can ask for a default judgment and have the court grant the divorce on the terms in your petition. Two more PDFs handle that:

FL All Family 161, Motion for Default.
FL All Family 162, Order on Motion for Default.

You still schedule a hearing, and you still have to give your spouse notice of it if they filed a Notice of Appearance or if more than a year has passed since service.⁶ The 90-day waiting period still applies to a default case.

Temporary Orders While the Case Is Pending

Washington imposes a mandatory 90-day cooling-off period that begins when the petition is both filed and served. No judge can sign a final dissolution order until that window closes, and nothing shortens it.⁷ That gap often creates practical problems: who pays the mortgage, who stays in the house, who has the kids on weekdays.

You can ask the court to decide these issues on an interim basis using FL Divorce 223, Motion for Temporary Family Law Order, and FL Divorce 224, Temporary Family Law Order.¹ For immediate protection, FL Divorce 221, Motion for Immediate Restraining Order, can be filed without advance notice to your spouse. It’s typically used when there’s a risk of hidden assets, drained accounts, or a dangerous situation. The court sets a hearing shortly after to decide whether the restraining order stays in place.

Forms to Finalize the Divorce

Once the 90 days have passed and the terms are settled, a final set of PDFs closes the case. They appear under “Complete the Case” on the forms page:¹

FL Divorce 231, Findings and Conclusions About a Marriage. Summarizes the facts the court relied on and the legal basis for the dissolution.
FL Divorce 241, Final Divorce Order (Dissolution Decree). The actual order ending the marriage. Once a judge signs this, you are legally divorced.
FL All Family 185, Notice of Hearing. Required to schedule the final hearing, unless your county allows finalization by document review without a hearing.

If children are involved, the Parenting Plan (FL All Family 140) and Child Support Order (FL All Family 130) are signed at this stage too. The court won’t enter a final decree until custody, support, and property division are all addressed.⁷ Reaching day 91 with a complete, signed packet ready for the judge is the fastest path through a Washington dissolution.

1
Washington State Courts. Court Forms: Divorce (Dissolution)
2
Washington State Legislature. RCW 26.09.020 – Petition, Dissolution of Marriage or Domestic Partnership
3
Washington Courts. General Rule 34 – Waiver of Civil Filing Fees and Surcharges
4
Washington State Courts. Court Forms – GR 34 Request for Waiver of Civil Filing Fees and Surcharges
5
Washington State Legislature. RCW 4.28.100 – Service of Summons by Publication, When Authorized
6
Washington State Courts. Court Forms – Default
7
Washington State Legislature. RCW 26.09.030 – Petition for Dissolution of Marriage or Domestic Partnership