SIMPLIFYING YOUR DIVORCE

Which Washington Divorce Forms Will You Need?

Washington uses statewide standardized forms (the "FL" series) that are mandatory under RCW 26.09.006 — they're true statewide forms, not county-specific, though some counties may require extra local forms under their own court rules. The exact set you'll use depends on your situation: whether you have minor children, whether you and your spouse agree, and what needs to be decided about property and support. Below are the forms grouped by what they do. Not every case uses every form, and this list describes the documents' purposes rather than telling you which ones apply to you.

Starting the Case

These forms open the dissolution and put the other spouse on notice.

• FL Divorce 200 — Summons: Notice About a Marriage or Domestic Partnership
  Opens the case and notifies the respondent that a dissolution action has been started.

• FL Divorce 201 — Petition for Divorce (Dissolution)
  The primary pleading that initiates the divorce; it states the grounds and the relief requested.

• FL All Family 001 — Confidential Information
  Holds confidential personal identifying details (such as Social Security numbers and dates of birth) that are filed separately from the public record.

• FL Divorce 223 — Motion for Temporary Family Law Order and Restraining Order
  Used to request temporary orders for support, use of property, parenting, and restraints while the case is pending.

• FL Divorce 224 — Temporary Family Law Order
  The court's temporary order addressing support, parenting, property, and restraints during the case.

Responding to a Petition

If you're the spouse who was served, this form is how the response is filed.

• FL Divorce 211 — Response to Petition about a Marriage
  The respondent's formal answer to the petition.

Financial & Disclosure Forms

Washington requires financial transparency when support or property issues are involved.

• FL All Family 131 — Financial Declaration
  The mandatory financial disclosure covering income, expenses, assets, and debts; required for support and property issues.

• FL All Family 011 — Sealed Financial Source Documents (Cover Sheet)
  A cover sheet used to seal the underlying financial documents, such as tax returns and pay stubs.

Forms for Divorces With Children

When minor children are involved, several additional forms come into play. Note that the child support worksheets are a court-published tool, not a numbered "FL" form.

• WSCSS Child Support Worksheets (Washington State Child Support Schedule Worksheets)
  Guideline worksheets used to calculate child support; required in all cases with minor children. These are a mandatory court-published worksheet, not a numbered "FL" form. The 2026 version is current as of January 2026.

• FL All Family 140 — Parenting Plan
  Establishes the residential schedule, decision-making authority, and dispute-resolution process for minor children.

• FL All Family 130 — Child Support Order
  The court order setting the child support obligation based on the WSCSS worksheets.

• FL Divorce 243 — Residential Time Summary Report
  Summarizes each parent's percentage of residential time; used in the child support calculation.

Agreed (Uncontested) Cases

Washington offers two procedural tracks: an agreed/uncontested track and a contested one. In an agreed case, both spouses can join the petition together.

• FL All Family 119 — Agreement to Join Petition (Joinder)
  Used in uncontested cases where both spouses jointly file the petition.

Settlement or Separation Agreement

Here's a Washington-specific point worth knowing: the state does not publish a standalone settlement or separation agreement form. Parties draft their own separation contract privately, and it is then incorporated by reference or attached to the final order (FL Divorce 241). If you're looking for an official numbered form for this, you won't find one — that's by design in Washington.

Finalizing Your Case

These documents bring the dissolution to a close.

• FL Divorce 231 — Findings and Conclusions About a Marriage
  The court's written findings of fact and conclusions of law, required before the final decree is entered.

• FL Divorce 241 — Final Divorce Order (Dissolution Decree)
  The final decree ending the marriage; it incorporates property division, support, and parenting terms.

• DOH 422-027 — Certificate of Dissolution, Declaration of Invalidity of Marriage, or Legal Separation
  The state vital-records certificate filed with the Department of Health to record the dissolution.

Where to Get Washington Divorce Forms

There are several places to find Washington divorce forms, depending on how much support you want along the way.

Official State Courts Site

Washington's standardized forms are published by the courts and available to download for free. You can find the official dissolution forms at the Washington Courts forms repository: courts.wa.gov. Because these are statewide forms, the same versions are used across counties.

County Clerk or Superior Court

Divorces are filed in the superior court of the county where either spouse resides. Your local county clerk's office or court website can tell you about filing procedures, fees, and any additional local forms a county may require under its own court rules.

Legal Aid & Self-Help Resources

Washington offers court facilitator programs and self-help resources in many counties, and statewide legal aid organizations may help those who qualify. These resources explain procedure but generally don't give advice about your individual case.

Online Divorce Services (Divorce.com)

Divorce.com guides you through the paperwork step by step, helping you complete the right Washington forms based on your answers — without the guesswork of figuring out which document goes where. It's designed for people who want a clear, supported path through an uncontested or agreed divorce.

Hire an Attorney

If your situation is complex — significant assets, disputes over parenting, or anything you're unsure about — an attorney can prepare and review your documents and advise you on your specific circumstances.

The Washington Divorce Process

While every case is different, Washington dissolutions generally follow the same path.

1. Confirm Residency

Washington has no minimum durational residency requirement. Either spouse must be a Washington resident at the time of filing, or a member of the armed forces stationed in Washington — there's no set number of days you must live in the state first.

2. File the Petition

The case begins when the Petition (FL Divorce 201) and Summons (FL Divorce 200) are filed in the superior court of the county where either spouse resides, along with the Confidential Information form (FL All Family 001).

3. Serve the Other Spouse

The respondent must be served with the filed paperwork. In an agreed case, both spouses may instead join the petition together using FL All Family 119.

4. Exchange Financial Disclosures

When support or property is at issue, the Financial Declaration (FL All Family 131) is used to disclose income, expenses, assets, and debts, with sensitive source documents handled under the sealing cover sheet (FL All Family 011).

5. Observe the Waiting Period

Washington imposes a mandatory 90-day waiting period. The decree cannot be entered until at least 90 days after both filing and service on the respondent (RCW 26.09.030). This waiting period cannot be waived — even in a fully uncontested case.

6. Finalize the Decree & Get Certified Copies

Once the requirements are met, the court enters its Findings and Conclusions (FL Divorce 231) and the Final Divorce Order (FL Divorce 241), and the dissolution is recorded with the Department of Health via the certificate (DOH 422-027). Certified copies of the final order are often needed for changing names, updating records, and other follow-up steps.

Washington-Specific Requirements You Should Know

A few things make Washington stand out, and understanding them up front helps the rest make sense.

• Residency: No durational minimum. This is unusually permissive — most states require six to twelve months of residency before you can file. In Washington, either spouse simply needs to be a resident (or a service member stationed in the state) at the time of filing.

• Property regime: Washington is a community property state. But it's worth knowing that courts divide all property — community and separate — under a "just and equitable" standard, using judicial discretion rather than an automatic 50/50 split.

• Grounds: Washington is a pure no-fault state. The only ground is that the marriage is "irretrievably broken" (RCW 26.09.030). There are no fault-based grounds at all, and misconduct is explicitly excluded from property-division considerations (RCW 26.09.080).

• Waiting period: The 90-day minimum (from both filing and service) applies to every case and cannot be waived.

• Parenting seminar: In cases involving minor children, both parties are generally required by local court rules (pursuant to RCW 26.12.172) to complete a court-approved parenting education seminar. It can be waived for reasons such as domestic violence, the best interests of the children, or good cause, and opposing parties cannot be required to attend together. Specific approved providers and procedures vary by county.

• No covenant marriage: Washington does not offer covenant marriage.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting the Confidential Information form

Personal identifiers like SSNs and dates of birth go on the separate Confidential Information form (FL All Family 001), not in the public pleadings.

Expecting to skip the 90-day wait

The waiting period is mandatory in Washington and cannot be waived, even when both spouses fully agree on everything.

Looking for a settlement-agreement form that doesn't exist

Washington doesn't publish a standalone separation agreement form. Spouses draft their own, and it gets incorporated into the Final Divorce Order (FL Divorce 241).

Overlooking county-specific local forms

The "FL" forms are statewide, but individual counties may require additional local forms. Checking your county's requirements helps avoid surprises at filing.

Missing the child-related forms and seminar

Cases with minor children require the WSCSS worksheets, a Parenting Plan, and often a court-approved parenting seminar — pieces that are easy to overlook when focusing on the main petition.

How Divorce.com Can Help

Sorting through which Washington forms apply, in what order, and what each one needs can be a lot — especially while you're managing everything else. Divorce.com takes the guesswork out of it by walking you through the process and helping you complete the right paperwork based on your answers.

• Step-by-step guidance through Washington's statewide FL forms

• Forms completed based on your specific answers, so nothing important gets missed

• A clear, supported path for uncontested and agreed divorces

• Plain-language explanations of what each document does

• Affordable, online, and available on your schedule