Make Notes On Legal Washington Life Documents Newly Divorced Forms For Free

Just to file for divorce in Washington, costs roughly $350. (This includes fees for filing, a judicial surcharge, and court facilitator costs.) From there, you have to serve your spouse. If you hire a lawyer, they can handle that, likely for a fee, or you can use an outside process server.

Below are the four basic steps in getting an uncontested divorce in Washington State: Complete divorce forms. The divorce process begins with the divorce form or petition for divorce. ... File divorce papers with the court. ... Serve your spouse with the divorce papers. ... Sign and file final divorce documents.

To begin your Washington divorce action, you or your attorney must complete and file a petition for dissolution of marriage. In this document, you will state that your marriage is irretrievably broken, and you are requesting the court dissolve your marriage.

Uncontested divorces generally do not require lawyers because, with both parties in agreement, the legal process is straightforward. With the right tools and resources, couples can complete the paperwork and file it with their county court without the need for legal representation.

1st Stage: Petition/Response. The petition is the document that says the petitioner wants a divorce. Most petitions are basic documents putting the other side on notice of the case. The petition is filed with the court along with supporting documents and served upon the other spouse, called the respondent.

Fill out your paperwork online. Once the forms are completed, you'll review them and pay the service fee, which is often a few hundred dollars and doesn't include state filing fees. You can also attempt to DIY your forms using the free resources on Washington's legal assistance website.