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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.

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.

On average, an uncontested divorce will take three months, while a contested divorce may take a year or even longer. Generally, a longer, more complicated divorce is more expensive, while an uncontested divorce or a divorce handled through divorce mediation is shorter and less expensive.

Many Washington State courts have a public access terminal in the courthouse where you can view JIS public record case information such as an index of filed cases and a list of documents filed in each case. Contact your local court to see if they have a public access terminal.

There's no need to attend a court hearing and it's much quicker, easier, and cheaper than a contested divorce. Since Washington is a no-fault state, there's no need to prove your spouse did something wrong in order to file for divorce.

You can download the Washington State Court Official Divorce Form for free from their website, or attain hard copies of each form from your local courthouse. There is also an online DIY packet with instructions via Washington Law Help.