Title 26, DOMESTIC RELATIONS

A child custody determination made by a court of this state that had jurisdiction under this chapter binds all persons who have been served in accordance with the laws of this state or notified in accordance with RCW 26.27.081 or who have submitted to the jurisdiction of the cour…

If a question of existence or exercise of jurisdiction under this chapter is raised in a child custody proceeding, the question, upon proper motion, must be given priority on the calendar and handled expeditiously. [ 2001 c 65 s 107.]

(1) Notice required for the exercise of jurisdiction when a person is outside this state may be given in a manner prescribed for service of process by the law of the state in which the service is made or given in a manner reasonably calculated to give actual notice, and may be ma…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a party to a child custody proceeding, including a modification proceeding, or a petitioner or respondent in a proceeding to enforce or register a child custody determination, is not subject to personal jurisdiction in thi…

(1) A court of this state may communicate with a court in another state concerning a proceeding arising under this chapter. (2) The court may allow the parties to participate in the communication. If the parties are not able to participate in the communication, they must be given…

(1) In addition to other procedures available to a party, a party to a child custody proceeding may offer testimony of witnesses who are located in another state, including testimony of the parties and the child, by deposition or other means allowable in this state for testimony …

(1) A court of this state may request the appropriate court of another state to: (a) Hold an evidentiary hearing; (b) Order a person to produce or give evidence pursuant to procedures of that state; (c) Order that an evaluation be made with respect to the custody of a child invol…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in RCW 26.27.231, a court of this state has jurisdiction to make an initial child custody determination only if: (a) This state is the home state of the child on the date of the commencement of the proceeding, or was the home state of the child wi…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in RCW 26.27.231, a court of this state that has made a child custody determination consistent with RCW 26.27.201 or 26.27.221 has exclusive, continuing jurisdiction over the determination until: (a) A court of this state determines that neither t…

Except as otherwise provided in RCW 26.27.231, a court of this state may not modify a child custody determination made by a court of another state unless a court of this state has jurisdiction to make an initial determination under RCW 26.27.201(1) (a) or (b) and: (1) The court o…

(1) A court of this state has temporary emergency jurisdiction if the child is present in this state and the child has been abandoned or it is necessary in an emergency to protect the child because the child, or a sibling or parent of the child, is subjected to or threatened with…

(1) Before a child custody determination is made under this chapter, notice and an opportunity to be heard in accordance with the standards of RCW 26.27.081 must be given to: (a) All persons entitled to notice under the law of this state as in child custody proceedings between re…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in RCW 26.27.231, a court of this state may not exercise its jurisdiction under this article if, at the time of the commencement of the proceeding, a proceeding concerning the custody of the child has been commenced in a court of another state hav…

(1) A court of this state which has jurisdiction under this chapter to make a child custody determination may decline to exercise its jurisdiction at any time if it determines that it is an inconvenient forum under the circumstances and that a court of another state is a more app…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in RCW 26.27.231 or by other law of this state, if a court of this state has jurisdiction under this chapter because a person seeking to invoke its jurisdiction has engaged in unjustifiable conduct, the court shall decline to exercise its jurisdic…

(1) Subject to laws providing for the confidentiality of procedures, addresses, and other identifying information, in a child custody proceeding, each party, in its first pleading or in an attached affidavit, shall give information, if reasonably ascertainable, under oath as to t…

(1) In a child custody proceeding in this state, the court may order a party to the proceeding who is in this state to appear before the court in person with or without the child. The court may order any person who is in this state and who has physical custody or control of the c…

The definitions in this section apply throughout this article, unless the context clearly requires otherwise. (1) "Petitioner" means a person who seeks enforcement of an order for return of a child under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction o…

Under this article a court of this state may enforce an order for the return of the child made under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction as if it were a child custody determination. [ 2001 c 65 s 302.]

(1) A court of this state shall recognize and enforce a child custody determination of a court of another state if the latter court exercised jurisdiction in substantial conformity with this chapter or the determination was made under factual circumstances meeting the jurisdictio…

(1) A court of this state that does not have jurisdiction to modify a child custody determination may issue a temporary order enforcing: (a) A visitation schedule made by a court of another state; or (b) The visitation provisions of a child custody determination of another state …

(1) A child custody determination issued by a court of another state may be registered in this state, with or without a simultaneous request for enforcement, by sending to the appropriate court in this state: (a) A letter or other document requesting registration; (b) Two copies,…

(1) A court of this state may grant any relief normally available under the law of this state to enforce a registered child custody determination made by a court of another state. (2) A court of this state shall recognize and enforce, but may not modify, except in accordance with…

If a proceeding for enforcement under this article is commenced in a court of this state and the court determines that a proceeding to modify the determination is pending in a court of another state having jurisdiction to modify the determination under Article 2, the enforcing co…

(1) A petition under this article must be verified. Certified copies of all orders sought to be enforced and of any order confirming registration must be attached to the petition. A copy of a certified copy of an order may be attached instead of the original. (2) A petition for e…

Except as otherwise provided in RCW 26.27.501, the petition and order must be served, by any method authorized by the law of this state, upon the respondent and any person who has physical custody of the child. [ 2001 c 65 s 309.]

(1) Unless the court issues a temporary emergency order pursuant to RCW 26.27.231, upon a finding that a petitioner is entitled to immediate physical custody of the child, the court shall order that the petitioner may take immediate physical custody of the child unless the respon…

An order under this chapter directing law enforcement to obtain physical custody of the child from the other parent or a third party holding the child may only be sought pursuant to a writ of habeas corpus under chapter 7.36 RCW. [ 2001 c 65 s 311.]

(1) The court shall award the prevailing party, including a state, necessary and reasonable expenses incurred by or on behalf of the party, including costs, communication expenses, attorneys' fees, investigative fees, expenses for witnesses, travel expenses, and child care during…

A court of this state shall accord full faith and credit to an order issued by another state and consistent with this chapter that enforces a child custody determination by a court of another state unless the order has been vacated, stayed, or modified by a court having jurisdict…

An appeal may be taken from a final order in a proceeding under this article in accordance with expedited appellate procedures in other civil cases relating to minor children. Unless the court enters a temporary emergency order under RCW 26.27.231, the enforcing court may not sta…

(1) In a case arising under this chapter or involving the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, the prosecutor or attorney general may take any lawful action, including resorting to a proceeding under this article or any other available civil pro…

At the request of a prosecutor or attorney general acting under RCW 26.27.541, a law enforcement officer may take any lawful action reasonably necessary to locate a child or a party and assist a prosecutor or attorney general with responsibilities under RCW 26.27.541. [ 2001 c 65…

If the respondent is not the prevailing party, the court may assess against the respondent all direct expenses and costs incurred by the prosecutor or attorney general and law enforcement officers under RCW 26.27.541 or 26.27.551. [ 2001 c 65 s 317.]

In applying and construing this chapter, consideration must be given to the need to promote uniformity of the law with respect to its subject matter among states that enact it. [ 2001 c 65 s 401.]

A motion or other request for relief made in a child custody proceeding or to enforce a child custody determination that was commenced before July 22, 2001, is governed by the law in effect at the time the motion or other request was made. [ 2001 c 65 s 404.]

For the purposes of this chapter, the terms spouse, marriage, marital, husband, wife, widow, widower, next of kin, and family shall be interpreted as applying equally to state registered domestic partnerships or individuals in state registered domestic partnerships as well as to …