Title 26, DOMESTIC RELATIONS

Any divorce action which was filed prior to July 15, 1973 and for which a final decree has not been entered on February 11, 1974, may, upon order of the superior court having jurisdiction over such proceeding for good cause shown, be converted to a dissolution proceeding and ther…

The provisions of RCW 26.09.900 and 26.09.901 are remedial and procedural and shall be construed to have been in effect as of July 16, 1973. [ 1974 ex.s. c 15 s 3.]

Notwithstanding the repeals of prior laws, actions which were properly and validly pending in the superior courts of this state as of January 1, 1988, shall not be governed by chapter 460, Laws of 1987 but shall be governed by the provisions of law in effect on December 31, 1987.…

(1) Decrees under this chapter involving child custody, visitation, or child support entered in actions commenced prior to January 1, 1988, shall be deemed to be parenting plans for purposes of this chapter. (2) The enactment of the 1987 revisions to this chapter does not constit…

This act shall be known as the parenting act of 1987. [ 1987 c 460 s 57.]

Section captions as used in this act do not constitute any part of the law. [ 1987 c 460 s 58.]

This act shall take effect on January 1, 1988. [ 1987 c 460 s 59.]

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 …

The department is granted rule-making authority to adopt rules necessary for the implementation of chapter 227, Laws of 2020. [ 2020 c 227 s 14.] Notes: Findings—Intent—2020 c 227: See note following RCW 26.09.320.

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise. (1) "Parent" means a legal parent whose rights have not been terminated, relinquished, or declared not to exist. (2)(a) "Relative" means: (i) Any blood relative, including…

(1) A person who is not the parent of the child may petition for visitation with the child if: (a) The petitioner has an ongoing and substantial relationship with the child; (b) The petitioner is a relative of the child or a parent of the child; and (c) The child is likely to suf…

(1) If a court has jurisdiction over the child pursuant to chapter 26.27 RCW, a petition for visitation under RCW 26.11.020 must be filed with that court. (2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (1) of this section, if a court has exclusive original jurisdiction over the c…

(1)(a) At a hearing pursuant to RCW 26.11.030(8), the court shall enter an order granting visitation if it finds that the child would likely suffer harm or the substantial risk of harm if visitation between the petitioner and the child is not granted and that granting visitation …

(1)(a) For the purposes of RCW 26.11.020 through 26.11.040, the court shall, on motion of the respondent, order the petitioner to pay a reasonable amount for costs and reasonable attorneys' fees to the respondent in advance and prior to any hearing, unless the court finds, consid…

(1) A court may not modify or terminate an order granting visitation under RCW 26.11.040 unless it finds, on the basis of facts that have arisen since the entry of the order or were unknown to the court at the time it entered the order, that a substantial change of circumstances …

Each superior court shall exercise the jurisdiction conferred by this chapter and while sitting in the exercise of such jurisdiction shall be known and referred to as the "family court." A family court proceeding under this chapter is: (1) Any proceeding under this title or any p…

In counties having more than one judge of the superior court the judges of such court shall annually, in the month of January, designate one or more of their number to hear all cases under this chapter. The judge or judges so designated shall hold as many sessions of the family c…

The judge of the family court may transfer any case before the family court pursuant to this chapter to the department of the presiding judge of the superior court for assignment for trial or other proceedings by another judge of the court, whenever in the opinion of the judge of…

In counties having more than one judge of the superior court the presiding judge may appoint a judge other than the judge of the family court to act as judge of the family court during any period when the judge of the family court is on vacation, absent, or for any reason unable …

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, in each county the superior court may appoint the following persons to assist the family court in disposing of its business: (a) One or more attorneys to act as family court commissioners, and (b) Such investigators, steno…

The court commissioners shall: (1) Make appropriate referrals to county family court services program if the county has a family court services program or appoint a guardian ad litem pursuant to RCW 26.12.175; (2) order investigation and reporting of the facts upon which to base …

The probation officer in every county shall give such assistance to the family court as may be requested to carry out the purposes of this chapter and to that end the probation officer shall, upon request, make investigations and reports as requested, and in cases pursuant to thi…

Whenever the court before whom any matter arising under this chapter is pending, deems publication of any matter before the court contrary to public policy or injurious to the interests of children or to the public morals, the court may by order close the files or any part thereo…

For the purpose of conducting hearings pursuant to this chapter the family court may be convened at any time and place within the county and the hearing may be had in chambers or otherwise. [ 1949 c 50 s 16; Rem. Supp. 1949 s 997-45.]

To facilitate and promote the purposes of this chapter, family court judges and court commissioners may order or recommend family court services, parenting seminars, drug and alcohol abuse evaluations and monitoring of the parties through public or private treatment services, oth…

Any court rules adopted for the implementation of parenting seminars shall include the following provisions: (1) In no case shall opposing parties be required to attend seminars together; (2) Upon a showing of domestic violence or abuse which would not require mutual decision mak…

(1)(a) The court may appoint a guardian ad litem to represent the interests of a minor or dependent child when the court believes the appointment of a guardian ad litem is necessary to protect the best interests of the child in any proceeding under this chapter. The court may app…

(1) All guardians ad litem appointed under this title must comply with the training requirements established under RCW 2.56.030(15), prior to their appointment in cases under Title 26 RCW, except that volunteer guardians ad litem or court-appointed special advocates may comply wi…

All information, records, and reports obtained or created by a guardian ad litem, court-appointed special advocate, or investigator under this title shall be discoverable pursuant to statute and court rule. The guardian ad litem, court-appointed special advocate, or investigator …

Except for guardians ad litem appointed by the court from the subregistry created under RCW 26.12.177(2)(d), the court shall specify the hourly rate the guardian ad litem or investigator under this title may charge for his or her services, and shall specify the maximum amount the…

A guardian ad litem, court-appointed special advocate, or investigator under this title appointed under this chapter may release confidential information, records, and reports to the office of the family and children's ombuds for the purposes of carrying out its duties under chap…

A guardian ad litem, court-appointed special advocate, or investigator shall not engage in ex parte communications with any judicial officer involved in the matter for which he or she is appointed during the pendency of the proceeding, except as permitted by court rule or statute…

(1) The court may appoint an investigator in addition to a guardian ad litem or court-appointed special advocate under RCW 26.12.175 and 26.12.177 to assist the court and make recommendations. (2) An investigator is a person appointed as an investigator under RCW 26.12.050(1)(b) …

(1) The family court shall have jurisdiction and full power in all pending cases to make, alter, modify, and enforce all temporary and permanent orders regarding the following: Parenting plans, child support, custody of children, visitation, possession of property, maintenance, c…

The family court shall give proceedings involving children priority over cases without children. [ 1991 c 367 s 16.] Notes: Severability—Effective date—Captions not law—1991 c 367: See notes following RCW 26.09.015.

All acts and proceedings of the court commissioners shall be subject to revision by the superior court as provided in RCW 2.24.050. [ 1991 c 367 s 18.] Notes: Severability—Effective date—Captions not law—1991 c 367: See notes following RCW 26.09.015.

(1) The legislative authority of any county may authorize family court services as provided in RCW 26.12.230. The legislative authority may impose a fee in excess of that prescribed in RCW 36.18.010 for the issuance of a marriage license. The fee shall not exceed eight dollars. (…

(1) Any county may contract under chapter 39.34 RCW with any other county or counties to provide joint family court services. (2) Any agreement between two or more counties for the operation of a joint family court service may provide that the treasurer of one participating count…

A county may create a courthouse facilitator program to provide basic services to pro se litigants in family law cases. The legislative authority of any county may impose user fees or may impose a surcharge of up to twenty dollars on only those superior court cases filed under Ti…

(1) After July 1, 2009, but no later than November 1, 2009, a county may, and to the extent state funding is provided to meet the minimum requirements of the program a county shall, create a program to provide services to all parties involved in proceedings under chapter 26.09 RC…

The court shall act in accordance with the requirements of the address confidentiality program pursuant to chapter 40.24 RCW in the course of all proceedings under this title. A court order for information protected by the address confidentiality program may only be issued upon c…

The legislature recognizes the increasing incidence of concurrent involvement of family members in multiple areas of the justice system. Analysis shows significant case overlap in the case types of juvenile offender, juvenile dependency, at-risk youth, child in need of services, …

The administrative office of the courts shall conduct a unified family court pilot program. (1) Pilot program sites shall be selected through a request for proposal process, and shall be established in no more than three superior court judicial districts. (2) To be eligible for c…

The judges of the superior court judicial districts with unified family court pilot programs shall adopt local court rules directing the program. The local court rules shall comply with the criteria established by the administrative office of the courts and shall include: (1) A r…

This act [chapter] may be known and cited as the uniform family law arbitration act. [ 2023 c 61 s 1.]

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise. (1) "Arbitration agreement" means an agreement that subjects a family law dispute to arbitration. (2) "Arbitration organization" means an association, agency, board, commi…