Washington Residency Requirements
The state of Washington has unique residency requirements for people who wish to terminate their marriage. You must meet these state-specific requirements prior to filing with your local county court. The Washington residency requirements are as follows:
When a party who (1) is a resident of this state, or (2) is a member of the armed forces and is stationed in this state, or (3) is married to a party who is a resident of this state or who is a member of the armed forces and is stationed in this state.
Petitions for a dissolution of marriage, and alleges that the marriage is irretrievably broken will not be acted upon by the court until 90 days has elapsed since the filing and the service of summons on the respondent.
The Dissolution of Marriage is typically filed with in county in which the filing spouse resides.
(Revised Code of Washington - Title 26 - Chapters: 26.09.010, 26.09.030)
If you DO NOT meet at least one of the above residency requirements, you have the following options:
- Establish residency in Washington for the period time set forth above (this does not mean you have to wait to begin the process of getting your documents).
- Have your spouse do the filing if he or she meets the Washington residency requirements.
- Choose another state in which you or your spouse meet the requirements (all states are unique, so be sure to check the state in which you were married as an option).
< Return to Washington Page
STEP 1: Begin Your Washington Premium On-line Divorce
 Click Here to Begin
|
|