Instructions for Legal Aid Informational Binder Index

File a Legal Separation without Children

This packet is to file for a legal separation that allows a couple to legally split their property and debt while remaining legally married.

File for Divorce

This packet is to help you fill out and file the forms that you need to start a divorce in Washington.

Respond to a Divorce

This packet should help you fill out, file and serve the forms and papers you need to respond to a divorce.

Ask for Temporary Family Law Orders: Divorce Cases

Blank forms to print and fill out on your own, with how-to instructions for completing and filing. Use this to ask for temporary orders related to issues including finances, property, maintenance (alimony), safety, child support, parenting plans, and Guardians ad Litem.

Ask for Immediate Restraining Orders: Divorce Cases

Blank forms to print and fill out on your own, with how-to instructions for completing and filing. Use this to ask for a court order to take effect immediately, usually with little or no notice to the other party.

Respond to Motions for Temporary Family Law Orders or Immediate Restraining Orders: Divorce Cases

This will help you respond to a Motion for Temporary Family Law Orders or for an Immediate Restraining Order and Hearing Notice. Use this only where you are getting a divorce.

Finalize a Divorce by Default

This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers needed to finalize a divorce when your spouse has not filed a Response to the case. We explain how to make a motion for default. To use this packet, you must have already filed and served your spouse with the papers starting your divorce.

Finalize a Divorce (With Children) by Agreement

This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers that you need to complete a divorce case when you and your spouse have an agreement (or settlement) and children are involved. To use this packet, you must have already filed your divorce and served your spouse with the papers. You should also have already reached an agreement.

Finalize a Divorce (without Children) by Agreement (includes Restraining Orders)

This packet should help you fill out and file the forms and papers you need to finalize a divorce when you and your spouse have an agreement (or settlement), there are no children of the marriage and you do not need restraining orders.

File a Legal Separation with Children

This packet is to file for a legal separation that allows a couple to legally split their property and debt. In addition, if a couple has children, legal separation, like a divorce, allows the couple to obtain court orders for child custody, support and visitation.

Petition for a Parenting Plan, Residential Schedule and/or Child Support: Parentage Cases

This packet should help you fill out and file the forms and papers you need if all these are true: a) you are not married to your child’s other parent; b) your child’s parentage (paternity) has already been established by court order that is more than two years old AND c) you want a Washington court to issue a parenting plan.

Make a Parenting Plan

se this family law packet only if you are one of these: a.) Petitioner (you are starting the court case) or Respondent (you are responding to the petition) in a divorce or petition to end domestic partnership case OR b.) Petitioner or Respondent in a case to change a parenting/custody order OR c.) a party involved in a Petition for Parenting Plan, Residential Schedule and/or Child Support, Petition to Decide Parentage, or another type of parentage case. DO NOT USE THIS PACKET BY ITSELF.

File an Agreed Petition for a Parenting Plan, Residential Schedule or Child Support: Parentage Cases

You may use this packet if you are not married to or in a domestic partnership with your child’s other parent AND your child’s parentage has already been established by paternity affidavit or acknowledgment AND you and the other parent want to ask the court to enter an agreed parenting plan and/or child support court order.

Respond to a Petition for a Parenting Plan, Residential Schedule and / or Child Support: Parentage Cases

This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers you need to respond to a Petition for Parenting Plan, Residential Schedule and/or Child Support when you are not married to or in a domestic partnership with the other parent and you have already established parentage within Washington State. The Petition will be on form FL Parentage 331.

Amending (Changing) Your Petition or Parenting Plan

Use this packet if you are the petitioner in a family law case AND you decide you want to change something in your Petition or Proposed Parenting Plan after you have filed and served them AND the respondent does not agree with everything in your petition OR you have not received any response from the respondent.

Finalize a Petition for a Parenting Plan, Residential Schedule and / or Child Support: Parentage Cases

This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers to finalize a petition for a parenting plan, residential schedule and/or child support case. Use this packet only if the petition in your case was on form number FL Parentage 331.

Ask for Immediate Residential Order for Parentage Cases

This packet will help you file a motion that asks for a court order giving you certain rights and/or protections in your family law case between the time your case is filed and the date it is finalized. The main difference between this motion and a Motion for Temporary Family Law Orders is that it is for an emergency. This Order takes effect immediately, usually with little or no advance notice to the other party.

File a Petition to Change Your Parenting Plan, Residential Schedule, or Custody Order

This packet has forms and instructions for filing a petition to change a permanent (final) parenting plan, residential schedule, or custody order. Do not use this packet to change a temporary parenting plan or custody order. Use this packet only if you and the other parent already have a final parenting plan issued by a Washington State Court.

Respond to a Petition to Change Your Parenting Plan, Residential Scheduled or Custody Order

Use this packet only if you already have a final parenting plan from a past family law case, such as a divorce or parentage case AND you have been served with a Petition to Change a Parenting Plan, Residential Schedule or Custody Order (court form FL Modify 601)

Finalize a Petition to Change Parenting Plan

This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers needed to finalize a Petition to Change Parenting Plan, Residential Schedule, or Custody Order case. It will help you prepare the final orders in your case and present them to the judge.

Ask for Immediate Restraining Orders: Petition to Change Parenting Plan Cases

This packet is for asking a court order giving you certain rights and/or protections between the time your case starts and the date it is final. It is different from a Motion for Temporary Family Law Orders: you are asking for a court order to take effect immediately, usually with little or no notice to the other party.

Ask for Temporary Family Law Orders: Petition to Change Parenting Plan Cases

This packet is for asking a court order giving you certain rights and/or protections after your Petition to Change Parenting Plan case has started, but before it is final.

File a Petition to Modify a Child Support Court Order

Blank forms to print and fill out on your own, with how-to instructions for completing and filing. Before using this packet, ask your county's Family Law Facilitator or Court Clerk if they have their own packet. If so, use theirs instead.

Respond to a Petition to Modify a Child Support Court Order

Blank forms to print and fill out on your own, with how-to instructions for completing and filing. Do not use this if you are served with a petition to modify an administrative child support order. If you are served with a petition asking a Washington Court to modify a support order from another state, talk to a lawyer before using this packet.

Finalize a Modification of a Child Support Court Order

Blank forms to print and fill out on your own, with how-to instructions for completing and filing. You can use this packet whether you filed or responded to the petition.

File a Petition to Decide Parentage

This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers you need if you are not married to or in a domestic relationship with your child’s other parent, AND you want to file a court case to decide your child’s parentage, AND: (1) There is no Paternity Affidavit or Acknowledgment establishing your child’s parentage OR your child’s Washington State Paternity Affidavit was signed before July 1, 1997 AND (2) There is no court order in any state establishing your child’s parentage.

Respond to a Petition to Decide Parentage

This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers to respond to a Petition to Decide Parentage.

Ask for Temporary Family Law Orders: Parentage Cases

This packet helps you file a motion that asks for a court order giving you certain rights and/or protections after your case has been filed, but before it is final. Either party may file this motion. You may ask for temporary (short-term) orders for restraining orders, a parenting plan, child support, a guardian ad litem (GAL), genetic testing, attorney’s fees and costs or other relief.

Respond to Motions for Temporary Family Law Orders or Immediate Restraining Orders: Parentage Cases

This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers you need to respond to a Motion for Temporary Family Law Orders or for Immediate Restraining Orders and Hearing Notice. Use this packet only where someone has already filed a Petition relating to parentage of a child.

Finalize a Petition to Decide Parentage

This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers you need to finalize your parentage case. To use this packet, you must have already filed and served the other parties with Summons and Petition to Decide Parentage, or you must already have responded to the petition.

File a Motion for a Parenting Plan or Residential Schedule: Parentage Has Been Established in the Past Two Years

This packet will help you fill out and file the forms you need if a) the parentage (paternity) of your child has already been established by court order in the past two years AND b) you want a Washington court to enter a parenting plan or child support court order AND c) your proposed parenting plan does not change custody (who the child lives with most of the time).

Objecting when the Other Parent wants to move with the Children

If you are a noncustodial parent with the right to time with the child under a parenting plan, you can use this packet to try to stop the custodial parent from moving with your child. If you are a third party with some right to time with the child, you have the right to try to stop any proposed relocation if you believe it would interfere with your relationship with the child.

Dismiss a Divorce

This packet will help you dismiss a Petition for Divorce that you filed with the court. You may use this packet if you change your mind and no longer want to get divorced. An Order of Dismissal will cancel your divorce and you will stay married.

Durable Power of Attorney Documents

A power of attorney document lets you choose a trusted friend or relative to help you with your finances and/or health care decisions. Forms for you to fill out are provided.

The Superior Court of Washington in and for Walla Walla County Local Rules

WWLDRR 94.04W Alternate Residential Time Guidelines (Formerly Local Rule 18)

Ask the Court to Waive Your Filing Fees

This packet includes the instructions and forms needed to ask the court to waive (not ask for) the filing fee required to file court papers in a civil case because you can't afford to pay the fee.

File a Motion For Contempt: Family Law Cases

This packet should help you fill out and file the forms and papers you need if you already have a temporary or permanent parenting plan, child support order, or other family law order AND you want the court in the same Washington county to issue an order holding the other party in contempt for violating it.

Respond to a Motion for Contempt: Family Law Cases

This packet is intended to help you fill out and file court forms if you have been served with a Motion or Petition for Contempt for violating a temporary or permanent parenting plan/residential schedule, a child support order, or other family law order.

Motion to Vacate Judgment/Order in a Family Law Case

How to File a Motion to Vacate a Judgment/Order in a Family Law Case (CR 60)

Order on Motion to Vacate Judgement / Order

How to File a Motion to Vacate a Judgment/Order in a Family Law Case (CR 60)

File for Change of Venue in a Family Law Case

This packet has the instructions and forms you need to ask the court to move your family law case to a different county. This is called a Motion for Change of Venue. Use this packet if your case is a divorce OR petition to change parenting plan, child support order, or final order entered in a divorce AND the other party filed your case in the wrong county (such as a county where neither party lives), or it would be more convenient for you to finalize your case in a different county.

Service by Mail or Publication

This packet applies when you are the petitioner and you must serve the opposing party with the petition and other documents in your case when your case first begins. When you have tried to serve the other party in person but cannot, you can ask the court to allow you to serve by certified mail or publication.

Unmarried Couples: File a Complaint to Divide Your Property and Debts

This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers you need to start a case in a Washington State Superior Court to ask the court to divide property and debts you have acquired during a long term, stable, marriage-like relationship with another adult.

Serving Papers on the State

When you set or change child support, you must notify the State if you, the other parent, or the children receive public assistance. This packet contains the forms and instructions for serving your court papers on the state.

Following Washington’s Relocation Law

Use this packet if you have legal custody of your child, and you wish to move (“relocate”) and take the child with you. Under state law, you may have to do certain things before you move.