Listing of self-help materials and informational publications.
There are 32 resources
General Information
Video: Establishing Paternity in Washington State - Acknowledgement Form
(Separate Website)
Establishing parentage means determining who is the legal parent of a child. This 10 minute video explaning basic questions and answers about paternity.
By: Division of Child Support
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
What You Need to Know! Changes in Paternity Legislation 7/22/11 Overview of how changes in Washington's 2011 paternity legislation affect you and your clients.
By: Washington State Division of Child Support
Parentage and Parenting Plans for Unmarried Parents in Washington 3601EN - The legal information in this publication is designed to help you learn about the laws that apply when you have a child and you are not married to that child's other parent. It includes information on: 1) How to determine if paternity has been legally established and, if appropriate, how to file to establish the paternity of your child (called a parentage action); 2) How to get a custody order (which is called a parenting plan or residential schedule). This publication may also help you if you want to legally establish that you are not the child's parent (called "disestablishment of parentage").
By: Northwest Justice Project
How do I Request a Copy of My Paternity Affidavit?
3612EN - A Paternity Affidavit (also known as a Paternity Acknowledgment or Acknowledgment of Paternity) is a special form typically used by unmarried parents to state who the father of the child is. This publication gives you instructions on how to get a copy.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Other Formats:
PDF File
Options for Unmarried Parents
(Separate Website)
3600EN - General Information for parents who have never been married and who want to get court-ordered support, visitation or custody. [link to PDF file]
By: Legal Voice
Guardian Ad Litems in Family Law Cases A judge may appoint a guardian ad litem (GAL) when a court case involves custody or visitation rights.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Working With GALs and Parenting Evaluators: Tips for Parents in Family Law Cases
3106EN - If you are involved in a divorce, paternity or nonparental custody case where the other parent does not agree with you, the court may appoint a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) or Parenting Evaluator. This publication contains tips to help you work successfully with the GAL.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Other Formats:
PDF File
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Parenting Plans (court orders about child custody)
3230EN - This publication provides general information about what a parenting plan is and how to get one. It also explains how to enforce or change a permanent parenting plan.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Other Formats:
PDF File
New Court Rule: Filing Fee Waiver On December 28, 2010, Washington's state courts adopted General Rule 34 (GR 34). This rule establishes who is eligible for a waiver of the filing fee to begin your civil case and other, mandatory charges.
By: Northwest Justice Project
How to Write a Declaration in a Family Law Case 3917EN - This publication tell you what a declaration is, what should be included and tips on how to write one. There is a family law declaration and forms attached that you can fill out.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Which Court Has the Right to Enter a Custody Order? Questions and Answers about Jurisdiction 3102EN - These questions and answers describe when a Washington court may decide custody if a child has lived in more than one state, should enforce (follow) custody/visitation orders from other states, or may modify (change) custody/visitation orders from other states.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Tips on How to Get Your Paperwork Ready So You Can Get Help with Your Family Law Case
Be ready for an appointment with someone who's going to help you with your family law case. That someone might be: an attorney; a family law facilitator; an advocate at your local Domestic Violence shelter; or a CLEAR advocate who is going over forms with you by phone.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Other Formats:
PDF File
Filing a Petition for Establishment of Parentage (Paternity) 3620EN - This packet is intended to help you fill out and file the forms and papers that you need if you are not married to the other parent of your child, you want to start a court case to ask the court to establish the parentage (paternity) of your child, and you meet the following criteria: (1) There is no Paternity Affidavit which establishes parentage of your child OR Your child has a Washington State Paternity Affidavit that was signed before July 1, 1997; AND (2) There is no court order in any state that establishes parentage of your child.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Responding to a Petition for Establishment of Parentage (Paternity) 3621EN - This packet is intended to help you fill out and file the forms and papers that you need to respond to a Petition for Establishment of Parentage on form number WPF PS 01.0100 (to find out the form number, look at the first page of the Petition in the bottom left-hand corner).
By: Northwest Justice Project
Filing an Agreed Petition for Parenting Plan (Custody) When Parentage Has Been Established 3603EN - This packet is intended to help you fill out and file the forms and papers that you need if you are not married to the other parent of your child, the paternity of your child has already been established, and you and the other parent want to ask the court to enter an agreed residential schedule, parenting plan and/or child support court order. You should use this packet only if you and the other parent agree 100% about your parenting plan or child support and you just want to ask the court to enter final court orders that follow your agreement.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Filing a Motion for a Parenting Plan (Custody) and Child Support When Parentage Has Been Established in the Past 2 Years 3610EN - This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers that you need if: the parentage (paternity) of your child has already been established by court order in the past two years; you want to ask a Washington court for a residential schedule, parenting plan or child support court order; and your proposed parenting plan/residential schedule does not change who the child lives with most of the time.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Filing a Petition for Parenting Plan (Custody) or Child Support When Parentage Has Already Been Established 3602EN - This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers that you need if:
you are not married to the other parent of your child; the parentage (paternity) of your child has already been established by court order that is more than two years old; and you want to ask a Washington court for a residential schedule, parenting plan or child support court order. You can also use this packet to ask the court for a parenting plan if you have already established parentage with a paternity affidavit or if you established parentage in the last twenty-four months, and you are looking to change who the child resides with.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Responding to a Petition for Parenting Plan (Custody) or Child Support When Parentage Has Been Estab 3605EN - This packet is intended to help you fill out and file the forms and papers you need to respond to a Petition for Parenting Plan/Residential Schedule or Child Support when you are not married to the other parent of your children and parentage has been established.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Filing a Motion for Waiver of Your Filing Fee 3204EN - 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.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Filing a Motion for Emergency Orders for Parentage Cases and Modifications of Parentage Cases 3608EN - A Motion for an Emergency Order is officially called a Motion for an Ex Parte Restraining Order/Order to Show Cause. This type of motion is a way for you or another party to ask the court to enter a court order that gives you certain rights and/or protections in your family law case between the time your case is filed and the date it is finished. The main difference between this type of motion and a Motion for Temporary Orders is that you use it in an emergency -- you will be asking the court for a court order that takes effect immediately, without prior notice to the other party. Because the court usually does not want to enter an order before the other party has a chance to tell her/his side of the story, you usually should only file a Motion for Emergency Orders if there is an emergency or urgent reason why you need an order entered before you can have a temporary orders hearing.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Filing a Motion for Temporary Orders for Parentage Cases and Modifications of Parentage Cases 3607EN - A Motion for Temporary Orders is one way for you to ask the court to enter a court order that gives you certain rights and/or protections after your family law case has been filed, but before it is finished. You may ask the court to enter temporary (short-term) orders for restraining orders, a parenting plan or residential schedule, child support, a guardian ad litem (GAL), genetic testing, attorney·s fees and costs or other relief.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Parenting Plans, Residential Schedules and Child Support for Parentage Cases and Modifications of 3604EN - This packet is intended to help you fill out the forms and papers for parenting plans, residential schedules, and child support in parentage (paternity) cases, which are family law cases for parents of a child who are not married. You should not use this packet by itself. You should use this packet only if you are the petitioner (the one who is starting the court case) or the respondent (the one who is responding to the court case) in a Petition for a Residential Schedule/Parenting Plan or Child Support, a Petition to Establish Parentage, or another type of parentage (Paternity) case, or if you are the petitioner or respondent in an action to modify a custody decree or parenting plan in a Parentage case.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Responding to Motions for Temporary or Emergency Orders for Parentage Cases or Modifications of 3609EN - This packet is intended to help you fill out and file the forms and papers you need to respond to a Motion for Temporary Orders or a Motion for an Ex Parte Restraining Order/Order to Show Cause. This packet should only be used where the parties have already filed a Petition to Establish Parentage, a Petition for Parenting Plan/Residential Schedule or Child Support, or where one party seeks to modify an existing parenting plan or custody decree that was entered in a parentage action.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Declaration Form - Family Law
(Separate Website)
Family Law Decarlation court form that can be used in all family law cases.
By: Administrative Office Of The Courts
Finishing Your Petition for Parenting Plan (Custody) or Child Support When Parentage Has Been Establ 3606EN - This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers that you need to finish a petition for residential/parenting plan and child support case. It will help you prepare the final orders in your case and present them to the judge. To use this packet, you must have already filed and served the other parties with the papers that start your petition for a parenting plan or child support, or you must already have responded to the petition.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Finishing Your Petition to Establish Parentage 3625EN - This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers you will need to finish a parentage petition. Use this packet only if the petition in your case was filed on form number WPF PS 01.0100
By: Northwest Justice Project
How to Serve Papers on the State 3218EN - 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.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Service by Certified Mail or Publication 3220EN - 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.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Motion to Vacate Judgment/Order in a Family Law Case 3215EN - A Motion To Vacate is a request to the court to withdraw a previous order or judgment it entered.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Filing a Motion for Contempt in a Parentage Case 3109EN - This packet is intended to help you fill out and file the forms and papers that you need if you already have a temporary or permanent parenting plan, residential schedule, child support order, or other family law order in a parentage (paternity) case, and you want to ask the court in Washington for an order holding the other party in contempt for violating it.
By: Northwest Justice Project
How to Withdraw a Joinder in a Family Law Case Parties to a family law court case may sign a form called a Joinder to show the court that they're in agreement as to all the issues that a court must rule on in that case. If you signed this form but later decide that you are not in agreement, use this packet to file a withdrawal of the joinder.
By: Northwest Justice Project
How Do I "Do Discovery"? Help with Interrogatories and Requests for Production in Family Law Cases Use this publication if: you are a party in a contested family law case ("contested" means you and the other party disagree about issues) AND you want or need to get more information from the other party about his/her side of the issues.
By: Northwest Justice Project
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Washington LawHelp is provided as a public service by the Northwest Justice Project in collaboration with other legal aid providers in the Alliance for Equal Justice and Washington courts.
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