Filing for Divorce in WA with No Minor Children - Interactive Court Forms
by: Northwest Justice Project
Welcome! This online interview was developed by the Northwest Justice Project for use by low-income persons representing themselves, but is available free of charge to all persons. The interview is easy to use and when completed provides completed court forms and instructions for filing a divorce without minor children of the marriage in Washington State.
- You must have Adobe Flash Player to view the interactive interviews. If you don't already have it installed, download it for free by clicking HERE! Then click "Install Now".
Note: You do not need the Yahoo! toolbar and should uncheck the box if you do not wish to install it.
- You must also have Microsoft Word to open and print the forms. Note: Wordpad and Notepad are not the same as MS Word and will not display your forms properly. Don't have MS Word? Download the free WordViewer.
- If you're using the Firefox browser, save the document first, then open in MS Word.
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WARNING:
- It is always advisable to talk to a lawyer before proceeding in a court case on your own. We also suggest you read our publication Ending Your Marriage in Washington without Minor Children before completing this interview.
- Some Washington courts have additional forms and procedures not included in this interview, such as in King County. Make sure to ask your county's Superior Court Clerk's office or court facilitator about what these may be.
- You will need to complete a separate "Finishing Your Dissolution" interview when it is time to finalize your divorce after the waiting period.
What do I need to get started?
- You and your spouse's full legal name.
- You and your spouse's mailing address.
- You and your spouse's contact phone numbers (or message phones).
- You and your spouse's social security number, if available.
- You and your spouse's birth date.
- You and your spouse's employer name (if applicable).
- You or your spouse's attorney name (if applicable).
- Date, city, state/country (if foreign country) of your marriage
- List of separate property, community personal property, and community real property that you would like the court to define as either your's or your spouse's.
- Legal description of real estate (if applicable).
- List of outstanding community and separate debts.
What if I have questions?
To learn more about the project and what to expect when you use the interactive court forms, read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) below.
Ready to begin the interview?
►Filing for Dissolution Interview - Use this online interview if you wish to file for divorce in Washington and you and your spouse have no minor children of the marriage.
These forms are not for commercial use and charging for use in any way is prohibited.
FAQs
Why can't I see the interview? I Keep Getting an Error Message: "There's a problem. Could not find question. Unable to proceed."
Adobe Flash Player MUST be installed on the computer you are using in order to view the interviews. If Flash is not installed, you will get an error message at the beginning of your interview indicating there's a problem. If you are using your own computer it's safe, easy to install, and free.
To download the latest version of Flash, click here: Adobe Flash Player
Scroll down and click "Install Now". You do not need the Yahoo! toolbar and should uncheck that box if you don't want to install it.
Please Note: If you are using a public computer, check with the organization to find out if Adobe Flash Player is already installed. You may need to restart your computer after installation.
What Software is Needed to Download and Print the Forms?
The interactive court forms download for printing in Rich Text Format (.rtf), which can be opened only in Microsoft Word. Make sure when downloading the documents your computer chooses that program to download the documents. Otherwise you will likely experience formatting or other errors such as getting nonsense or "gibberish" rather than a document. Note: Microsoft WordPad is NOT the same as Microsoft Word. Using WordPad WILL cause problems with your documents.
Do I Need a Specific Browser to Access the Interactive Forms?
To access the interactive court forms, make sure to use an updated, Flash-enabled internet browser such as Internet Explorer or Mozilla. You may want to check for the latest version of the browser by visiting their website.
When I click the link to complete the forms, I'm taken to the NPADO server. What is this?
NPADO stands for Nationial Public Documents Online. This was server donated by Lexis Nexis to Legal Service programs throughout the US to host online documents for low-income individuals. This server hosts all of the Washington interactive court forms. It is an encrypted, secure server. Read the NPADO frequently asked questions for more information.
How can I learn more about the security of the server that hosts the documents
Read the full privacy policy.
Why should I sign up for a user-name and password on the server?
Signing up for a user-name and password allows you to save your answers each time you complete an interactive court form. The benefit comes when you need to come back and make changes to your documents or when you are completing documents with a two or more step process. For example, if you were completing documents to file for divorce, if you saved your answers when you completed the first set of documents, you could come back, access your saved answer file and use those answers to complete the documents needed to finalize your divorce, thus saving you time. Your answers are stored on a secure, encrypted server and are not accessible to anyone but you, unless you have shared your username and password. Read about the server privacy policy.
What Is The Interactive Court Forms Project?
The interactive court forms project is designed to help individuals representing themselves in court complete the forms they need easily and accurately online.
What Should I Expect?
You will answer questions in an interview format and your answers will be used to fill in Washington court approved forms relevant to your court case. Once you click the link to the form you need, you will taken to our partnering site, Automated Documents Online for Nonprofit Legal Services, to complete the interview for the interactive forms. At the end of the interview, you will "submit" your answers, wait for your documents to be assembled, and then download your documents for printing. Instructions about what to do next will be included in your printed form packet.
Who Can Use This Program?
This program is designed for low-income Washington residents, or advocates assisting them, who are representing themselves in a non-criminal court case.
How Much Does It Cost?
There is no cost for using this program. However, please note there are fees for filing most court documents. The instructions will include fee information or you can contact your county Superior Court Clerk for more details.
What Should I Know About Representing Myself In Court?
When you represent yourself in court you are held to the same standards as an attorney. Your preparation, paperwork, and your conduct at all hearings must comply with court rules and orders. You should always talk to a lawyer about your legal issues before filing any legal paperwork. Even if you do not hire a lawyer to appear in your case, a lawyer can give you information about your rights. Read our publication Basic Tips on How to Prepare for a Court Hearing or Trial for more information on court behavior.
Where Can I Find An Attorney If I Decide I Need One?
Visit the Washington State Bar Association's web site for detailed information on how to locate an attorney.
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