If you are considering a divorce in Washington, there are some aspects of the process that you should know. Reading up on the topic before you file can save you many headaches later on. Depending on the parties, divorces in Washington can be fairly simple to complete or they can have conflict and many legal processes.

There are several legal options to end a marriage in Washington. The first is a legal separation. Some people prefer to get a legal separation for religious or economic reasons. While the marriage is not dissolved, the individuals are legally separated. Personal property, custody, and other issues can be agreed upon orally or in written form.

Another possible way to end a marriage is through annulment. An annulment is issued when there was some legal defect from the beginning of the marriage. It is a court ordered dissolution of a marriage because some legal defect existed.

The final way of dissolving a marriage is through divorce or dissolution of marriage. This legal proceeding ends a marriage and takes care of aspects like custody of children, support, division of personal property, and so on. Most individuals who end a marriage take this route, but the overall process will happen differently for each couple depending on how easy decisions are made during the process.

In order to get a divorce in Washington, you need to be a resident of the state on the date that you file your petition. While you don’t need an attorney to obtain a divorce, it is highly recommended that you use one, particularly in cases that involve property settlement or custody issues.

Washington is a no-fault state, which means that an individual does not need to prove any wrongdoing in order to get a divorce. An individual starts the process by filing a petition with the court for dissolution of marriage. Both men and women can file.

Once the petition has been filed, there are various procedures that follow including temporary orders. These cover various aspects such as arrangements for children, payment of bills, and so on. The court may step in to make such decisions if the couple cannot agree on the terms themselves.

Washington has a waiting period for divorce of three months. This is the minimum period and the actual process may take longer, particularly if there are complicated issues to resolve. As a part of the final dissolution, a woman can have her former name restored as her legal name.

A parenting plan is required in Washington for any family with minor children. The state no longer uses terms like custody or visitation, but uses parenting plan instead. Parents can present an agreed upon plan or they can each submit their own to the court. The laws surrounding this issue are put into place to protect children and find what is in their best interest.

Contact a lawyer or court official to find more information about getting a divorce in Washington. You’ll want to know all you can about the process in order to avoid as many potential problems as you can.