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Uncontested Dissolution Proceedings FOR SELF-REPRESENTED
If your case is agreed by both petitioner and respondent or is a default (the other party has not responded), you are not required to wait for a trial date to finalize your dissolution. If you settle your case and the appropriate time requirements have been met, you may finalize your case on the uncontested dissolution docket.
This docket is 9:00 AM every Friday that is not a holiday.
It is your responsibility as the moving party to deliver proposed final orders to Family Court Services, CCB, Room 334, no later than seven (7) court days before your uncontested dissolution is scheduled. Proposed orders should have every section complete and be signed and dated. Missing, blank or incomplete forms will result in the hearing being cancelled or the dissolution denied.
You are to appear virtually by ZOOM or in person on your hearing date (link can be found. Commissioner Calendars by Division | Pierce County, WA - Official Website (piercecountywa.gov)).
The documents will be reviewed before the hearing date and the commissioner will first announce those cases where the dissolution has been granted. The remaining cases will continue with a hearing with the commissioner.
The documents needed to finalize the divorce are different than the documents you filed to start your case. The titles of the documents are different and the document number in the footer is also different. The court does not review and sign any documents that have already been filed.
Family Court Services | 253.798.7702
It is your responsibility to complete every section in each document submitted to the court.
The following forms can be obtained at www.washingtonlawhelp.org , www.courts.wa.gov/forms/, or the Pierce County Law Library.
For dissolution of marriage / legal separation:
- Interrogatories (Pierce County Superior Court webpage, https://www.co.pierce.wa.us/1036/Forms)
- Findings and Conclusions About a Marriage (FL Divorce 231)
- Final Divorce Order/Legal Separation Order (FL Divorce 241)
- Proof of Mailing or Hand Delivery (FL All Family 112) with supporting documents - unless Joinder is marked as no notice required, or a default has been granted or is being requested.
In addition, if there are children:
- Parenting Plan – Final (FL All Family 140)
- Required Certificate of attendance at the Impact on Children Seminar - approved provider list for the Mandatory Parenting Seminar is available
- Residential Time Summary Report (FL Divorce 243)
- Order of Child Support (FL All Family 130)
- Child Support Worksheets (and recent paystubs and tax returns) (WSCSS – Schedule & Worksheets).
State Benefits/Medical. If the parties have minor children who have ever received any state cash assistance or medical benefits/insurance, or are receiving it now, the Family Support Division of the Prosecutor’s Office must be given timely notice (20 days prior to entry of final court orders) of this hearing, along with your proposed final documents for them to review and approve.
Timely notice is: twenty (20) days prior to entry of a final court order. The Family Support Division is located at: 949 Court E, Tacoma, Washington, 98402. For questions call Joy at 253-798-6744 or Leah at 253-798-6742. You can also email the support order to [email protected].
Self-Help online court forms and instructions:
www.washingtonlawhelp.org also has do-it-yourself tools to help you complete the documents.
- Make a Parenting Plan | WashingtonLawHelp.org | Helpful information about the law in Washington.
- Child Support Worksheets and Order | WashingtonLawHelp.org | Helpful information about the law in Washington.
- Give Financial Information in a Family Law Case | WashingtonLawHelp.org | Helpful information about the law in Washington.
- Default the Other Party If They Do Not Respond | WashingtonLawHelp.org | Helpful information about the law in Washington.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you want to schedule or reschedule the hearing. contact the clerk’s office by emailing [email protected] - The requesting party needs to include their name and case number in the email and indicate that they are requesting an uncontested hearing date for after the completion of the 90-day period. This court date is to finalize your UNCONTESTED dissolution. You will receive an email response from the clerk’s office notifying you of the hearing date.
You are to appear virtually by ZOOM or in person on your hearing date (link can be found. Commissioner Calendars by Division | Pierce County, WA - Official Website (piercecountywa.gov)).
The documents will be reviewed before the hearing date and the commissioner will first announce those cases where the dissolution has been granted. The remaining cases will continue with a hearing with the commissioner.
Assignment to Set Trial Date:
Without previous arrangements with the judicial assistant, final documents are not reviewed or entered by the judge at the Assignment to Set Trial date.
If you do not attend the Assignment to Set trial date or make contact with the Judicial assistant, your case may be dismissed. If your case has been dismissed you need to request a vacate of the dismissal prior to finalizing the dissolution. You will need to file a motion and set it on the judges calendar. You may also be able to include the motion and order to vacate in an uncontested hearing.
But I've already filed my documents...
The documents needed to finalize the divorce are different than the documents you filed to start your case. Those documents are your request, not Court ORders. The titles of the documents are different and the document number in the footer is also different. The court does not review and sign any documents that have already been filed.
If the Court does not receive the completed, final documents from you 7 days prior to the scheduled hearing the hearing will be cancelled or the dissolution may be denied.
Financial documentation is required for Child Support Orders or if Spousal Maintenance is requested in the Decree of Dissolution. Recent paystubs, income tax returns and W-2 of both parties are required (preferably for the past 2 years.) Please also provide a completed Financial Declaration.
Do both of us need to sign the documents?
If the final documents match what was requested in the original petition, the petitioner’s signature should be enough. However, if there is any difference from the petition that was served or the documents provided when the respondent signed the joinder, both signatures are needed.
If there is no joinder, and the other party did not respond after they were served with the petition, you will need to request a Motion for Default, proof that the other party is not in military service and provide a proposed Order of Default with your other documents.
If an order for default was previously entered, or joinder waived notice, the respondent's signature is not required (unless the default was entered prior to receiving the proposed parenting plan or child support order.)
When is Proof of Mailing or Hand Delivery (FL All Family 112) required
If you do NOT have a joinder with the other party waiving notice of the hearing, the other party needs to be notified of the hearing.
Also, unless you request a Motion for Default and the court grants the Order on Motion for Default, the other party needs to be notified of the hearing 14 days prior to the date.
This means the other party needs to receive a copy of the Note of Issue for the Uncontested Dissolution Docket showing the date/time of the hearing. The court needs proof the other party received notice of your upcoming hearing. Proof of this notice should be filed using the Proof of Mailing or Hand Delivery form (FL All Family 112).
When do I need to give the other party notice.
If a joinder has been filed and no box is marked or the 2nd box is marked requesting notice of all hearings.
If you are requesting anything different than what is in the original petition.
If the respondent scheduled the Uncontested dissolution hearing, proof of notice to the petitioner always needs to be provided.
Service is required if the joinder was signed without the proposed parenting plan or child support order being prepared.
What type of notice do I need to give.
Respondent needs to receive a copy of the Note of Issue for the Uncontested Dissolution Docket showing the date/time of the hearing. The Court needs proof the other party received notice of your upcoming hearing. Proof of this notice should be filed using the Proof of Mailing or Hand Delivery form (FL All Family 112):
- If you choose to mail the notice, you must mail two separate envelopes, one first class mail and one certified, and you must attach the receipts of mailing to the Proof of Mailing or Hand Delivery form.
- If you choose to email the notice, you must attach a copy of your email providing notice and the other party must respond saying they received it. Attach the response, as well.
- If you choose to hand deliver the notice, you will sign and date confirming you gave the other party the Note of Issue for the Uncontested Dissolution Docket. Please note you will be signing under penalty of perjury that the other party received notice of the hearing.
The other party must have at least 10 days’ notice. If you have not sent the notice yet and your hearing is less than 10 days away, you may need to reschedule. It would be up to the court whether it will accept your notice with less than 10 days or not.
If the Dissolution is not granted, the commissioner will enter a written Order of Deficiency explaining what is missing or what needs to be done for the next hearing.
Any unsigned documents should be picked up at Commissioner Services, Room 110, County City Building, no later than the week after your hearing date. You will need to schedule another hearing and resubmit the packet with the corrected documents and the additional documents as explained in the Order of Deficiency.
If documents are signed by the commissioner Regular and Certified copies of your Dissolution paperwork will be available for purchase on the LINX website within 3-5 days after signing. You may go to https://linxonline.co.pierce.wa.us choose the Search tab and type in your case number to purchase your copies.