Washington is a no-fault state, which means one or both parties desire to terminate the marital relationship without regard to fault, such as irreconcilable differences, etc. In Washington, it typically takes about a year from filing the summons and petition for divorce to trial. The stages of the divorce include the beginning, which involves the filing of the summons and petition for dissolution of the marriage. Ending the marriage is comparable to ending a business–you must resolve the division of property, debts, assets, ongoing liabilities and contracts, and similar obligations. The second stage is discovery, when information is gathered through Interrogatories and Requests for Production and other forms of discovery. The third stage is the trial stage which a constant end goal.

Stages of a Divorce or Legal Separation: The process begins with the filing of the summons and petition for the divorce or legal separation. If there is a necessity of temporary orders such as who will occupy the family home, or entry of a parenting plan, child support, debt division, support or maintenance, etc., a motion for temporary orders will likely be filed along with the original petition. Then the parties enter the discovery stage. In the discovery stage it is necessary to determine the assets, liabilities, value of retirement accounts and other assets. This is often accomplished by propounding interrogatories and request for production of documents to verify and discover the assets and liabilities of the parties. Thereafter, the focus is on settlement or trial. Ultimately, the goal should be resolving the marriage with the least drama as possible and with the children minimally traumatized. Divorce coaches and counselors for the parties and the children are available resources and valuable for facilitating getting past the pain or transition to a changed relationship.