If you live in Seattle and agree about ending your marriage, the hardest part may be working out which paperwork opens the case and which paperwork actually finishes it. King County has a Simple Divorce Program for certain cases, but applying to that program does not start your divorce.
The useful distinction: file the court case first, then ask whether the county’s program can help you prepare and present the final orders. Before buying forms or submitting an application, check whether your circumstances fit and organize the information below.
Is King County’s Simple Divorce Program an option?
The program is part of King County Superior Court, not a separate Seattle city divorce process. Under Local Family Law Rule 21, at least one spouse must live in King County. Neither spouse can be represented by an attorney in the case, and there must be no substantial property or debt to divide.
The court’s current program guidance also requires an already-filed petition, no minor or dependent children of the marriage, and either agreement on every issue or an entered Order of Default. Staff decide eligibility after reviewing the application.
Agreement alone is not enough. A couple can agree about a house, retirement accounts and debts yet still need a different finalization route. The published eligibility guidance does not set a universal dollar cutoff for “substantial.” Prepare a complete list rather than deciding that an asset does not count because only one spouse’s name appears on it.
If your spouse has simply stopped replying, do not mark the case as a default. The program requires an actual entered default order, not silence or an unanswered email.
Before filing: choose the right starting instructions
King County publishes separate instructions for ordinary divorce filings and for spouses who agree. The agreed packet is intended for spouses who agree on the terms and whose spouse will sign the court papers before the petition is filed. Start at the court’s Ending Marriage resource page and select the instructions matching your situation.
For a marriage, the agreed packet identifies these starting documents:
- Petition for Divorce, FL Divorce 201: the request to begin the divorce case.
- Family-law case cover sheet and case-assignment form: local paperwork identifying the case and its assignment area.
- Confidential Information, FL All Family 001: a separate document for the information it requests.
- Certificate of Dissolution / Vital Statistics form: another document in the opening set.
The respondent’s joinder appears in the petition or can be filed separately. It records agreement to join the petition; read its notice choices carefully. A signed joinder is not a signed divorce decree. See the court’s agreed-divorce instructions for copies, signatures and additional forms when children are involved. The broader agreed-divorce packet and the narrower Simple Divorce Program have different eligibility limits.
Seattle or Kent: do not choose by the nearest building
King County divides cases into Seattle and Kent assignment areas. For most family-law cases, the initial designation follows the area where either party lives. The Seattle assignment area includes the entire city of Seattle, plus specified surrounding areas; it is not limited to Seattle city boundaries. The county’s case-assignment rule, LCR 82, supplies the boundaries and standards.
Once the clerk assigns a case number and area code, copy both accurately onto later papers. Do not replace the assigned location with a more convenient courthouse. The assignment rule also allows court-directed remote or in-person proceedings, so a Seattle designation does not by itself tell you whether a particular appointment is online.
This is a local routing check, not a substitute for confirming that Washington and King County are appropriate for your case. Interstate residence, an existing case elsewhere or uncertainty about jurisdiction deserves attention before filing.
Make a preparation folder, not a pile of guesses
Before completing the petition or program application, put together a private working folder with:
- Marriage and contact information: names as used in your records, marriage date and place, and reliable contact information for each spouse.
- An asset-and-debt list: property, bank and retirement accounts, vehicles, loans and credit-card balances, along with your proposed division. Note anything whose value or ownership is unclear.
- A written list of agreed terms: identify who receives each item and who is responsible for each debt. Flag unresolved matters instead of describing the entire case as agreed.
- Your filed-case records, once available: the petition, case number and area code, joinder or service records, any entered default order, and the court-issued case schedule.
This folder is a preparation aid, not an instruction to upload every statement or identifier to the public court file. Follow the current form’s instructions for confidential information and any sealed financial records. The program’s application requires disclosure of assets, liabilities and the proposed distribution, so an organized inventory makes that step easier.
Program staff are neutral; they do not represent either spouse, and program communications are not attorney-client confidential. If you need advice about whether an agreement is fair or how to protect an interest, get that advice before signing. Do not omit assets or avoid needed legal help merely to fit the program.
Keep the filing fee separate from the program fee
The official program page says there is no program fee as of June 2026 and warns that this may change. That does not make opening the divorce case free.
If paying the filing fee would be a hardship, use the clerk’s fee-waiver instructions. The page distinguishes filing-fee relief from other clerk and family-court-service fees. Check the instructions for the charge you need waived rather than assuming one application covers every expense.
After filing, apply without losing track of the case
As checked November 8, 2026, the court directs applicants to request the application packet at SimpleDivorce@kingcounty.gov; its downloadable packet is not yet linked. Use the official program page for current submission directions. Do not substitute the agreed-divorce filing packet for this separate application.
If accepted, staff help prepare the final documents and submit them for judicial review after the requirements are met. Review the proposed orders yourself before signing, especially the property and debt terms. The judge’s signed orders, not an application acceptance, complete the court process.
For a marriage, the county’s agreed-divorce instructions identify Findings and Conclusions About a Marriage (FL Divorce 231), the Final Divorce Order (FL Divorce 241), and a Formal Proof Declaration for facilitator-assisted finalization. These are finishing documents, distinct from the petition that opens the case. If accepted into the Simple Divorce Program, follow staff instructions for preparing and signing the final set.
While the application is being reviewed, keep following your court schedule. LFLR 4 provides for mandatory case deadlines and an automatic temporary financial-restraints order when the divorce is filed. Read that order before making financial changes; it applies to the petitioner from filing and the respondent from service.
Three timing mistakes to avoid
- Counting 90 days from separation. Washington’s divorce waiting period is tied to the court process, not moving out. RCW 26.09.030 requires the statutory period after filing and service. The county’s agreed-divorce instructions explain that the clock runs from service/joinder or filing, whichever is later. Passing 90 days does not automatically produce a divorce.
- Assuming program eligibility excuses orientation. LFLR 20 generally requires self-represented parties to complete Family Law Orientation within 30 days of filing or service, subject to its exceptions. Check your schedule and obtain any required excuse rather than simply skipping it.
- Skipping a scheduled status conference. The program page says you still must attend unless the judge has finalized the case or canceled the hearing. An application in progress is not a cancellation.
Your next step
If you have not filed, first compare your circumstances with the county’s starting instructions and gather the information needed for the petition. If you have filed and appear eligible, request the separate Simple Divorce application while continuing to meet your case deadlines. If the program is not a fit, use the court’s other agreed-case resources rather than treating that decision as a barrier to divorce.
Considering GetDivorcePapers for document preparation? Ask which Washington and local King County documents are included for your situation before ordering. Document preparation is separate from filing, service, program eligibility and the court’s decision. Getting those responsibilities clear at the start can spare you an avoidable second round of paperwork.
