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Educational information about court costs and procedure only — not legal advice and not a substitute for an attorney or your court clerk. Fees change; always confirm current figures with the clerk of the court where you file.

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Washington court costs guide

Filing for divorce in Washington costs $290 statewide base structure (RCW 36 in court filing fees. This guide covers the verified filing fees for divorce, name change, general civil cases, and probate in Washington — every figure from the official schedule or statute named at the foot of the page.

Washington at a glanceFigure
CourtSuperior Court
Divorce filing fee$290 statewide base structure (RCW 36.18.020: $200 base + $40 surcharge + $50 surcharge), but the total is county-set with add-ons. Example: King County charges $364 for a dissolution.
Name change filing feeCounty-set — name changes sit in the RCW 36.18.020 $200 base in Superior Court (or District Court under RCW 4.24.130). Example: King County Superior Court $290.
Name-change publicationNot required — Not required — RCW 4.24.130 contains no publication requirement.
General civil filing fee$290 in Superior Court — $200 base + $40 surcharge + $50 surcharge (RCW 36.18.020), before county add-ons.
Probate filing fee$290 — the $200 base at RCW 36.18.020(2)(f) plus the same surcharges.
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Divorce filing fees

$290 statewide base structure (RCW 36.18.020: $200 base + $40 surcharge + $50 surcharge), but the total is county-set with add-ons. Example: King County charges $364 for a dissolution.

See the national picture — including the states where the fee is set county by county — in our divorce filing cost guide.

Name change: fee and publication

County-set — name changes sit in the RCW 36.18.020 $200 base in Superior Court (or District Court under RCW 4.24.130). Example: King County Superior Court $290.

Publication: Not required — RCW 4.24.130 contains no publication requirement.

Publication is the step readers most often get wrong, because the rule changed recently in several states. The full state-by-state picture is in our name change cost guide.

General civil filing fees

$290 in Superior Court — $200 base + $40 surcharge + $50 surcharge (RCW 36.18.020), before county add-ons.

Probate court costs

$290 — the $200 base at RCW 36.18.020(2)(f) plus the same surcharges.

How filing works in Washington

  1. Prepare the petition or complaint for the Superior Court — most Washington courts publish the forms on their self-help pages.
  2. File with the clerk and pay the filing fee above. Keep the stamped copy; it is your proof of filing.
  3. Arrange service of process on the other party where the case requires it (divorce and general civil cases do; a name change usually does not).
  4. Complete any publication the rules require — for a Washington name change: not required.
  5. Attend the hearing or, in uncontested matters, submit the proposed decree for the judge's signature.

Worked total: what a divorce filing costs

Because the filing fee itself is not a single statewide figure in Washington, a worked total would be a made-up number — we don't publish those. Budget the county filing fee from the note above, plus $50–$100 for service of process if the other party must be served, and confirm the filing fee with the clerk before you file.

Sources: RCW 36.18.020 — Washington State Legislature · RCW 4.24.130 — Washington State Legislature · King County — Superior Court fee schedule (eff. 6/11/2026). Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court clerk.

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