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How much does it cost to file for divorce in Washington?
Washington builds its divorce fee from a statewide statutory base plus county surcharges, so the total differs by county — but the components are published. In King County, the state's largest, filing a dissolution of marriage costs $364 on the Superior Court Clerk's current fee schedule.
Washington divorce fees at a glance (King County)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Petition for dissolution of marriage | $364 |
| Legal separation or invalidity (annulment) | $364 |
| Counter-petition in a domestic relations case | $310 |
| General civil action (for comparison) | $290 |
| Antiharassment protection petition | $53 |
All five figures are from the King County Superior Court and Clerk's Fee Schedule, effective June 11, 2026 — the same published schedule this site used for its King County adoption and guardianship figures. The underlying fees are set in RCW 36.18.020 and RCW 36.18.016; counties then add surcharges their ordinances authorize, which is why older guides quoting a flat "$314 Washington divorce" are stale: the statewide base has not moved as fast as the county layer on top of it. Your county's total will be close to King County's but not necessarily identical — the clerk's schedule for your county is the controlling document.
How filing works in Washington
- Prepare the Petition for Divorce (Dissolution), summons, confidential information form, and vital statistics form — Washington Courts publishes the full FL Divorce form series.
- File with the superior court clerk in your county and pay the filing fee $364 in King County
- Serve your spouse personally — any adult who is not a party can serve; a process server or sheriff is not required.
- Wait out the mandatory 90-day cooling-off period from filing and service before the decree can be entered (RCW 26.09.030).
- If children are involved, complete the parenting seminar your county requires and file a parenting plan; the seminar's price is set by the provider, so no figure is published here.
- Submit the final orders and decree, and order certified copies afterwards — see copy and certification fees.
Filing fee + service + publication + certified copies is the real number. Stack all four for your state and procedure in the calculator.
Open the cost calculatorResponding, and changing a decree later
A spouse who answers a Washington divorce does not pay a separate first-appearance fee the way Illinois or California respondents do; the counter-petition — asking the court for different terms than the petition requested — is the priced step, at $310 in King County. Standalone custody and support questions between unmarried parents are priced on the family-law lines of the same schedule, and the national child custody filing cost guide explains how Washington's structure compares. Protection orders sit on a different line entirely: an antiharassment petition is $53, and domestic-violence protection petitions carry the no-fee treatment described in the restraining order cost guide.
Can't afford the fee?
Washington courts waive filing fees for filers who cannot pay under General Rule 34, on a financial statement filed with the case. The fee waiver guide explains the standard. A waiver covers the clerk's fee; it does not cover a private process server or the parenting seminar.
The national picture
King County's $364 puts Washington in the upper third of the national range ($97–$435), alongside Texas ($350) and below California ($435). The full comparison is in the divorce filing cost guide, and every other Washington fee is in the Washington court costs guide.
Sources: King County Superior Court & Clerk's Fee Schedule, effective June 11, 2026 (dissolution $364; counter-petition $310; civil action $290; antiharassment $53) · RCW 36.18.020, 36.18.016, 26.09.030. Last verified: October 2026 — confirm current figures with your county clerk.