Washington

Alimony Guide - Spousal Support Laws

Statute(s)

• § 26.09.260

Domestic Violence Specific Provisions

			    			The court may not permit the delegation of residential time or visitation rights to a person who would be subject to limitations on residential time due to a history of acts of domestic violence.
			    		

Official Law Text

			    			If a parent receives military temporary duty, deployment, activation, or mobilization orders that involve moving a substantial distance away from the military parent's residence or otherwise have a material effect on the military parent's ability to exercise residential time or visitation rights, at the request of the military parent, the court may delegate the military parent's residential time or visitation rights, or a portion thereof, to a child's family member, including a stepparent, or another person other than a parent, with a close and substantial relationship to the minor child for the duration of the military parent's absence, if delegating residential time or visitation rights is in the child's best interest.
			    		

Statute(s)

• 26.09.260

Official Law Text

			    			May modify if the child's present environment is detrimental to the child's physical, mental, or emotional health and the harm likely to be caused by a change of environment is outweighed by the advantage of a change to the child.
			    		

Statute(s)

• § 26.12.804

Official Law Text

		    			The judges of the superior court judicial districts with unified family court pilot programs shall adopt local court rules directing the program. The local court rules shall comply with the criteria established by the administrative office of the courts and shall include an initial training program including the topic areas of childhood development, domestic violence, cultural awareness, child abuse and neglect, chemical dependency, and mental illness.
		    		

Statute(s)

Can court mandate mediation in custody cases?

			    			The rules regarding mediation in custody cases in Washington are set out in individual local court rules.
			    		

Statute(s)

• § 10.31.100

Official Law Text

		    			When the officer has probable cause to believe that family or household members have assaulted each other, the officer is not required to arrest both persons. The officer shall arrest the person whom the officer believes to be the primary physical aggressor. In making this determination, the officer shall make every reasonable effort to consider: (i) The intent to protect victims of domestic violence under RCW 10.99.010; (ii) the comparative extent of injuries inflicted or serious threats creating fear of physical injury; and (iii) the history of domestic violence between the persons involved including whether the conduct was part of an ongoing pattern of abuse.