What are the legal requirements for a divorce?

To get a divorce in Washington, there are a few legal requirements that must be met. First, at least one of the spouses must be a resident of Washington state for at least 90 days prior to filing for divorce. The couple must also live in the same county of Washington where the divorce is being filed. The couple is then required to file a petition in the superior court of the county of residence. The petition must contain an allegation that the marriage is irrevocably broken and the reasons for this. The spouses must also sign a separation agreement, which is a written document that outlines the agreements between both parties. This agreement will include child custody, child support, property division and any other matters that pertain to the dissolution of the marriage. The filing spouse will be responsible for serving the other spouse with a copy of the divorce papers. The other spouse can then submit a written response which includes their agreement or disagreement with the allegations stated in the petition. After the petition has been filed and served, it must be published in a newspaper in the county of filing for a period of three weeks. After this period, the court will review all the documents presented to them and make a decision on the divorce. The divorce is not usually finalized until at least 60 days after the petition has been filed. If the spouses reach an agreement regarding all matters in the divorce, they can file for a "Default Judgment". This means that the court will grant the divorce without a hearing, as long as all the legal requirements have been met. Overall, the legal requirements for a divorce in Washington involve filing a petition in the county of residence, serving the other spouse, and publishing a notice in the local paper, before the court can grant the divorce.

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