Listing of self-help materials and informational publications.
There are 20 resources
General Information
Child Custody Modification
3104EN - The word modification means a change. A custody modification is a court action that you can file when you want to change a final court order that sets out where your child lives and with whom he or she visits.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Other Formats:
PDF File
Read this in:
Chinese / 中文
Guardian Ad Litems in Family Law Cases A judge may appoint a guardian ad litem (GAL) when a court case involves custody or visitation rights.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Working With GALs and Parenting Evaluators: Tips for Parents in Family Law Cases 3106EN - If you are involved in a divorce, paternity or nonparental custody case where the other parent does not agree with you, the court may appoint a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) or Parenting Evaluator. This publication contains tips to help you work successfully with the GAL.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Filing a Petition to Modify Your Child Support Court Order 3224EN - This packet is intended to help you fill out and file the forms and papers you need for a Petition for Modification of a Washington State Child Support Court Order. However, before you use this packet, and assuming you have concluded that filing a petition for modification of child support is what you want to do, you should check with your county's Family Law Facilitator or Court Clerk to see if your county has its own Petition for Modification of a Child Support order packet: a local packet may be easier for you to use because it will include the rules and forms for that county.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Finishing a Modification of Your Child Support Court Order 3229EN - This packet is designed to help you finish a modification of your Washington State Child Support court order. You can use this packet only if you already have a child support modification case that has been filed in court. You may use this packet whether you filed a modification or responded to one.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Responding to a Petition for Modification of Your Child Support Court Order 3228EN - This packet is intended to help you fill out and file the forms and papers you need to respond to a Petition for Modification of a child support court order in superior court. If you read the information carefully and follow the instructions, you may be able to respond to the support modification on your own. You should not use this packet if you are served with a petition to modify an administrative child support order.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Filing a Motion for Emergency Orders for Dissolution Cases and Modifications of Custody/PP in Diss 3214EN - This packet was written to help you get emergency orders while your case is pending in court. This type of motion is a way for you or another party to ask the court to enter an immediate court order that gives you certain rights and/or protections in your family law case between the time your case is filed and the date it is finished.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Filing a Motion for Temporary Orders for Dissolution Cases and for Custody/Parenting Plan Modifica 3217EN - This packet was written to help you get temporary orders while your case is pending in court. Temporary Orders can order who gets to use what property, who shall pay which bills, appoint a guardian ad litem, and establish temporary child support payments and a parenting plan to be followed until final orders have been entered. This packet can be used for any type of family law action, including dissolution or modification of an existing parenting plan or custody decree.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Filing a Petition to Modify/Adjust a Parenting Plan/Custody Decree in a Dissolution Case 3260EN - This packet contains forms and instructions for filing a petition to modify/adjust a parenting plan or custody decree. Use this packet only if you and the other parent have been divorced and already have a parenting plan/custody decree from a Washington State court.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Parenting Plans and Child Support for Dissolution (Divorce) Cases and Modifications of Dissolution 3209EN - This packet is intended to help you fill out the forms and papers for parenting plans and child support. You should not use this packet by itself. You should use this packet only if you are the petitioner (the one who is starting the court case) or the respondent (the one who is responding to the court case) in a dissolution of marriage or domestic partnership (divorce), if you are the petitioner or respondent in an action to modify a custody decree or parenting plan in a dissolution of marriage or domestic partnership.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Responding to a Petition to Modify/Adjust a Parenting Plan or Custody Decree in a Dissolution Case 3261EN - This packet is intended to help you respond to a Petition to Modify/Adjust an existing parenting plan or custody decree. Use it only if:
*you and the other parent have been divorced and *you already have a parenting plan/custody decree and *you have been served with a Petition for Modification/Adjustment of Custody Decree/Parenting Plan.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Finishing Your Modification/Adjustment of a Parenting Plan or Custody Decree in a Dissolution Case 3262EN - This packet will help you fill out and file the forms and papers that you need to finish a petition for modification/adjustment of a parenting plan/custody decree in a dissolution case. It will help you prepare the final orders in your case and present them to the judge.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Filing a Motion for Emergency Orders for Parentage Cases and Modifications of Parentage Cases 3608EN - A Motion for an Emergency Order is officially called a Motion for an Ex Parte Restraining Order/Order to Show Cause. This type of motion is a way for you or another party to ask the court to enter a court order that gives you certain rights and/or protections in your family law case between the time your case is filed and the date it is finished. The main difference between this type of motion and a Motion for Temporary Orders is that you use it in an emergency -- you will be asking the court for a court order that takes effect immediately, without prior notice to the other party. Because the court usually does not want to enter an order before the other party has a chance to tell her/his side of the story, you usually should only file a Motion for Emergency Orders if there is an emergency or urgent reason why you need an order entered before you can have a temporary orders hearing.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Filing a Motion for Temporary Orders for Parentage Cases and Modifications of Parentage Cases 3607EN - A Motion for Temporary Orders is one way for you to ask the court to enter a court order that gives you certain rights and/or protections after your family law case has been filed, but before it is finished. You may ask the court to enter temporary (short-term) orders for restraining orders, a parenting plan or residential schedule, child support, a guardian ad litem (GAL), genetic testing, attorney·s fees and costs or other relief.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Filing a Petition to Modify/Adjust a Parenting Plan, Res. Schedule or Custody Decree in a Parentage 3622EN - This packet contains forms and instructions for filing a petition to modify/adjust a parenting plan, residential schedule, or custody decree. Use this packet only if paternity of the child has already been established, and you and the other parent already have a parenting plan, residential schedule or custody decree for the child from a Washington State court.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Finishing Your Modification/Adj. of a Parenting Plan, Res. Schedule or Custody Decree in Parentage 3624EN - To use this packet, you must have already filed and served the other parties with the papers that start your modification/adjustment action, or you must already have filed and served a Response to the petition.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Parenting Plans, Residential Schedules and Child Support for Parentage Cases and Modifications of 3604EN - This packet is intended to help you fill out the forms and papers for parenting plans, residential schedules, and child support in parentage (paternity) cases, which are family law cases for parents of a child who are not married. You should not use this packet by itself. You should use this packet only if you are the petitioner (the one who is starting the court case) or the respondent (the one who is responding to the court case) in a Petition for a Residential Schedule/Parenting Plan or Child Support, a Petition to Establish Parentage, or another type of parentage (Paternity) case, or if you are the petitioner or respondent in an action to modify a custody decree or parenting plan in a Parentage case.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Responding to a Petition to Modify/Adjust a Parenting Plan, Res. Sched. or Cust. Dec. for Parentage 3623EN - This packet is intended to help you respond to a Petition to Modify/Adjust an existing parenting plan, residential schedule or custody decree. Use it only if paternity of your child has already been established and you already have a parenting plan, residential schedule or custody decree and you have been served with a Petition for Modification/Adjustment of Custody Decree/Parenting Plan/Residential Schedule.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Responding to Motions for Temporary or Emergency Orders for Parentage Cases or Modifications of 3609EN - This packet is intended to help you fill out and file the forms and papers you need to respond to a Motion for Temporary Orders or a Motion for an Ex Parte Restraining Order/Order to Show Cause. This packet should only be used where the parties have already filed a Petition to Establish Parentage, a Petition for Parenting Plan/Residential Schedule or Child Support, or where one party seeks to modify an existing parenting plan or custody decree that was entered in a parentage action.
By: Northwest Justice Project
How Do I "Do Discovery"? Help with Interrogatories and Requests for Production in Family Law Cases Use this publication if: you are a party in a contested family law case ("contested" means you and the other party disagree about issues) AND you want or need to get more information from the other party about his/her side of the issues.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Adobe Acrobat Reader required. (If you are using a screen reader that does not support PDF format, copy the PDF link, and use the Access Adobe online form to convert this file to HMTL text.)
Washington LawHelp is provided as a public service by the Northwest Justice Project in collaboration with other legal aid providers in the Alliance for Equal Justice and Washington courts.
Home Page
PDF File
Choose Another Location
Amharic / Amharic
