To qualify for divorce in Washington state, you or your spouse must be a resident of the state or a member of the armed forces stationed in Washington.

This will depend on the complexity of your divorce and whether you are disputing issues with your spouse. The more you dispute issues such as custody, spousal support or property division, the longer your divorce may take.

The minimum waiting period for a Washington divorce is 90 days from the date your papers are filed and served.

Alimony or spousal maintenance is awarded based on the unique factors of your marriage, such as income differences, earning ability of each spouse, and the duration of the marriage. Usually, longer marriages are more likely to be awarded spousal maintenance than a short marriage. Judges will evaluate each case’s specific circumstances.

No. Child support and visitation are two separate issues. If you deny the other parent their visitation rights, you could be penalized for violating your visitation order. If the other parent is not paying child support, you can talk to an attorney about how to seek enforcement of your child support order. Under no circumstances should you block visitation, except in very extreme cases where you believe the child’s well-being is at risk.