Wallace Law Office..........

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PREPARING YOUR COURT DOCUMENTS

The Mandatory Forms. The State of Washington has mandatory forms which are different from the forms used in any other state. If you do not use these mandatory forms, the clerk will refuse to file your papers and the judge will refuse to grant your divorce.

Getting the Mandatory Forms. The county clerk at any county courthouse in the State of Washington will sell you a copy of the mandatory forms or you can download a copy of the forms from the Web site for the office of the court administrator at www.wa.gov/courts/.

Filling Out the Forms. The mandatory forms come with a written set of instructions. These instructions are designed to help you fill out the forms. If you have a very simple divorce, these instructions may be sufficient for your case. If you have children or any property to protect, however, you will need help filling out the forms.

Attorney Prepared Forms. The best way to make sure that your divorce forms protect you and your children is to have them prepared by an attorney. You provide the information, and the attorney prepares the forms. It is best if the attorney also represent you in the divorce.

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