Hiring a Child Custody Lawyer in Washington
How courts in Washington decide custody, emergency custody, parenting classes, how to check a lawyer's license, and free or low-cost family law help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Washington: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under Washington RPC 1.5(c), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client and must state how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal; litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery; and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated, clearly notifying the client of expenses owed whether or not the client prevails. At the end, the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the remittance and how it was determined. Where all or part of a recovery is paid in the future, the percentage fee is paid only as the client receives the amounts, or applied to the actual cost of the settlement or award to the defendant. RPC 1.5(d) bars fees in domestic relations matters contingent on securing a dissolution or annulment or on the amount of maintenance, support or property settlement, and contingent fees for defending a criminal case. |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Washington State Bar Association does not resolve fee disputes. It refers people to Resolution Washington and to the Washington State Dispute Resolution Centers listed by the courts. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | The WSBA's Client Protection Fund, overseen by the Client Protection Board, aims to relieve or mitigate a client's financial loss caused by a licensed legal professional's dishonesty or failure to account for money or property entrusted in connection with their law practice. Complete the Application Form (English or Spanish) and email it with supporting documents to cpfund@wsba.org; the CPF Procedures document is linked on the page. |
Washington rules to know first
| How custody is decided | Washington uses parenting plans instead of custody labels. Subject to limits for abuse, domestic violence and similar problems (RCW 26.09.191), the court allocates decision-making and sets a residential schedule. Residential factors include the strength and stability of the child's relationship with each parent (given the greatest weight), the parents' knowing and voluntary agreements, each parent's past and future performance of parenting functions, the child's emotional needs and development, relationships with siblings and others and involvement in school and activities, the wishes of the parents and of a child mature enough to express reasoned and independent preferences, and each parent's work schedule. No fixed age is set for the child's preference. Source: RCW 26.09.187 |
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| Emergency custody | In a divorce, a parent asking for a temporary parenting order files and serves a proposed temporary parenting plan by motion, supported by a sworn declaration about the child's caregiving history, schedules and any safety concerns; the court may enter a temporary parenting plan on a showing of necessity. A party may also ask for a temporary restraining order, including an order not to remove a child from the court's jurisdiction. The court can issue a temporary restraining order without notice to the other party only if the sworn evidence shows irreparable injury could result before the other party has time to respond. Temporary orders and restraining orders: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=26.09.060 |
| Parenting classes | Parenting seminars are set by local court rules, so whether one is required depends on the county. Any such rule must not require opposing parties to attend together, must waive the seminar or offer an alternative when there is domestic violence or abuse or attendance is not in the children's best interests, and may waive it for good cause. Source: RCW 26.12.172 |
| Grandparents' rights | A relative (including a grandparent) who has had an ongoing and substantial relationship with the child, generally for at least two years (or half the life of a child under two), may petition for visitation if the child is likely to suffer harm or a substantial risk of harm without it. A fit parent's decision to deny visitation is presumed to be in the child's best interest; the petitioner must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the child would likely suffer harm without visitation and that visitation is in the child's best interest. Visitation does not give the petitioner parental rights. Source: RCW 26.11.020, 26.11.040 |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Washington State Bar Association does not provide referrals to private attorneys. It points the public to local county bar association referral services in Clark, King, San Juan (by email request), Snohomish and Tacoma-Pierce Counties, and to the American Bar Association's lawyer referral directory. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Washington State Bar Association's Legal Directory lets anyone search currently licensed Washington lawyers (and limited practice officers and limited license legal technicians) for contact, license and discipline information. It shows license status and type (such as Active, Inactive, Suspended or Disbarred), email and phone, city, county and zip, and discipline notices on the profile; it does not show admission date or full street address. Practice details are voluntary and may be incomplete. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | The Washington State Bar Association reviews complaints (grievances) about a lawyer's ethical conduct. File online with the E-Grievance Form or print the Grievance Form and mail it to Washington State Bar Association, 1325 Fourth Ave., Suite 600, Seattle, WA 98101-2539; questions to intake@wsba.org or 800-945-9722 (206-443-9722 local). The WSBA suggests reading its guide 'Lawyer Discipline in Washington' and the grievance FAQ first. For help reestablishing communication or getting your client file, use the Request for Assistance Form instead. Discipline notices appear on lawyers' Legal Directory profiles. Online grievance form: https://onlinegrievance.wsba.org/ |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | CLEAR (Coordinated Legal Education, Advice and Referral), run by the Northwest Justice Project, is a legal advice and referral hotline for low-income Washington residents with civil legal problems (incomes at or below 125% of the poverty line). Outside King County, call 1-888-201-1014 weekdays 9:15 am-12:15 pm; King County residents call 2-1-1 (weekdays 8:00 am-6:00 pm). Seniors 60+ can call CLEAR*Sr at 1-888-387-7111. Court-affiliated self-help centers also offer free, limited legal services to self-represented litigants. LSC lists the Northwest Justice Project as its Washington grantee. LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
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Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.