Washington Courts: Press Release Detail

New Supreme Court Dissolution Task Force to examine divorce proceedings, establish statewide protocols

Members of the new Supreme Court Dissolution Task Force will meet for the first time on Tuesday, October 30 in Olympia to begin the process of developing statewide protocols for marriage dissolution — or “divorce” — cases.

The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Administrative Office of the Courts, 1112 Quince St. SE. The meeting is open to the public, however, anyone who would like to attend is asked to contact Lynette Combs at (360) 705-4014, or by email at lynette.combs@courts.wa.gov.

The Dissolution Task Force was established after the 2007 State Legislature unanimously approved Senate Bill 5470 (2SSB 5470) regarding dissolution proceedings. The Task Force is charge with developing:

§         Clear and concise dispute resolution proceedings;

§         A sexual assault training curriculum in conjunction with the Office of Crime Victims’ Advocacy;

§         Consistent standards for parenting evaluators;

§         A domestic violence training curriculum for individuals making evaluations in dissolution cases.

Task Force members will also make recommendations regarding specialized evaluators for dissolution cases, dissolution forms and procedures, fees, venue for filing and modifying petitions, and creating a position that will serve as the initial point of contact for people filing dissolution or separation petitions. 

For information on the Task Force, contact Michael Santana, Senior Court Program Analyst, at (360) 705-5207.

Wendy K. Ferrell Judicial Communications Manager 360.705.5331 e-mail Wendy.Ferrell@courts.wa.gov

Lorrie Thompson Communications Officer 360.705.5347 Lorrie.Thompson@courts.wa.gov