Spokane Divorce Decree Lookup

Spokane residents who need to search for or obtain a Divorce Decree go to the Spokane County Superior Court Clerk's office in downtown Spokane. Spokane is the second-largest city in Washington and the county seat of Spokane County. All dissolution cases for city residents are filed and stored at the county courthouse on West Broadway Avenue. You can search case records online through Spokane County's court records portal or the statewide Odyssey portal. To get a certified copy of a Decree of Dissolution, contact the Clerk's office directly. Staff can look up your case and provide copies on the same visit.

Spokane County Superior Court Clerk

All dissolution filings for Spokane and the rest of Spokane County go to the Superior Court at 1116 W. Broadway Avenue. This is the only court in Spokane that can process a dissolution case, issue a Decree of Dissolution, or provide certified copies of dissolution records. The Clerk's office is in Room 300 of the courthouse.

Spokane Municipal Court at 1100 W. Mallon Ave handles city ordinance violations, parking tickets, and misdemeanors. It does not have jurisdiction over dissolution cases. Spokane County District Court handles traffic and misdemeanor matters as well. Neither of those courts holds dissolution records. If someone tells you to contact either of those courts for a divorce matter, they are mistaken. The Superior Court is the only right place.

The image below is from the Spokane City website. It confirms that city-level resources in Spokane do not manage family law records. Those records are at the county courthouse, not at city hall.

The Spokane city website at my.spokanecity.org covers city services. For dissolution records, you will need to go to the Spokane County courthouse instead.

How to Search Spokane Divorce Decree Records

Spokane County has its own court records search portal at spokanecounty.org/5236/Court-Records. You can search by party name or case number. The results show filing dates, case type, and docket activity. This is generally faster for Spokane-specific searches than the statewide tool.

The statewide Odyssey portal at odysseyportal.courts.wa.gov also covers Spokane County records. You can use either system. The Odyssey portal covers more counties and may be useful if you are looking for records from other parts of the state as well.

For older dissolution records predating the online systems, Washington State Archives maintains records at the Eastern Region facility at 960 Washington Street, Cheney, WA 99004. The phone is (509) 477-8521. They hold historical court records from Spokane County and neighboring Eastern Washington counties. Some historical Spokane records are also accessible through the Washington Digital Archives at no cost.

Certified copies of a Decree cost $5 for the first page and $1 for each additional page. Non-certified copies cost less. Call the Clerk at (509) 477-2211 to confirm current fees and ask about mailing requests if you cannot come in person.

Spokane Municipal Court Does Not Handle Divorce

Spokane Municipal Court processes city ordinance violations, misdemeanor cases, and traffic matters for the City of Spokane. It does not have jurisdiction over family law or dissolution cases of any kind. The image below shows the Municipal Court's website.

The Spokane Municipal Court handles misdemeanors. All dissolution matters go to the Spokane County Superior Court instead.

This distinction matters because Spokane is both a city with its own municipal court system and the county seat where the Superior Court sits. The two courts are at different addresses and handle entirely different types of cases. If you walk into the Municipal Court building by mistake, staff there will direct you to the right place.

Divorce Filing Process in Spokane

Dissolution in Washington is governed by RCW Chapter 26.09. Spokane residents file at Spokane County Superior Court. The steps are the same as elsewhere in the state, but Spokane County has its own local rules and procedures for scheduling and financial disclosures.

Under RCW 26.09.030, you or your spouse must be a Washington resident at the time of filing. Washington is a no-fault state. You do not prove anything was wrong. You just state the marriage is irretrievably broken and proceed from there.

You file a Petition for Dissolution and a Summons with the Clerk. Pay the filing fee. Serve the other party. The 90-day waiting period starts from the date of service. If both spouses agree on all issues, you can submit an agreed Decree after the waiting period and the case can close quickly. Contested cases involving property, debt, or children may require mediation, settlement conferences, or a trial before a judge signs the decree.

Spokane County has eight court commissioners who handle family law matters. The Spokane County Family Court Facilitator is available at the courthouse at 1116 W. Broadway, Room 200. Phone: (509) 477-7612. The facilitator charges a sliding scale fee of $20 to $30 per session and can assist with forms and court procedures. This is not legal advice, but it helps people navigate the process.

Legal Help for Spokane Dissolution Cases

Spokane has solid resources for people who need help with dissolution cases but cannot afford an attorney. Northwest Justice Project serves Spokane County and offers free legal services to low-income residents. Their office is at 1702 W. Broadway Avenue, Spokane, WA 99201. Call (888) 201-1014 or visit nwjustice.org to apply or learn more.

The Spokane County Volunteer Lawyers Program provides free legal clinics and advice sessions for family law matters. This is run through the Inland Empire Legal Aid and the Spokane County Bar Association. YWCA Spokane also provides free legal advocacy and protection order assistance for domestic violence survivors. The Spokane Family Law Self-Help Center at familylaw.spofi.org hosts monthly legal clinics and offers free printed forms and workshops.

For attorney referrals, the Washington State Bar Association has a statewide directory at wsba.org and a phone line at (206) 443-9722. WashingtonLawHelp at washingtonlawhelp.org provides step-by-step guides for self-represented filers. All official forms are at courts.wa.gov/forms.

If you need child support calculated, Washington uses a state formula under RCW Chapter 26.19. The formula accounts for both parents' income, number of children, and other factors. The Spokane County Family Court Facilitator can walk you through how that calculation applies to your situation.

Spokane Divorce Certificates and State Vital Records

A divorce certificate from the Washington State Department of Health is different from the court's Decree of Dissolution. The DOH certificate is a vital record that confirms a dissolution occurred. The actual decree with all the terms, property division, and custody orders is a court document held by the Spokane County Superior Court Clerk.

If you need the state vital record, you can request it through the DOH vital records office. If you need the actual court order, you must contact the Clerk at (509) 477-2211. Many people need the court copy for legal or financial matters because the vital record alone does not contain the terms of the dissolution.

The Spokane County Auditor's office maintains marriage records. If you need a marriage certificate to accompany a dissolution filing or to verify a prior marriage, contact the Auditor's office separately from the Clerk.

Spokane County Divorce Records

Spokane is the county seat of Spokane County. All dissolution records for the city and surrounding communities are at the Spokane County Superior Court. Visit the county page for additional resources and court details.

View Spokane County Divorce Records

Nearby Cities

These cities near Spokane also file dissolution cases at Spokane County Superior Court or through their own county systems.