Once a divorce or third party custody case is filed, the patties can bring motions to the court for the Judge to rule on while the case is awaiting trial. In divorce cases, the wife is the party that moves for divorce in King County 65% of the time. She is usually the Petitioner. The husband is usually the Respondent.
In Third Party Custody Cases, The Grandparents are the petitioners, and the father and the mother are the respondents. There are thousands of combinations of King County Family Law Motions that a person can file in a case. This page will only talk about the top 10 motions that can be filed.
The 11 Predominant Types of King County Family Law Motions
- Motion for Temporary Orders – This is the predominant motion in Family Law and Divorce Cases
- Motion for Reconsideration – When things go wrong on the the Family Law Motions Calendar
- Motion for Ex Parte/Restraining Order/Order to Show Cause
- Motion for Revision
- Motion for Summary Judgment
- Motion to Dismiss
- Motion to Modify [Parenting Plan/Child Support]
- Motion for Finding of Adequate Cause
- Motion for Order of Temporary Child Support
- Motion to Continue Trial
- Motion for Appointment of a GAL
When are the motions heard?
It depends on the motion itself. Some King County Family Law Motions are heard on the 14 day family law motions calendar. A few of the motions, such as the motion for revision and motion to dismiss, are heard before the assigned (IC) judge and fall under the conventional time period for motions in King County and not the timeline for King County Family Law Motions. Snohomish County Family Law Motions are heard on a 12 day advanced calendar.
How do I get my motion heard?
You must note a motion on the motion docket by filing a note for motion docket, along with your motion, and supporting material. The motion must be served on the opposing party 14 or more days before the hearing for most King County Family Law Motions. For both King County Family Law Motions and Snohomish County Family Law Motions, it would be wise to check the local rules.
You can get the King County Local forms here. Snohomish County local forms for the commissioner’s calendar are here.
