Snohomish County Divorce Records
Snohomish County divorce records are maintained by the County Clerk at the Superior Court in Everett. If you need to search for a dissolution case, obtain certified copies of a decree, or request older records going back to the mid-twentieth century, the clerk's office at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue handles all of that. Snohomish County is home to roughly 870,000 residents and borders King County to the south. It covers a large area from Everett along the coast north through Marysville and east to the Cascade foothills. All dissolution of marriage cases are filed in the Superior Court, which maintains jurisdiction over family law matters for the entire county.
Snohomish County Overview
Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk
The County Clerk's office at Snohomish County Superior Court maintains all court records including dissolution of marriage files. To get certified copies of divorce decrees, call the clerk at (425) 388-3466. The office is at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue, M/S 605, Room M206, Everett, WA 98201. Regular hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a lunch break from noon to 12:45 p.m.
Regular copies of court documents cost 25 cents per page when requested in person or by mail. Certified copies cost $5.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page. For mail requests, include a completed Copy Request form, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and payment by money order or cashier's check payable to Snohomish County Clerk. If the clerk's office needs to do extensive research, typically for cases prior to 1978, an additional fee of $30 per hour may apply.
| Office | Snohomish County Clerk / Superior Court |
|---|---|
| Address |
3000 Rockefeller Avenue, M/S 605, Room M206 Everett, WA 98201 |
| Phone | (425) 388-3466 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (lunch 12:00 to 12:45 PM) |
| Website | snohomishcountywa.gov/Public-Records |
The Snohomish County Government public records page provides guidance on requesting dissolution records, including contact information and copy fees for the clerk's office.
Searching Snohomish County Divorce Records Online
You can search Snohomish County dissolution cases through several online tools. The county points users to the Washington Courts Online Case Search Tool as the primary online option. To look up dissolution cases, filter by Location: Snohomish, Search Type: Party Name, and Case Type: Family. The database updates every 24 hours and is for reference purposes only. The official record is at the clerk's office.
The Odyssey Portal offers another access point. It shows case summaries, hearing dates, and party information for Snohomish County Superior Court. The Washington State Courts Case Locator covers all court levels and is useful if you're not sure which court handled a matter.
Copies of Superior Court documents going back to 1950 can also be ordered through the Washington State Digital Archives. Through that system, regular copies cost $0.50 per page and certified copies cost $6.00. For records not available online through the archives, contact the clerk's office at (425) 388-3466. For Snohomish County cases specifically, the Digital Archives collection is a solid option for older matters.
The Washington State Courts directory for Snohomish County lists judges, commissioners, clerks, and court staff with contact details for the Superior Court in Everett.
Note: When searching the Washington Courts Name and Case Search, case information found there is for reference only. For certified copies or official verification, you must contact the Snohomish County Clerk directly.
Snohomish County Records at the Digital Archives
The Washington State Digital Archives holds an extensive collection of Snohomish County Superior Court case files. This record series contains official documentation for all case types tried in the court, including criminal, civil, domestic relations (dissolution), probate, guardianship, adoption, and juvenile matters. Case records include a document index or docket and documents filed by both parties and the judge or commissioner. Documents include awards, complaints, decrees, depositions, orders, pleadings, sentences, and verdicts.
Some restrictions apply. Domestic relations court records prior to 2004 are not publicly available; only docket information is available for those older cases. Adoption, mental illness, and juvenile dependency records are restricted and not available online. Sealed or confidential documents will not be displayed and cannot be purchased through the Digital Archives system. For records not available online, contact the clerk at (425) 388-3466 or reach the Northwest Branch of the State Archives at (360) 650-3125 or nwbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov.
The Washington State Digital Archives collection for Snohomish County Superior Court includes dissolution cases from 2004 forward, along with older docket information going back further.
Filing for Dissolution in Snohomish County
Dissolution cases in Snohomish County follow Washington State law under RCW Chapter 26.09. Washington is a no-fault state. The marriage must be irretrievably broken. Either spouse must be a Washington State resident. You file in the county where you or your spouse currently lives. For Snohomish County residents, file at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue in Everett. The filing fee is approximately $350.
After filing the Petition for Dissolution, Washington requires a mandatory 90-day waiting period before the dissolution can be finalized. There are no exceptions. Both spouses signing an agreed decree speeds things up once that period is over. Contested cases take longer and may involve mediation, financial declarations, a parenting plan, and a hearing before a judge.
Snohomish County Superior Court has a large bench. Judges include Anna G. Alexander, George F.B. Appel, Marybeth Dingledy, Miguel M. Duran, Millie M. Judge, Jennifer R. Langbehn, Cindy A. Larsen, and others. Court Commissioners include Susan E. Harness, Ian M. Johnson, Solomon S.M. Kim, Melissa J. Kirkley, and others. The court handles a high volume of family law cases each year.
Property division follows community property rules under RCW 26.09.080. Parenting plans and child support calculations are required when children are involved. Spousal maintenance may be ordered depending on circumstances.
90-Day Wait: Washington requires a mandatory 90-day waiting period after the petition is served. No dissolution can be finalized before that window closes, regardless of whether both parties agree.
State Vital Records for Snohomish County
The Washington State Department of Health holds marriage and divorce records from 1968 to the present. You can order a certified certificate of dissolution, also called a divorce certificate, from DOH. The fee starts at $25 per copy. The certificate confirms a divorce happened but does not include the terms of the decree. For the full decree, contact the Snohomish County Clerk.
It may take up to five months after the case closes for the county clerk to send the record to DOH. If your divorce was recently finalized, check with the clerk first. The County Auditor's Office in Snohomish County provides marriage certificates and is at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue M/S 204, Everett, WA 98201, phone (425) 388-3483. Auditor Recording Division hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Mediation and Legal Help in Snohomish County
Volunteers of America Western Washington operates a Dispute Resolution Center serving Snohomish, Island, and Skagit Counties. The DRC offers mediation for divorce, parenting plans, co-parenting conflicts, and other family disputes. Mediators are impartial third-party facilitators. Fees are based on a sliding scale, and the DRC does not turn people away for inability to pay. The non-refundable case management fee is $75 per party for family mediation. The DRC office is at 2801 Lombard Avenue, Everett, WA 98201, phone (425) 339-1335.
The DRC also offers a Co-Parenting class called "Separate Homes, Connected Families" available on-demand 24/7. This can fulfill the parenting seminar requirement in dissolution cases involving children. Contact Lisa Yant at (425) 212-2930 or Lyant@voaww.org to register.
Volunteers of America Western Washington's Dispute Resolution Center provides mediation and co-parenting services for Snohomish County families going through dissolution.
Washington Law Help at washingtonlawhelp.org has plain-language guides on all aspects of dissolution. Official court forms are at courts.wa.gov. The Washington State Bar Association runs a statewide lawyer referral service at (206) 443-9722 and lists attorneys by practice area at wsba.org. Fee waivers for the filing fee are available; ask the clerk for a declaration of financial hardship form.
Cities in Snohomish County
All dissolution cases for Snohomish County residents are filed at the Superior Court in Everett. The county covers a wide area with many communities from the coast to the foothills.
Nearby Counties
Snohomish County borders several counties. File your dissolution in the county where you or your spouse lives. If you are near a county line, verify your address before filing.