Whatcom County Divorce Records
Whatcom County divorce records are filed and maintained by the Superior Court Clerk in Bellingham. The court handles dissolution cases for all residents of the county, including those in Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, and surrounding areas. This page covers the Clerk's Office location and contact details, how to search for dissolution cases online and in person, fee information, mediation resources, and legal help available in Whatcom County.
Whatcom County Overview
Whatcom County Superior Court Clerk
The Whatcom County Superior Court Clerk is located at 311 Grand Avenue, Suite 301, Bellingham, WA 98225. The Clerk's Office phone number is (360) 778-5560. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The County Clerk is Raylene King.
The Clerk receives, processes, and permanently stores all documents presented in a Superior Court case. As a quasi-judicial officer, the Clerk reviews court documents for errors and issues letters testamentary, orders of sale, writs of execution, garnishment, attachments, and judgments. The Clerk must be present at court sessions to establish an independent record of each hearing. Court staff can provide case status, general information on court rules and procedures, court-approved forms, court schedules, and information on how to schedule hearings. Staff cannot provide legal advice or tell you what to say in court.
| Office | Whatcom County Superior Court Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address |
311 Grand Avenue, Suite 301 Bellingham, WA 98225 |
| Phone | (360) 778-5560 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | whatcomcounty.us/1944/Superior-Court-Clerk |
Whatcom County Superior Court
Whatcom County is one of 39 Superior Courts in Washington State. The court has five Superior Court Judges elected to four-year terms and four Court Commissioners. The Presiding Judge is David E. Freeman (Dept. 4). Other Superior Court Judges include Robert E. Olson (Dept. I), Evan Jones (Dept. 2), Lee Grochmal (Dept. 3), and Jennifer Slattery (Dept. 5). Court Commissioners are Ann Vetter-Hansen, Jonathan Richardson, Lisa M. Keeler, and Kacie B. Emerick.
Whatcom County Superior Court handles adult felonies, civil cases, divorce and child custody and support matters, probate, guardianships, paternity actions, adoptions, juvenile cases, and mental illness cases. Superior Court Administration is located at 311 Grand Avenue, Suite 501, Bellingham, WA 98225, phone (360) 778-5490. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed noon to 1:00 p.m.
The image below shows the Whatcom County Superior Court page, which explains how the court operates and provides information on dissolution and family law cases.
View the Whatcom County Superior Court page
That page covers the court's structure, the types of cases it handles, and how to contact judges and commissioners for scheduling questions.
Searching Whatcom County Divorce Records
The image below shows the Whatcom County Superior Court Clerk page, which outlines the Clerk's responsibilities and how to get copies of court documents including dissolution records.
Visit the Whatcom County Superior Court Clerk page
That page explains the Clerk's role in managing dissolution files and the fee schedule for obtaining copies.
For online searches, use the statewide Washington State Courts Case Locator. It searches across all court types and shows case numbers, parties, and filing dates for Whatcom County cases. The Odyssey Portal provides access to Superior Court records by party name, case number, or attorney. Both tools update every 24 hours. Full document images are not available online. For certified copies, contact the Clerk at (360) 778-5560.
Note that the updated Whatcom County fee schedule went into effect recently. Ex Parte Calendars have been permanently discontinued and no fee is charged for walk-in ex parte requests by case parties. A $30 fee still applies to mailed and courier ex parte requests. Contact the Clerk's Office to confirm the latest fee schedule before submitting a request.
The image below shows the Washington State Courts directory for Whatcom County, listing court personnel and contact information.
View the WA State Courts Whatcom County directory
The state directory is maintained by the Washington State Courts Administrative Office and updated regularly with current personnel.
Court Facilitators in Whatcom County
Whatcom County Superior Court has Court Facilitators located at 311 Grand Avenue, 3rd Floor, Room 304, Bellingham, WA 98225. The message line is (360) 778-5563. Court Facilitators provide a fee-based service to help people without attorneys in Superior Court family law cases.
Facilitators help identify which family law forms are needed, review forms for completeness, help schedule court hearings, explain court hearing procedures, and make referrals to other agencies. They cannot give legal advice or provide legal representation. There are no in-person meetings; review may be done by scanning and emailing forms or dropping off hard copies to the Court Clerk's office. Scheduled appointments cost $20, with no fee waivers available. There is no fee for the first visit regarding legal separation and dissolution.
Note: Court Facilitators in Whatcom County provide procedural guidance only and cannot advise on what outcome to seek in your case.
Mediation Resources in Whatcom County
The Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center provides conflict prevention and intervention services for individuals and families throughout Whatcom County. Services include mediation, training, facilitation, coaching, supervised visitation, and community education. The WDRC mediates divorce and separation, parenting plan creation, and other family law matters. Family mediation fees are set on a sliding scale and no one is turned away for lack of funds.
The WDRC is located at 206 Prospect Street, Bellingham, WA 98225. Call (360) 676-0122 or toll-free 1-800-833-6388 for the deaf or hard of hearing. On average, parties using the WDRC experience an 80% success rate in creating settlements. Most mediations are conducted in person or virtually over Zoom.
The image below shows the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center website, which provides information on mediation services and how to get started with family law mediation.
Visit the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center
The WDRC practices Facilitative Interest-Based Mediation to help parties create durable agreements for parenting and property matters.
Legal Resources in Whatcom County
For free or low-cost legal help with dissolution cases in Whatcom County, contact Northwest Justice Project at (888) 201-1014. They serve low-income residents with family law cases. The Washington State Bar Association has a lawyer referral service at (206) 443-9722 and at wsba.org.
All official dissolution forms are free at courts.wa.gov/forms. The Washington State Department of Health holds divorce certificates from 1968 to the present. Order at DOH's vital records page for $25 per copy. The Washington State Digital Archives holds older dissolution records transferred from the Whatcom County Clerk. Search free online by selecting the Divorce Records collection. Self-help guides are at washingtonlawhelp.org.
Cities in Whatcom County
All dissolution cases in Whatcom County are filed at the Superior Court at 311 Grand Avenue in Bellingham, regardless of which city or community you live in.
Other communities in Whatcom County include Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine, Everson, Nooksack, Sumas, and Birch Bay. All dissolution cases for those areas are filed with Whatcom County Superior Court.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Whatcom County. File your dissolution case in the county where you or your spouse currently lives.