In Washington, the court will award sole or joint child custody to either the mother, father or both with the best interests of the children as the standard for any decision. All custody cases must have a proposed parenting plan or agreement to be presented to the court for approval before the final order is put in place.

The primary goals of the parenting plan are to:

(1) Provide for the child’s physical care;

(2) Maintain the child’s emotional stability;

(3) Provide for the child’s changing needs as the child grows and matures, in a way that minimizes the need for future modifications to the permanent parenting plan;

(4) Set forth the authority and responsibilities of each parent with respect to the child

(5) Minimize the child’s exposure to harmful parental conflict;

(6) Encourage the parents to meet their responsibilities to their minor children through agreements in the permanent parenting plan, rather than by relying on judicial intervention; and

(7) To otherwise protect the best interests of the child. (Revised Code of Washington - Title 26 - Chapters: 26.09.181, 26.09.220)

The Washington child support guidelines "at a glance" provides a quick reference to what applicable child support laws are considered and/or not considered when determining the appropriate Washington child support order.

Washington Child Support Guidelines

Income Share Model *: YES

Percent of Income Model *: NO

Worksheets Available: YES

Extraordinary Medical Expenses Add on: YES

Childcare Add on: YES

Secondary Education Support: YES

UIFSA: YES

* The Income Shares Model: Washington child support is calculated by estimating the amount of support that would have been available to the child(ren) if the family had remained intact. This estimated amount is then divided proportionally to the parents according to each parent’s income. This is easily done by using the Washington child support worksheet and the estimated incomes are typically substantiated by past pay stubs or w-2s.

For example: If the father has a higher income than the mother, he would then be responsible for the greater portion of the child support obligation. Conversely, if the father has a lower income than the mother, he would then be responsible for the smaller portion of the child support obligation.

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