Irretrievable breakdown of the marriage is the only grounds for dissolution of marriage in Washington. This is unusual; most other states usually have an ‘at fault’ clause for divorce. Washington does not.
There is no fixed method for determining division of property. In Washington, all assets — real and personal, tangible and intangible — are available for distribution. As a community-property state, Washington laws provide for "just and equitable" division of property acquired during a marriage, but do not necessarily require an equal division. Under some circumstances, the court may also apportion separate (or individual) property.
The marriage rate in Washington is at its lowest in two decades. So is the divorce rate.
Mirroring a national trend, fewer Washington married couples called it quits in 2004 than in 1986. Washington's population increased by 1.7 million in that time, according to the State Department of Health.
The Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is the initial document filed with the Washington court.
The only grounds for dissolution of marriage in the state of Washington are, "Irretrievable Breakdown of the Marriage."
The court enters a decree of dissolution on these grounds if the responding party does not deny that the marriage is irretrievably broken.
