A divorce in Snohomish County follows rules specific to this courthouse, and most of what’s online describes some other county or no county at all. This post is part of a series answering the questions our clients ask about how the process actually works here.
Not for a family law motion, unless you ask first. The commissioners hear the Domestic Motions calendar in person, and you need the court’s permission ahead of time to appear by Zoom. You can attend hearings in front of a judge on the civil motions calendar, including a motion to revise a commissioner’s ruling, by Zoom. Trials are in person unless the court approves otherwise.
What the rule says, and what happens
Read the local rule cold and you’d expect the answer to be yes. It says parties “shall appear in person or remotely to present oral argument, unless the Court indicates that it will decide a particular motion on the pleadings alone or that in person appearance is required.” SCLCR 7(b)(10)(c). The court’s remote appearance page even posts Zoom meeting information for each commissioner courtroom.
The catch is the same page’s next sentence. Appearance by Zoom “is subject to the requirements of Administrative Order 39-22 and the specific direction of the court.” On the Domestic Motions calendar, the direction is that you appear in person. Temporary orders, support, restraining orders, and the rest of the family law motions calendar are heard in Courtrooms 1C and 1D with the parties in the room. If you have a reason you can’t be there, you ask the court for permission before the hearing. Showing up on Zoom without it is a good way to have your motion continued or heard without you.
Where Zoom is available
Judges’ calendars. If you ask a judge to revise a commissioner’s ruling, you note the motion on the civil motions calendar, which runs Tuesday through Friday at 9:30 AM, and the court assigns a judge once you note it. You can attend that calendar by Zoom. The court posts the remote hearing information for judges’ civil motions on its website, and the assigned judge’s law clerk will notify the parties by 4:30 PM the day before if the motion is going to be decided without argument. SCLCR 7(b)(10)(c)(1).
So the same case can put you in the courthouse for the temporary orders hearing and on Zoom two weeks later for the revision of it.
What Administrative Order 39-22 requires
When you do appear remotely, the order adopted in November 2022 sets the ground rules. You need a stable internet connection or phone line, and you should test it beforehand. The location has to be private, quiet, free of distractions, and reasonably professional looking. Dress and behave as you would in a courtroom. Video stays on unless the court has given permission to proceed without it. Speak clearly and a little more slowly than usual, and look at the judicial officer when you’re speaking.
The court’s remote page adds the practical rules. Connect 15 minutes before the hearing so staff can identify you and admit you to the virtual courtroom. If you’re late, you may not be able to participate. The court strictly prohibits recording any proceeding without the judicial officer’s express permission.
Trials
Divorce trials in Snohomish County happen in person. A trial can be remote only in two situations. Either all parties stipulate in writing and the court approves, or the court grants a motion asking that a party, witness, or attorney be allowed to appear remotely. SCLCR 40(d)(1). Parties and attorneys also report in person to the Presiding Department on the trial date for assignment to a trial judge, unless the court has already approved a remote appearance. SCLCR 40(h).
If you have a witness who lives out of state, or a schedule that makes an in-person trial impossible, the request is a motion. Bring it well before trial. The court publishes trial protocols for both in-person and remote trials on its website.
How this compares to King County
King County tells family law litigants directly: “You have the option of attending your hearing in person or via Zoom.” All family law motion hearings there are available either way, at the party’s choice. In Snohomish County the family law motions calendar is in person and Zoom is the exception you have to ask for. For a client who works in Seattle or at the plant, that means a half day off for a five-minute hearing. It’s one of the real practical differences between the two courthouses, and one reason attorneys who mostly practice in King County find Everett unfamiliar.
Two things you can do
Ask early if you can’t be there. A request to appear remotely at a commissioner hearing goes to the court before the hearing date, with the reason. The morning of is too late.
Treat a Zoom hearing like a courtroom. For a revision hearing or any other remote appearance, test the connection the night before, find a quiet room with a door, dress as you would for court, and log in 15 minutes early. Judges notice who treats a Zoom hearing like a court hearing and who treats it like a phone call.
Common questions
How do I ask to appear by Zoom at a commissioner hearing? Ask the court before the hearing, with the reason you can’t attend in person. If you have an attorney, they’ll handle it. Don’t assume permission until you have it.
Can my attorney appear in person while I appear by Zoom? Only with the court’s permission. The default on the Domestic Motions calendar is that the parties are in the courtroom.
Can I record my Zoom hearing? No. The court prohibits recording any proceeding without the judicial officer’s express permission, and its remote appearance page says so directly.
This post is part of our series on how a divorce works in Snohomish County. Start with the main guide, How a Divorce Actually Works in Snohomish County, or read about what happens at a temporary orders hearing and how Snohomish County differs from King County.
This post describes Snohomish County procedure as of September 2026. Court rules, administrative orders, and the court’s direction set remote appearance practice, and it changes; check the court’s remote appearance page before your hearing.
Last updated September 2026.
Law Offices of Daniel Ehrlich, Everett. Family law in Snohomish, Island, King, and Skagit Counties. (425) 954-5578.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different. If you’re facing a divorce in Snohomish County, talk to an attorney.
