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.
Yes. If your Snohomish County divorce involves children under 18 and a parenting plan, both parents must complete a court-approved parenting seminar within 60 days after the respondent is served. The county approves only two seminars. A parent who doesn’t finish can’t set the case for trial and can’t get a final parenting plan signed.
Who has to take it
The rule is SCLSPR 94.04(d)(4). It applies to divorces, legal separations, major modifications, and parentage cases where the parties are parents of children under 18 and a parenting plan or residential schedule is required. Both parents have to complete it. The court can also order it in other Title 26 cases if it finds a seminar would be in the children’s best interest, and it can direct non-parent parties to attend.
It doesn’t apply to a case that involves only financial issues, such as a child support modification with no parenting plan.
The deadline
Sixty days after service of the petition, or of an initiating motion, on the responding party. SCLSPR 94.04(d)(4)(B). The clock runs from service, not from filing. If you’re the petitioner, that means the deadline starts when your spouse is served. If you’re the respondent, it starts the day you receive the papers.
Sixty days goes fast when you’re also dealing with temporary orders and finding an attorney. The Compliance Schedule the clerk issues at filing will list this deadline. Register the first week.
The two approved seminars
Snohomish County sets the standards for approved seminars by administrative order and lists the approved options on its parenting seminar page. As of this writing there are two.
Successful Co-Parenting is a four-hour live class on Zoom, completed in one session, offered in English and Spanish. The listed cost is $85, with a reduced rate available on request for low-income parents.
Children in Between is a self-paced online course. You log in and out as needed over 30 days and download a certificate when you finish. The listed cost is $61.95.
A class from a provider that isn’t on the county’s list may not be accepted, even if another Washington county approves it. If you’ve already taken a class elsewhere, ask before assuming it counts.
Filing the certificate
Completing the class isn’t enough. Each parent files a certificate of attendance or completion with the court, as its own document, not as an attachment to something else. SCLSPR 94.04(d)(4)(B). The court checks for it at trial confirmation and before signing a final parenting plan.
Waivers and special situations
Opposing parties are never required to attend a seminar together. SCLSPR 94.04(d)(4)(C)(1). Where there’s been domestic violence or abuse of the kind that would rule out mutual decision-making under RCW 26.09.191, or where a parent’s attendance isn’t in the children’s interest, the court must either waive the requirement or provide an alternative voluntary seminar. The court can also waive it for one or both parents for good cause. A waiver is by motion. Don’t just skip the class and hope.
What happens if you don’t
The consequence is that your case stops. A parent who hasn’t completed the seminar “shall be precluded from confirming the case for trial or presenting any final order affecting the parenting/residential plan.” SCLSPR 94.04(d)(4)(D). The court can also bar that parent from seeking other relief in the case until it’s done, and can treat refusal or delay as contempt, impose monetary terms, or strike pleadings.
One parent’s refusal doesn’t excuse the other. If your spouse won’t take the class, you still have to take yours. Then your attorney can address your spouse’s non-compliance with the court, and the rule gives the court tools to do that.
How this compares to King County
King County also requires a parenting seminar within 60 days of service under its local rules, and adds a separate Family Law Orientation program for self-represented parties. Snohomish County has no orientation requirement, but it approves only two seminar providers. A class accepted in King County isn’t automatically accepted here. If you’ve been through a King County case before, check the Snohomish County list before registering.
Two things you can do now
Register this week. The live class fills up and the self-paced one takes time to complete. Either way, finishing early takes one deadline off your list.
File the certificate the day you get it. If you e-file, it’s a separate document. If you’re self-represented, take it to the clerk. Keep a copy, because you’ll need to show it at trial confirmation.
Common questions
Do both parents have to take the same class? No. Either approved seminar satisfies the rule, and opposing parties are never required to attend a seminar together.
Does a class I took in another county count? Not automatically. Snohomish County approves specific providers under its own administrative order. If you took a class elsewhere, ask before assuming it counts.
What if my spouse refuses to take the class? Your deadline doesn’t change. Complete yours, then your attorney can address the other parent’s non-compliance with the court, which can include contempt, monetary terms, or striking pleadings.
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 how long a divorce takes here and the mediation requirement.
This post describes Snohomish County procedure as of September 2026. Approved providers, costs, and local rules change on their own schedule; check the court’s parenting seminar page before registering.
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.
