Final decrees are formal court orders that grant a marriage termination. When a divorce case ends up in court, a judge will make a judgment. The confirmation of this judgment occurs when a judge and court clerk sign and date the decree.  A divorce decree is a washington state divorce record made available to the public.  

Issues Covered by a Divorce Decree

The majority of divorce decrees cover the following issues:

• Alimony. Alimony or spousal support is the amount of money a spouse must pay to the other. This amount depends on who had an income during the marriage and the roles every spouse plays. To decide the amount, a judge will consider the previous standard of living, age, and the health of the party requesting support. 
• Property division. This issue can arise when both spouses can’t agree on how their property must be split. To make a decision, a judge will identify the couple’s marital and separate property, then assign value to the couple’s combined assets. In Washington, marital property is divided equally between spouses. 

Additionally, a final divorce decree may cover other contingencies based on a spouse’s circumstances like name-change authorization. Before a divorce lawyer can submit the final decree to the judge for signing, a spouse must read it carefully. Documents must be reviewed to ensure they are happy with the wording. The lawyer can check the decree to ensure the languages are the same and that no errors were made. 

Modifying a Divorce Decree

After you signed a divorce, it can be quite hard to modify it. You can only change it by filing an appeal in court. However, this process can be long and requires solid proof that your personal circumstances meet specific criteria, depending on where you live. But, if you think you signed the divorce decree under pressure, your lawyer can petition the court to have a new hearing scheduled. 

Obtaining a Copy of Your Divorce Decree

You can get a copy of your divorce decree at the county courthouse in which your divorce was filed. Once you get this copy, keep it for your record and read it again. Often, you will get a copy of this document in your mail. Otherwise, you can request a copy from the clerk’s office in person or online. And if you need other court records you must use for certain purposes, a reliable family law attorney can obtain them for you.