This required Washington State form (formally called a Certificate of Dissolution, Declaration of Invalidity of Marriage or Legal Separation) is used by the Department of Health Statistics to collect data on divorces within the State of Washington.  The Department of Health Statistics states that the primary purposes of this data collection effect are to “1) to provide a brief, legal record of the event; and 2) to collect information on population trends.”

WHY YOU NEED IT

Under Washington law, a person filing for divorce (in any county) must complete and file a Certificate of Dissolution, Declaration of Invalidity of Marriage or Legal Separation with the petition for dissolution in order to serve the State of Washington’s divorce data collection efforts.

WHERE YOU GET IT

Unlike most required court forms, the Certificate of Dissolution, Declaration of Invalidity of Marriage or Legal Separation is only available online if you are also filing for divorce online.  If you are filing for divorce in paper form, you or the clerk of the court must complete a paper certificate which is available at the clerk’s office.

The electronic version of the form is available here.  But, remember that you can only use this electronic form if you are also filing your petition for dissolution online. If you are filing the old-fashioned way, you must pick up a copy of the Certificate at the clerk’s office in the court house.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

Check out the paper version of the Vital Statistics form (used for the Certificate of Dissolution, Declaration of Invalidity of Marriage, or Legal Separation) here.