In Washington the courts generally accept a fair and reasonable property division the parties agree to, but if the parties cannot agree, the Family Court divides the property within the Judgment of Divorce.

A community property state, Washington divides all property and debt acquired from the date of marriage until the marital cut-off date.

The court does not consider marital misconduct.

Based on Revised Code of Washington - Title 26 - Chapters: 26.09.080, 26.16.010, 26.16.020, 26.16.030, 26.16.220, the court divides the assets and the liabilities of the spouses, either marital or separate, in a way that seems fair. In doing so, it considers all relevant factors including, but not limited to:

In a short-term marriage, the courts try to restore the spouses economically to where each was before the marriage. In a long-term marriage, the courts try to make equal the economics of each spouse, which may require an unequal division to one spouse. In a medium-length marriage the court balances both goals, balancing the financial needs of the economically vulnerable parties.

All of the assets and liabilities the husband and wife own are subject to division. The property division must be fair and equitable. When one spouse dissipates a major community asset - say the husband gambles away the marital home - the court may consider that in the division of property and compensate the wife. Except for property received by inheritance, gift, or property owned before the marriage, all property acquired during the marriage is community property. These exceptions are separate property, which is also called immune property. Unless the spouse who argues that he or she has separate property can prove that it was separate and remained separate at all times, by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence, separate property becomes community property. Under exceptional circumstances, the court awards the separate property of one spouse to the other spouse.

First, the court classifies assets and liabilities, property and debt, as marital or separate. Then it assigns a monetary value to the marital property and debt. Finally, it distributes the marital assets between the two parties in fair and reasonable manner.

In Washington, as in many jurisdictions, the equity of the marital home is often one of the biggest assets of the marriage. The equity is the market value of the house, less any debts or liens against it. Once the spouses agree to a market value, liabilities associated with the property are deducted. This means mortgage, taxes, and home equity loans. Normally, making this calculation requires a paid real estate appraisal.

From there, couples choose one of three options to divide the equity:

In Washington vested pensions are marital property. A pension vests when all the requirements to receive the pension have been met. Unvested pensions are also marital property. Until the pension has vested, the person under whom the pension is maintained has only an expectancy of interest in the pension.

Several different methods of valuation are used in determining how much a marital asset is worth. Courts generally accept the value when the spouses mutually agree on a value of a particular asset. Experts may be retained by the parties or by the courts to determine the value of marital assets if the parties cannot agree. These experts may include accountants, real estate or business appraisers, or pension valuators. The use of experts adds to the cost of the divorce.

In Washington the court may include the retirement benefits and plans earned by both spouses as marital assets available for division. Retirement benefits vary greatly but can generally be divided into two groups:

In Washington if spouses share in each other's retirement or pension plan, a Qualified Domestic Relations Order must be completed. A QDRO is a written set of instructions that explains to a plan administrator that two parties are dividing pension benefits. The instructions set forth the terms and conditions of the distribution - how much of the benefits are to be paid to each party, when such benefits can be paid, how such benefits should be paid, etc.