How Do I Enforce a Divorce Decree in Washington?

A divorce decree is a court order, not a suggestion. When the other party ignores it, Washington gives you real tools to make its terms stick.

Your Decree Is Enforceable

When your divorce is finalized, the court signs a decree that spells out the obligations of each party: who pays what, how property is divided, and how time with the children is arranged. Because it is a court order, the other party is legally bound to follow it. If they do not, you are not simply out of luck. Washington law provides several enforcement paths, and the right one depends on what part of the decree is being violated. Broadly, enforcement falls into two buckets: enforcing the money and property terms, and enforcing the parenting and residential terms.

Enforcing Money Judgments in the Decree

Divorce decrees frequently contain money obligations. One party may be ordered to pay the other a set sum to equalize the property division, to cover a share of a debt, or to reimburse an expense. When a decree awards a specific amount of money, that award functions like other civil judgments and can be collected using the standard tools available to any judgment creditor.

That means the party owed money can pursue collection through mechanisms such as wage garnishment, bank account garnishment, and liens against property, in the manner the law provides for civil judgments generally. Washington reinforces this principle in the family law context. Under RCW 26.09.160, a monetary award ordered in connection with enforcement of the residential provisions of a parenting plan may be enforced by the party to whom it is awarded in the same manner as a civil judgment. The broader point is that money owed under a decree is not a mere IOU. It carries the weight of a judgment, and it can be collected accordingly.

Enforcing the Parenting Plan Through Contempt

Enforcement takes a different shape when the problem is the parenting plan. If the other parent refuses to follow the residential schedule, withholds the children, or otherwise disregards the plan, the primary tool is a motion for contempt of court.

Washington addresses this directly in RCW 26.09.160. The statute says that a party who, in bad faith, refuses to perform the duties in a parenting plan can be held in contempt, and it lays out a specific process. A parent may file a motion to initiate a contempt action to force compliance with an order establishing residential provisions for a child. If the court finds reasonable cause to believe the order was not followed, it can issue an order to show cause. If, after a hearing, the court finds the parent in bad faith did not comply, the statute directs the court to find that parent in contempt.

The consequences under RCW 26.09.160 are meaningful. On a finding of contempt for violating the residential schedule, the court must order the noncomplying parent to provide make-up time equal to the time the other parent lost, to pay the moving party's court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees, and to pay a civil penalty. For a repeat violation within three years, the make-up time doubles and the civil penalty increases. In appropriate cases where the parent is able to comply but refuses, the court may even order jail time until the parent complies. The statute also cuts the other way: if a court finds a contempt motion was brought without a reasonable basis, it can order the moving party to pay the other side's costs, fees, and a penalty. That balance is a reminder to bring these motions carefully and in good faith.

Contempt More Generally

Contempt is not unique to parenting plans. Washington's general contempt statute, chapter 7.21 RCW, defines contempt of court to include the intentional disobedience of any lawful judgment, decree, order, or process of the court. That definition appears in RCW 7.21.010. The chapter distinguishes between remedial sanctions, which are meant to coerce a party into doing something still within their power to do, and punitive sanctions, which punish a past contempt. This framework sits behind the family-specific contempt tools and underscores that willfully ignoring a court order carries consequences the court can impose.

An Important Limit: You Cannot Self-Enforce by Retaliating

One rule trips up many frustrated parents. If the other party fails to follow one part of the decree, you cannot respond by refusing to follow your own obligations. RCW 26.09.160 states plainly that performing parental functions and paying child support are distinct duties, and that if one party fails to comply, the other party's obligation to pay support or to permit contact with the children is not suspended. Withholding the children because support is late, or stopping support because you are being denied time, can itself be treated as bad faith. The lawful path is to ask the court to enforce the order, not to take matters into your own hands.

Practical Steps to Take

Enforcement starts with documentation. Keep a clear record of exactly what was violated and when: missed payments with dates and amounts, denied visits with times and details, or property that was never transferred. Then match the violation to the right tool. A missed equalizing payment points toward judgment-collection remedies. A parent stonewalling the residential schedule points toward a contempt motion under RCW 26.09.160. Bringing the right motion, backed by good records, is what turns a decree on paper into results.

A Snohomish County Note

If your divorce was entered in Snohomish County, enforcement generally runs through the Superior Court in Everett. The statutes are statewide, but local procedures and scheduling matter, and knowing how the local court handles these motions can make the process smoother.

Let Us Help You Enforce Your Order

If the other party is ignoring your divorce decree, whether it is unpaid money or a disregarded parenting plan, you have real options, and you do not have to navigate them alone. The Law Office of Chad Foster helps parents and former spouses throughout Snohomish County enforce their decrees the right way. Reach out to schedule a conversation about how to hold the other party accountable.