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LFLR 17. Contempt and Other Enforcement Actions

Local Family Law Rule
    (a) Civil Contempt Proceedings.  See also Chapter 7.21 RCW (regarding general contempt of court), RCW 26.18.050 (regarding failure to pay support or maintenance), and RCW 26.09.160 (parenting plan contempt).
        (1) Contempt proceedings shall be started by presenting and obtaining an Order to Show Cause re Contempt from the Ex Parte and Probate Department through the clerk’s office, accompanied by a Motion and Declaration for Order to Show Cause Re Contempt and a copy of the order that is alleged to have been violated.   The hearing on the contempt proceeding shall be scheduled on the Family Law Motions Calendar in accordance with LFLR 6.
        (2) Unless otherwise ordered, a copy of the Order to Show Cause and all supporting documents shall be personally served upon the person alleged to be in contempt.  A copy of these documents must also be delivered to that person’s attorney, if any, the Family Law Motions coordinator, and all other parties to the action, including any Guardian Ad Litem. All provisions of LFLR 6 shall apply.
        (3) If the person alleged to be in contempt is properly served and fails to appear for the Show Cause hearing, the court may grant an order to issue a warrant.  The party requesting contempt must deliver the original order and proposed warrant to the Clerk’s Office.  Upon the Clerk’s issuance of the warrant, the party requesting contempt must then deliver the warrant to the King County Sheriff’s office at the Courthouse.
        (4) If a warrant is issued and the person alleged to be in contempt is arrested, a “Return on Warrant” hearing will be held the next judicial day following the arrest on the Family Law Motions Calendar at 1:30 p.m.   Except in cases where the warrant was requested by the State, the court will arrange for the arrested party to be transported to the hearing from the jail.  If the arrested party has posted bail and has been released from jail, that party shall appear in court at 1:30 p.m. on the next judicial day.
    (b) Other Enforcement Actions.  See Chapter 26.23 RCW regarding enforcement of child support orders by the Washington State Support Registry and the Division of Child Support; Chapter 6.27 RCW regarding garnishments; and RCW 26.09.120, RCW 26.23.050 and RCW 26.18.070 regarding wage assignments.  See CR 69 and LCR 69 regarding Supplemental Proceedings.

[Adopted effective September 1, 2004; amended effective September 1, 2015; September 1, 2021.]

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