Pasco Family Court Records
Pasco family court records are filed and maintained by the Franklin County Superior Court Clerk. If you need to find a dissolution case, custody order, or any family law filing involving a Pasco resident, the Superior Court is where you start. Cases can be searched online through the Washington State Courts Odyssey portal, or you can visit the clerk in person. Franklin County Superior Court handles all family law matters for Pasco and the surrounding area.
Pasco Overview
Where to File Family Court Records in Pasco
Pasco is the county seat of Franklin County. All family court matters for Pasco residents are handled by Franklin County Superior Court. That includes dissolutions, legal separations, parenting plans, child support orders, and protection orders. The court clerk keeps all case files and processes records requests from the public.
Franklin County shares a Superior Court website with Benton County. The two counties have historically coordinated judicial services in the Tri-Cities area. Pasco residents file their cases here regardless of whether the other party lives in Kennewick or Richland. Jurisdiction is based on where either party lives, so if you are in Pasco, you file in Franklin County.
| Office | Franklin County Superior Court Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | Franklin County Courthouse 1016 N 4th Avenue Pasco, WA 99301 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Online Search | odysseyportal.courts.wa.gov |
The courthouse is in downtown Pasco near the intersection of 4th Avenue and Lewis Street. Street parking and a public lot are nearby. Bring a photo ID when visiting the clerk's office.
How to Search Pasco Family Court Records Online
The main online search tool for Pasco family court records is the Washington Courts Odyssey portal at odysseyportal.courts.wa.gov. This portal lets you look up Franklin County Superior Court cases by party name or case number. It shows docket entries, case status, and party names for non-confidential cases. You do not need to create an account to run a basic search.
The portal below shows the Odyssey system used by Pasco residents to search Franklin County Superior Court case records.
The Odyssey portal supports Smart Search by party name. That feature helps when you are unsure of the exact spelling. It covers non-confidential dockets only. Cases involving minors or sealed records will not appear in public search results.
You need at least one party's full name to run a search. If you have a case number, use that instead since it returns results faster. The year the case was filed also helps narrow things down when you get a lot of name matches.
Attorneys and legal professionals can also use JIS-Link through courts.wa.gov/jislink. That service requires registration and charges $0.145 per transaction with a $13 monthly minimum. It provides display-only court information and is better suited for high-volume users.
Washington Courts Central Search for Pasco Cases
The statewide court search tool at dw.courts.wa.gov also covers Franklin County Superior Court cases from Pasco. This tool is useful when you are not sure which county a case was filed in. It pulls from the same data and lets you search across all Washington courts in one place.
The central search engine at dw.courts.wa.gov is a good starting point for Pasco residents who need to find a case across multiple courts or counties. It shows basic case data and points you to the right court for full records.
Neither the Odyssey portal nor the central search engine lets you download actual court documents. For certified copies or full case files, you contact the Franklin County Superior Court Clerk directly, either in person or by written request.
Pasco Municipal Court
Pasco has its own municipal court that handles lower-level matters within city limits. This court covers traffic infractions, misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, and city ordinance violations. It does not handle family law cases. Dissolution, custody, and child support matters all go to Franklin County Superior Court, not the municipal court.
Pasco Municipal Court is useful to know about if you need to look up a misdemeanor case or a protection order related to a municipal violation. For anything involving dissolution or parenting plans, though, you go to the Superior Court.
The Pasco Municipal Court website at pasco-wa.gov has contact information, hearing schedules, and payment options for fines. That office is separate from the county clerk and handles its own records independently.
Family Court Filing Process for Pasco Residents
Washington State law governs all family court filings in Pasco. The main statute is RCW Chapter 26.09, which covers dissolution proceedings. That includes property division, maintenance, child support, and parenting plans. You file at Franklin County Superior Court since that is the court with jurisdiction for Pasco.
Washington is a no-fault state. The only ground for dissolution is that the marriage is irretrievably broken. You do not need to prove fault or wrongdoing. One spouse files a Petition for Dissolution with a Summons. The other party must be served or must sign a Joinder. From there, the case moves through the standard court process.
There is a 90-day waiting period after service before the court can finalize any dissolution. Agreed cases can move fairly quickly once that period passes. Contested matters, meaning cases where the parties disagree on property, custody, or support, may require hearings, mediation, or a full trial. The waiting period is mandatory and cannot be waived.
Family court cases involving children are governed by RCW Chapter 26.12. That statute covers custody and guardianship proceedings, guardian ad litem appointments, and parenting seminar requirements. When children are involved in a dissolution or custody case, both parties are usually required to complete an approved parenting seminar before the case is resolved.
Note: The 90-day waiting period starts on the date the petition is filed and served. Franklin County Superior Court may have a family law facilitator or self-help program. Contact the clerk's office to ask about available resources for self-represented parties.
Certified Divorce Records for Pasco Residents
If you need a certified divorce certificate rather than the actual court file, that comes from the Washington State Department of Health. The DOH keeps divorce records from 1968 to the present. You can order a certified copy through their portal at doh.wa.gov. The base fee is $25 per copy. No identification is required to order a standard certificate.
The state certificate shows both parties' names, the date of the decree, and the county where it was filed. It does not include the full court file or the specific terms of any property or parenting plan. For those details, you need a copy from the Franklin County Superior Court Clerk. The two documents serve different purposes, and some agencies may require one or the other specifically. Check which one you need before ordering.
VitalChek expedited service is available if you need the certificate faster than standard mail processing allows. Standard requests processed by mail take several weeks. VitalChek orders can sometimes arrive in a week or less depending on delivery options you choose.
Legal Help and Court Forms for Pasco
Pasco residents who need help with family court matters have several free resources. The Washington Law Help website at washingtonlawhelp.org has free guides on dissolution, custody, child support, and protection orders. Resources are available in multiple languages, which is important for Pasco's large Spanish-speaking community. The site walks you through the process step by step.
Official court forms for all family law matters are free at courts.wa.gov/forms. You can get petition packets, financial declaration forms, parenting plan templates, and protection order forms there. The Guide and File interactive tool on that site walks you through each form question by question. That is a useful tool if you are not sure what to write in each section.
Historical family court records going back before 1968 may be available through the Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov. That collection includes historical Superior Court case files from Franklin County and is useful for genealogy or legal research involving older records. Coverage and completeness vary by county and time period.
Columbia Legal Services has an office that serves the Tri-Cities area and provides free civil legal help to income-eligible residents. Northwest Justice Project also covers the region and can be reached at (888) 201-1014. Both organizations can assist with family law matters including dissolution and custody cases.
Franklin County Family Court Records
Pasco is in Franklin County. All family law cases go through Franklin County Superior Court. See the county page for full clerk info, courthouse details, and additional resources for Franklin County family court records.
Nearby Cities
These nearby cities are part of the Tri-Cities area and file family court cases through their respective county superior courts.