How to petition

• Obtain a Family Assessment

  Contact your local Family Reconciliation Services (FRS) office at DCYF and request an At-Risk Youth Petition Family Assessment. A Social Worker will be assigned to your family to schedule an appointment for a one-time interview to complete the At-Risk Youth Petition Family Assessment. Request a copy of the Family Assessment and attach it to the petition prior to filing. The Court must have a copy of the Family Assessment before proceeding with the hearing.

  FRS Contact Info:

  • Days (8:00am-4:30pm): 1-800-609-8764
  • After hours (4:30pm-8:00am): 1-800-562-5624
• Fill Out an ARY Petition

  • See the Complete ARY Petition Packet with Instructions and Forms at:  ARY Petition Packet

  Petición para un Menor de Edad en Peligro

  Preguntas Hecha Ha Frequencia - Menor de Edad en Peligro

  Petición para un Menor de Edad en Peligro

• File your petition

  File your petition with the Court Clerk's Office at either Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent or King County Courthouse in Seattle.

  File your petition at any location. Hearings, however, occur in the courthouse nearest the zip code where the parent resides. Generally, Seattle, Eastside and North King County cases will be heard in Seattle and South King County will be heard in Kent.

  Costs

  There is no cost to file a petition or for the FRS Family assessment. However, the parent shall be financially responsible for costs related to the court-ordered plan (counseling, drug/alcohol evaluations/treatment, mental health evaluations, etc.)

  If you need help, call a case manager based on where you live:

  • Amy Andree for Auburn, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Renton, Tahoma, and Tukwila school districts
  • Karen Chapman for Bellevue, Issaquah, Lake Washington, Mercer Island, Northshore, Riverview, Seattle, Shoreline, Skykomish, Snoqualmie, and Vashon school districts

  Interpreters

  If an interpreter for the youth and/or parent(s) is necessary, let the Clerk's office know at the time of filing. Provide the name of the person needing an interpreter and the language requested. King County Superior Court will pay for all interpreter services.

  Need an interpreter?
  አንድ አስተርጓሚ ይፈልጋሉ? 
  需要一名口译员？
  需要一位口譯員嗎？ 
  Нужен переводчик? 
  Ma u baahan tahay turjubaan?
  ¿Necesita un intérprete? 
  Quý vị cần thông dịch viên?

• Service of Process

  • After filing a petition, it must be properly served to the person you are filing against along with a Notice of Hearing that you received from the Clerk's Office. The server MUST be someone other than the petitioner who is age 18 or older. This person must hand the party a copy of the documents that are coming before the court. After the server delivers the court papers to the opposing party, the server should complete the Declaration of Service form. That form requires the server to make a sworn statement to the court (under oath) that s/he/they served the party with the necessary court papers. The server must date and sign the form at the bottom and return it to the party requesting her/his/their services. That form constitutes "proof of service" and should be brought to the hearing. 
  • If the child is on the run and personal service is not possible contact a case manager for further information.
• Receiving Your Court Date and Preparing for Court

  At the time you file a petition with the Court Clerk's Office, you will receive a court date for a fact finding hearing.

  At the Fact Finding hearing, the court will grant the petition if the petitioner alleges the statutory requirements and those allegations are proven by a preponderance of the evidence. After the facts have been decided, the court may impose conditions of supervision on the child. The court also may order the parent to participate in services. This may be done at fact-finding or at a separate dispositional hearing.

  No condition of supervision shall include involuntary commitment for substance abuse or mental health treatment.

  At the conclusion of the disposition, the court will schedule a review hearing within 30 days. At this hearing, the court reviews the conditions of supervision previously imposed and makes any necessary additions or modifications.

  Cost

  Your child will be assigned a court-appointed attorney for all hearings. Parents are not entitled to a court-appointed attorney, regardless of financial need. You always have the right to get an attorney at your own expense. If you need help, contact a case manager.

  Prepare for the hearing

  • Bring two copies of all relevant written records you plan on submitting to the Court, one copy for the Judge and one copy for your child’s attorney.
  • You may bring witnesses to provide testimony at the hearing. Written sworn statements from witnesses who cannot appear personally at the hearing are acceptable; bring two copies as noted above.  A "sworn" statement must contain the language "I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Washington that the foregoing is true and correct" underneath the statement, signed and dated with the city noted.
• After hearing

  • Do not leave the building before obtaining a copy of the court order signed by the judicial officer from court staff.
  • Read the order carefully to ensure that everything is written as indicated by the judicial officer.
  • Make a note of the date and time of the next court hearing in your calendar.
  • If the court order includes clinical evaluations or treatment, and/or other community supports, you should begin exploring service providers and get a program set up immediately. You may ask a case manager for assistance.

   Costs

  There is no cost to file a petition or for the FRS Family assessment. However, the parent shall be financially responsible for costs related to the court-ordered plan (counseling, drug/alcohol evaluations/treatment, mental health evaluations, etc.).

  Contempt of court

  Failure by any party to comply with a court order is contempt of court. Violations of the court order should be reported to the court through the filing of a contempt motion. A contempt motion may be filed by a parent, a child, or a person/agency having custody of the child. If the court makes a finding of contempt at a contempt hearing, the court may impose coercive sanctions, such as research papers or community service hours.  The BECCA Statue (RCW 13.32A) states that consequences for non-compliance of an ARY/CHINS order must be remedial and graduated.  Your case manager can discuss ideas for remedial consequences. 

  You must contact your attorney to file a contempt motion and schedule a contempt hearing.  If you are self-representing without an attorney, then contact the case manager.