Legal Question in Family Law in Washington

Assuming you want a divorce, you should start that process sooner rather than later. There are many reasons for this, chief among them, that in Washington, as well as many other jurisdictions, when spouses take out loans while married, the other spouse may be held financially liable, even if they are completely unaware of the loan in the first place.

I advise you to as quickly as possible start dissolution of marriage proceedings (divorce) or if your case qualifies for it, possibly proceedings seeking a declaration finding that your marriage is invalid (what is often referred to as an annulment).

Although your wife is in China, Washington would have jurisdiction over the marriage itself, as well as any assets or debts found in Washington. However, it would likely not have jurisdiction over any financial affairs, assets, or debts that occurred in China, to the extent there are any. If you have financial issues you need to settle in China that are related to your marriage, you should consult with an attorney licensed to practice in China, who can help you in that regard.

Otherwise, except for arranging service of process of the lawsuit to begin with, which can be tricky when serving somebody in China, the process is fairly straightforward.