Legal Question in Family Law in Washington

This area of the law is very clear. You need to have your attorney get an order entered that you are not responsible pending finaization of the divorce, for child support of children who are not your own. But until that order is entered, you are responsible until the divorce is final. In other words, you can get the order but you have to ask the court for it.

RCW 2616.205 at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=26.16.205 states in relevant part:

When a petition for dissolution of marriage ... is filed, the court may, upon motion of the stepparent, terminate the obligation to support the stepchildren. The obligation to support stepchildren shall cease upon the entry of a decree of dissolution ...