- Washington exhibit marking and exchange rule (CR 16) (CR 16)
Governs exhibit marking, exchange deadlines, and disclosure for family law cases in Washington courts.
Family Law Exhibits in Washington
The custody hearing is on Thursday. You have screenshots of text threads, a year of bank statements, a school attendance report and a parenting calendar, and the scheduling order calls for marked exhibits to be exchanged before the hearing. Your client is the respondent, so the labels have to say so.
Complete guide to preparing family law exhibits that comply with Washington court requirements. Learn the correct labeling conventions, exchange deadlines, and e-filing procedures.
- Washington's primary rule governing exhibit preparation is CR 16.
- Plaintiffs in Washington label exhibits with Numbers (1, 2, 3...).
- Defendants in Washington label exhibits with Numbers with prefix (D-1, D-2...).
- Washington courts require electronic exhibits to be filed through Check filing and exhibit delivery with your court.
- Exhibits must be exchanged with opposing counsel 14 days before trial (CR 16) under CR 16.
- Common family law exhibits in Washington include financial declarations, tax returns, property documents.
- ExhibitPrep applies Washington exhibit stamps entirely in the browser, so family law case files never leave the user's computer.
What goes wrong with family law exhibits, and how it is handled
What goes wrongPetitioner and respondent exhibits carry different labels, and the convention differs from one court to the next.
How ExhibitPrep handles itChoose your state in the tool and the labels default to the convention that state's record uses — 50 states and federal — for the side you represent; the default is a starting point you can change.
What goes wrongText-message evidence arrives as phone screenshots from the client or as an RSMF export from a collection tool.
How ExhibitPrep handles itPhone screenshots become PDF pages like any image; an RSMF message export from a collection or review tool renders to a transcript instead — every message with its time, sender and account identifier, deleted and edited messages marked, the export's hash on the first page — and is then stamped in the same sequence as everything else.
What goes wrongBank statements and tax returns hold account numbers and other details that should not leave your office.
How ExhibitPrep handles itDocument bytes are processed locally in your browser and are not uploaded to our servers.
What goes wrongYou want to see the marked pages before paying for anything.
How ExhibitPrep handles itEvery stamped page is free to preview — the real stamped file, page by page. The download is the step you pay for.
Essential tools for family law exhibits
Stamp exhibits
29 templates, with labels in the convention your court uses — 50 states and federal
How it worksBatch stamping
Sequential labels across the whole set — 1, 2, 3 or A, B, C — from the starting value you choose
How it worksExhibit list
A captioned Exhibit List PDF built from the labels and titles you assigned
How it worksWashington Exhibit Requirements at a Glance
| Plaintiff Exhibits | Numbers (1, 2, 3...) |
| Defendant Exhibits | Numbers with prefix (D-1, D-2...) |
| Exchange Deadline | 14 days before trial (CR 16) |
| Primary Rule | CR 16 |
| E-Filing System | Check filing and exhibit delivery with your court |
Common Family Law Exhibits
Financial Declarations
Income and expense declarations, asset schedules. For Washington e-filing on Check filing and exhibit delivery with your court, confirm the current file-size cap (Confirm the limit for the intended delivery system) before uploading.
Tax Returns
Personal and business returns for relevant years
Property Documents
Deeds, appraisals, mortgage statements
Bank Statements
Account statements showing assets and transactions
Parenting Evidence
School records, medical records, communications
Business Valuations
Professional valuations of business interests
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Washington-Specific Considerations
- Washington is a community property state under RCW 26.09.080, so courts divide marital assets "justly and equitably" rather than assuming an even split
- Confirm with the court whether a parenting plan under RCW 26.09.181 must be filed separately from the financial declaration
- Child support follows the statewide schedule in RCW 26.19, driven by combined parental income rather than either parent's income alone
- King County's Family Law Local Rules set financial-declaration deadlines ahead of the statewide CR 16 default, so confirm county-specific timing before relying on the general rule
How to Prepare Your Exhibits
Gather Your Documents
Collect all documents relevant to your family law case. This typically includes financial declarations, tax returns, property documents, and other supporting evidence.
Convert to PDF
Convert all documents to PDF format. Washington courts require electronic exhibits to be filed via Check filing and exhibit delivery with your court. Scan paper documents at 300 DPI.
Apply Exhibit Labels
Use ExhibitPrep to add exhibit stamps for Washington filing review. Plaintiffs commonly use Numbers (1, 2, 3...), while defendants commonly use Numbers with prefix (D-1, D-2...); verify the governing rules.
Exchange with Opposing Counsel
Exchange your exhibit list and copies with opposing counsel 14 days before trial (CR 16) per CR 16.
Save Hours on Exhibit Preparation
ExhibitPrep stamps all your family law exhibits in minutes, not hours. Upload your documents, select the correct Washington template, and download court-ready exhibits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Washington label exhibits in a dissolution case?
Petitioner's exhibits use plain numbers (1, 2, 3...) and respondent's exhibits carry a D-prefix (D-1, D-2, D-3...) under Washington's Superior Court Civil Rules. King County and most other counties follow this convention, though check your assigned judge's case schedule order since some courts issue their own exhibit-numbering instructions.
Is Washington a community property state, and how does that affect exhibits?
Yes — under RCW 26.09.080, courts divide marital property "justly and equitably," which in practice usually lands close to equal, but the court still weighs each asset's character as separate or community property. That makes property-tracing exhibits — deeds, account statements showing separate funds, inheritance records — some of the most contested evidence in a Washington divorce.
Do I need a parenting plan exhibit even if custody isn't contested?
Yes. RCW 26.09.181 addresses parenting plans in cases involving minor children; confirm with the court how the plan must be filed relative to the financial declaration. Uncontested cases still need a signed, court-ready parenting plan exhibit before a judge will finalize the decree.
What's the exhibit exchange deadline in a Washington family law case?
King County's family law local rules, for example, require a financial declaration to be provided to the neutral and all parties no later than two working days before the ADR conference, so check your county's local rules and the assigned judge's orders.
Can opposing counsel object to a document I never formally offered as an exhibit?
Washington's Evidence Rule 904 lets you offer certain listed documents without live testimony if you serve notice at least 30 days before trial and no one objects within 14 days. That's a meaningful shortcut in family law cases with voluminous financial records, since it avoids calling a records custodian just to authenticate a bank statement.
Related Resources
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ExhibitPrep formats documents; it does not provide legal advice or filing approval. Some guidance remains unverified. Citations support only their stated claims and scope. Review the finished files against current court instructions and case orders before filing. Check requirements and the finished PDF before filing.