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Custody

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Laws current as of August 8, 2025

What are protective actions?

Protective actions are steps taken by a parent in “good faith” to protect themselves or their child from the risk of harm by the other parent. This can include:

  1. filing a petition for a protection or restraining order;
  2. filing a report or complaint about physical, sexual, or mental abuse of the child, or child neglect, to someone official, like law enforcement, the child’s school, a therapist, etc.; or
  3. asking the court to change residential time in a court order.1 

Protective actions are not considered coercive control, abusive use of conflict, or improper withholding of the child from the other parent.

1 R.C.W. § 26.09.191(3)(e)

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