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EspañolWho can be part of the parenting plan?
Both parents are responsible for protecting and taking care of the health and well-being of their child. However, if one parent does something that endangers the child’s health and well-being or acts in a way that unreasonably risks harming the child, a judge can, or in some cases must, put limits or restrictions on that parent’s parenting time or decision-making power.1
In addition, a non-parent who is interested in the welfare of the child might be able to ask for guardianship.2 For more information, see Can a non-parent file for custody of a child?
1 R.C.W. §§ 26.09.191; 26.09.0001
2 R.C.W. § 11.130.190(1)
Can a non-parent file for custody of a child?
In Washington state, non-parents cannot file for “custody,” but they can file for guardianship. A non-parent can file for guardianship of a minor child only if:
- each parent of the child has consented to the guardianship;
- all parental rights have been terminated; or
- there is clear evidence that neither parent is willing to exercise their parenting functions.1
The Washington Courts website has links to the court forms that are needed to file a guardianship case. WashingtonLawHelp.org has additional information about non-parental guardianship, but please note that WomensLaw.org is not affiliated with WashingtonLawHelp.org and cannot vouch for the information contained on that site.
For more information, you may want to talk to a lawyer. See our Washington Finding A Lawyer page for legal referrals.
1 R.C.W. § 11.130.185(2)
