What can the Clerk’s Office staff do to help me?
The Clerk’s Office staff can…
- Provide information, not legal advice.
- Tell you the status of a specific case and give you basic case information, unless the case is confidential (certain case types are confidential due to state law).
- Give you general information on some court procedures.
- Provide you with state-pattern court forms or tell you where you can find forms. There is a fee for most forms (please note, the clerk’s office does not have forms for all legal proceedings).
- Assist with you obtaining copies of documents that are filed. There is a fee for copies.
- Provide court schedules and information on how to get matters scheduled on the court docket.
- Provide the phone number of the local attorney referral service or information about other agencies that may be able to assist you for legal advice and guidance.
- Determine whether or not you can be excused from jury duty service or have your service deferred based on the Juror Excusal Guidelines set by the Superior Court Judge.
What can the Clerk’s Office staff not do?
The Clerk’s Office staff cannot…
- Advise you about whether or not you should file a case or whether you should take any particular action in a case.
- Apply the law nor give directions about how to respond in any aspect of the legal process.
- ‘Take a side’ on a case nor comment about specific persons you may name in a petition or pleading.
- Let you talk to a Judge outside of court.
- Tell you what decision the Judge will make or what sentence the Judge will impose.
- Tell you what to say or not say in court.
- Tell you what to write in a form.
- Excuse you from jury duty service or defer your service if the excusal reason(s) does not qualify under the Juror Excusal Guidelines set by the Superior Court Judge.
Can I appear by Zoom or by phone for my court hearing?
If you are requesting to appear by Zoom or by phone for a court hearing, you will need to get pre-approval from the court administrator at (509) 725-3081 or rlhills@co.lincoln.wa.us.
Where do I appear for Court?
The Lincoln County Superior Court is located in the county courthouse at 450 Logan Street on the 2nd floor in Davenport, WA. There is only one superior court courtroom. Be sure that it is a superior court case. Lincoln County District Court is a separate court located across the street from the courthouse.
Do you have court forms available that I can fill out?
We do have some packets available for purchase. If you would like to purchase a divorce, legal separation, invalidity, dissolution of domestic partnership, modification, contempt, relocation, or minor guardianship packet, please call or email our office. Packets range in price depending on how many pages are in the packet. A civil protection order packet is no charge.
Forms are also available to download and print (MUST BE PRINTED SINGLE SIDED per WA State Court Rule GR 14) from www.courts.wa.gov/forms or www.washingtonlawhelp.org. Please note, if you are filing for divorce, legal separation, invalidity of marriage, or dissolution of domestic partnership, there is one form that is not available on those websites which is the Verification of Findings form. Please print it from the PDF link and sign it in front of a notary.
Do you have eFiling, or do you accept emailed or faxed documents for filing?
No. Unfortunately, at this time, we do not file documents sent to us electronically except for civil protection order petitions and voluntary waiver of firearms forms. However, we will soon have an eFiling system in place. Until then, please mail in your paperwork for filing or bring to our office during office hours.
What are the fees for divorce?
The filing fee for divorce is $314.00. The ex-parte (presentment) fee is $30.00. For more information on filing for divorce, please visit the divorce page on our website.
Do you accept personal checks?
Our office does not accept personal checks. Forms of payment we accept are: cash, cashier’s check, money order, attorney law firm check, and debit/credit card.
Will your office notify me when my documents are received and filed?
Our office does not automatically notify you when your documents are filed or when the Judge has signed your orders. If you provide copies of your documents and a self-addressed stamped envelope when you submit your documents for filing, those copies would be stamped and returned to you for your records. You are also welcome to call or email our office to check the status of your case.
How do I obtain copies of the documents in my court file?
Copies of court documents may be obtained by mail, email, or in-person. Please contact our office at eclerk@co.lincoln.wa.us or (509) 725-1401. If calling, you will need to call during our office hours (9 am to 4 pm weekdays). Emailed copies cannot by certified copies. Payment can be made by cash, cashier’s check, money order, law firm check, or debit/credit card. Please make your payment payable to “Lincoln County Clerk.” Let us know if you need a quicker shipping service than standard first-class mail. We also offer USPS Priority Mail or USPS Express Mail.
What is the cost for copies?
Per RCW 36.18.016, there is a fee for copies. Certified copies of court documents are $5.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page. Plain copies are 50 cents per page for printed copies, or 25 cents per page for emailed copies.
The most official copy you can purchase is called the authenticated/exemplified copy. This is usually needed if you need to provide the copy to someone outside of the United States. Please contact our office for assistance on ordering an authenticated/exemplified copy.
What is your mailing address?
If you are using the USPS Postage Service, our mailing address is:
Lincoln County Clerk
PO Box 68
Davenport, WA 99122
If you are using FedEx or UPS, our address is:
Lincoln County Clerk
450 Logan Street, 2nd Floor
Davenport, WA 99122