Washington · Alternating weekends
Alternating weekends in Washington
The child lives primarily with one parent and spends every other weekend with the other. In Washington this is written into a Parenting Plan, where time with a child is called residential time.
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The rotation
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | A | A | A | B | B | A |
| 2 | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
What Washington expects
Washington mandates its own Parenting Plan form and it must be used. The form's § 2 'limitations/restrictions' analysis (RCW 26.09.191) is a required section unique to Washington. Our template is strictly the worksheet you negotiate from before filling out the state's form.
Governing law: RCW § 26.09.187; RCW § 26.09.184.
Washington requires its own form — Parenting Plan (WPF DRPSCU 01.0400) — mandatory form. Agree your terms first, then transcribe them onto it.
The honest trade-off
Long the default in American courts, and still the most common order — but twelve days can pass between weekends, and the weekend parent rarely sees a school night or a homework fight. Most plans soften it with a midweek dinner.