{"data":{"id":"us-wa/rcw-7.77.040","jurisdiction":"us-wa","citation":"RCW 7.77.040","heading":"Beginning and concluding collaborative law process.","body":"(1) A collaborative law process begins when the parties sign a collaborative law participation agreement.\n(2) A tribunal may not order a party to participate in a collaborative law process over that party's objection.\n(3) A collaborative law process is concluded by a:\n(a) Resolution of a collaborative matter as evidenced by a signed record;\n(b) Resolution of a part of the collaborative matter, evidenced by a signed record, in which the parties agree that the remaining parts of the matter will not be resolved in the process; or\n(c) Termination of the process.\n(4) A collaborative law process terminates:\n(a) When a party gives notice to other parties in a record that the process is ended; or\n(b) When a party:\n(i) Begins a proceeding related to a collaborative matter without the agreement of all parties; or\n(ii) In a pending proceeding related to the matter:\n(A) Initiates a pleading, motion, order to show cause, or request for a conference with the tribunal without the agreement of all parties as to the relief sought;\n(B) Requests that the proceeding be put on the tribunal's active calendar; or\n(C) Takes similar contested action requiring notice to be sent to the parties; or\n(c) Except as otherwise provided by subsection (7) of this section, when a party discharges a collaborative lawyer or a collaborative lawyer withdraws from further representation of a party.\n(5) A party's collaborative lawyer shall give prompt notice to all other parties in a record of a discharge or withdrawal.\n(6) A party may terminate a collaborative law process with or without cause.\n(7) Notwithstanding the discharge or withdrawal of a collaborative lawyer, a collaborative law process continues, if not later than thirty days after the date that the notice of the discharge or withdrawal of a collaborative lawyer required by subsection (5) of this section is sent to the parties:\n(a) The unrepresented party engages a successor collaborative lawyer; and\n(b) In a signed record:\n(i) The parties consent to continue the process by reaffirming the collaborative law participation agreement;\n(ii) The agreement is amended to identify the successor collaborative lawyer; and\n(iii) The successor collaborative lawyer confirms the lawyer's representation of a party in the collaborative law process.\n(8) A collaborative law process does not conclude if, with the consent of the parties, a party requests a tribunal to approve a resolution of the collaborative matter or any part thereof as evidenced by a signed record.\n(9) A collaborative law participation agreement may provide additional methods of concluding a collaborative law process.","path":["Title 7","Chapter 7.77"],"source_url":"https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=7.77.040","current_through":"July 15, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T00:39:15Z","sha256":"159862e0fe6c89c4a3d25b1e48a95b0dd82fb291b355c5dabc871ddb0756e7b6","source_id":"us-wa","stale":false,"prev":"us-wa/rcw-7.77.030","next":"us-wa/rcw-7.77.050"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}