Frequently
Asked Questions
A. General Questions:
- Where is the County Clerk's Office, what hours is it open?
The Office of the County Clerk is located in the County
Courthouse at 205 West Kincaid, Room 103, Mount Vernon,
WA 98273. The office is open to the public
from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
- What does it cost to file a lawsuit in
the Superior Court?
The filing fees for Superior Court matters are established
by the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) and vary based on
the type of case being filed. For a listing of filing fees refer to the Fee
Schedule.
- What is the date,
time and/or place of my court hearing?
Information regarding hearings in Superior Court is available
from the County Clerk's Office by calling (360) 416-1800, or
by accessing
- How and where do I set a court date?
A court date for a Superior Court case may be set by filing
a Calendar Note with the Clerk of the Superior
Court.
- Where do I file court documents?
Documents for Superior Court cases may be filed in person
in the Clerk's Office or by mailing them to the above address.
- Where do I get a domestic violence protection
order or anti-harassment order?
Petitions for domestic violence protection orders may be
obtained at the County Clerk's Office in the Courthouse,
and Petitions for anti-harassment orders may be obtained
from Skagit County District Court.
- How much are copies and how do I get them?
Copies of documents filed in Superior Court cases may be
obtained from the County Clerk's Office. Certified copies
cost $5.00 for the first page of the document and $1.00
for each additional page. The cost for non-certified
documents is $.50 per page. You may call the
Clerk's office at (360) 416-1800 and order copies to be sent
electronically to you through Official Payments.
- How do I get a criminal/juvenile conviction
vacated and sealed?
Forms and instructions are available in the County Clerk's
Office that may be used to file a petition with the Superior
Court.
- How do I find a lawyer?
If you think you are eligible for pro bono legal assistance, please contact CLEAR at 1-888-201-1014. You may also look for information about local lawyers on the Skagit County Bar Association’s website at http://skagitcountybar.org/AttorneyDirectory.aspx or the attorney directory listed on the Washington State Bar Association’s website at https://www.mywsba.org/LawyerDirectory.aspx.
-
Do you accept checks, debit cards or credit
cards?
Please be prepared to pay by cash, money order or cashier
check. No personal checks are accepted. Payments by Debit Cards and Credit Cards with a Visa, MasterCard,
Discovery or American Express logo are also accepted through
Official Payments (convenience fee applies) for Legal Financial
Obligations, copies and filing fees.
- Where do you record deeds, mortgages, liens,
surveys, marriage licenses, etc.?
At
the Skagit
County Auditors Office.
B. Dissolution of Marriage Questions:
- How do I file for a dissolution in Skagit County?
If you are filing for a dissolution and are not represented by an attorney, you can obtain a
packet of forms and instructions at the Clerk's Office for
a fee, or you may download forms from the Administrator
for the Courts. Please see the information contained
under Pro Se Litigants, Representing Yourself.
- How do I modify custody
or child support?
Modifications of custody or child support require that a
Summons and Petition to Modify Parenting Plan or Child Support,
with a filing fee, be filed with the Clerk's Office and a
court hearing be set to hear the petition. The forms, worksheets and instructions required may be obtained from
the Clerk's Office for a fee.
- How do I register a Domestic
Partnership?
Domestic Partnership are registered
with the Secretary of States Office in Olympia. For more information go to the following site for forms and instructions: www.secstate.wa.gov/corps
C. Probate and Guardianship:
- What is a probate?
Probate is the process of transferring property when a person
dies. There is an informative pamphlet online
posted by the Washington State Bar Association. www.wa-probate.com
- Where do I find forms for establishing a guardianship and for guardianship accounting?
Forms are available at the Clerk's Office.
D. Legal Financial Obligations/Fees
& Restitution:
- I am current with my payments and have a Financial Review
coming up; do I have to come to court?
Contact the Collections Clerk at (360) 416-1820 to be excused
from court.
- I have not received a billing statement. What should I do?
Contact the Collections Clerk at (360) 416-1820 to see if
we have your current address. Also, some cases are not eligible for billings to be sent out. You are responsible for making monthly payments and
will need to remember to make them if you do not receive
a statement.
- Where do I send my payments?
Payments can
be mailed to:
Skagit County Clerk
205 West Kincaid Street, Room 103
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
Make sure to include your cause/case number on the money
order/cashiers check. Please Note Personal checks
are not accepted.
-
Can I pay with a personal check? No. Personal Checks are not accepted.
You can send money order or cashiers check, or pay by debit
or credit card:
Credit Card payments may be made online through nCourt, There is a service fee for processing payment(s) online or over the phone. The total charge amount will be displayed prior to submitting the payment. To make a payment by phone, please call (877) 793-8935 Mon-Fri 7am-9pm and Sat-Sun 9am-6pm EST.
Once you have submitted your payment, you will receive an email letting you know if the court has accepted or rejected your payment.
- What if I cannot make my full payment?
Pay as much as you can and then try to make up the difference
the following month. If you are not able to have your case current by the following month,
contact the Collections Clerk to discuss the matter.
- How do I find my case number?
Go to Washington Courts Web site at http://dw.courts.wa.gov/ to search for your case number.
- I missed my court date, what should I do?
Call the Collections Clerk at (360) 416-1820.
- I have a bench warrant for failing to appear at a Financial
Review Hearing, what can I do?
Contact the Collection Clerk at (360) 416-1820 for possible
resolution.
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