Thurston County, Washington

The content on the Thurston County website is currently provided in English. We are providing the “Translation” for approximately 10 languages. The goal of the translation is to provide visitors with limited English proficiency to access information on the website in other languages. The translations do not translate all types of documents, and it may not give you an exact translation all the time. The translations are made through an automated process, which may not result in accurate or precise translations, particularly of technical and legal terminology.
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Thurston County Washington

Superior Court

Court Rules

A paper copy of the Local Court Rules is available in the law libraries at the Main Campus, Family and Juvenile Court, and the State Supreme Court.
 
You may propose revisions to the Local Court Rules by email to thurstonsuperior@co.thurston.wa.us or by regular mail to the attention of the Staff Attorney. It is most helpful to receive proposals in the form of redline edits to current rules. Proposals may be submitted at any time, but must be received by February 13, 2026, to be considered for the annual updated Local Court Rules that are effective September 1, 2026. Proposals may be posted on the Court's website for public feedback. 

Thurston County Superior Court Local Court Rules

2025 Thurston County Superior Court Local Court Rules eff 9.1.2025

Emergency Rules -- Settlement Conferences at FJC

Due to increasing caseloads and budget reductions, Thurston County Family & Juvenile Court will no longer conduct settlement conferences. All settlement conferences scheduled in or after February 2026 have been cancelled. To support these operational changes, the court has adopted emergency rules amending the following local court rules, effective February 2, 2026:

  • LCR 87 – Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • LSPR 94.03D – Alternative Dispute Resolution and Pretrial Conferences
  • LSPR 94.03E – Trials
  • LSPR 94.12 – Collaborative Law Process
  • LJuCR 4 – Pretrial Conferences for Dependency and Termination Cases

Clean and redline versions of the amended rules may be downloaded here: 

The Court expects these emergency rules to be readopted every 90  days per GR 7(f) and become permanent with the next annual update of its local court rules. 

Local Civil Rules for Superior Court (LCR)

LCR 1 Scope of Rules

LCR 3 Commencement of Action

LCR 5 Service and Filing of Pleadings and Other Papers

LCR 7 Pleadings Allowed; Form of Motions

LCR 10 Form of Pleadings and Other Papers

LCR 11 Signing and Drafting of Pleadings, Motions, and Legal Memoranda; Sanctions

LCR 12 Defenses and Objections

LCR 16 Pretrial Procedure and Motions

LCR 38 Jury Trial of Right

LCR 40 Assignment of Cases

LCR 41 Dismissal of Actions

LCR 42 Consolidation; Separate Trials

LCR 51 Instructions to Jury and Deliberation

LCR 53.2 Court Commissioners

LCR 56 Summary Judgment

LCR 59 New Trial, Reconsideration, and Amendment of Judgments

LCR 65 Injunctions

LCR 77 Superior Courts and Judicial Officers

LCR 79 Books and Records Kept by the Clerk

LCR 80 Court Reporters

LCR 87 Alternative Dispute Resolution

Local Special Proceedings Rules (LSPR)

LSPR 94.00 FJC Proceedings

LSPR 94.01 Concurrent Jurisdiction Over Family Court 

LSPR 94.02 Management of Concurrent Cases

LSPR 94.03A Case Assignment

LSPR 94.03B Motion Practice

LSPR 94.03C Ex Parte Requests

LSPR 94.03D Settlement and Pretrial Conferences

LSPR 94.03E Trials

LSPR 94.03F Informal Family Law Trials

LSPR 94.03G Family Court Case Schedules

LSPR 94.04 Finalizing Family Law Actions

LSPR 94.05 Mandatory Mediation for Parenting Plans and Residential Schedules

LSPR 94.06 Parenting Seminars

LSPR 94.07 Appointments of Guardians ad Litem

LSPR 94.08 Judicial Officer Training

LSPR 94.11 Orientation in Family Law Matters

LSPR 94.12 Collaborative Law Process

LSPR 94.13 Parenting Coordination [Rescinded]

LSPR 94.14 Motions for Reconsideration and Revision

LSPR 94.15 Review of Papers Subject to Order Restricting Abusive Litigation

LSPR 98.04 Hearings

LSPR 98.06 Guardianship of Estate Reports

LSPR 98.16W Estates-Guardianship-Settlement of Claims of Minors and Incapacitated Persons

Local Special Proceedings Rules (LSPRC)

LSPRC 1 Scope of Rules

Additional Court Rule Resources

Washington State Court Rules 

Washington State Court: General Rules

Revised Code of Washington (RCW)

Court Forms referenced in Local Court Rules