Wash. Rev. Code » Title 26 · Chapter 26.16
Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 26.16.205 (2026)

✓ current as of May 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section WA-LEGapp.leg.wa.gov JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar
The expenses of the family and the education of the children, including stepchildren, are chargeable upon the property of both spouses or both domestic partners, or either of them, and they may be sued jointly or separately. When a petition for dissolution of marriage or state registered domestic partnership or a petition for legal separation is filed, the court may, upon motion of the stepparent, terminate the obligation to support the stepchildren. The obligation to support stepchildren shall cease upon the entry of a decree of dissolution, decree of legal separation, or death.
[ 2008 c 6 s 618; 1990 1st ex.s. c 2 s 13; 1969 ex.s. c 207 s 1; Code 1881 s 2407; RRS s 6906. Formerly RCW 26.20.010.]

Notes:

Part headings not law—Severability—2008 c 6: See RCW 26.60.900 and 26.60.901.
Effective dates—Severability—1990 1st ex.s. c 2: See notes following RCW 26.09.100.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 58 cases, 1961–2020 · leading case: Harmon v. Dept. of Soc. & Health Serv., 951 P.2d 770 (Wash. 1998).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
Harmon v. Dept. of Soc. & Health Serv., 951 P.2d 770 (Wash. 1998). · cites it 52× “205 is not a self-contained and autonomous child support statute.”
Harmon v. Dep't of Soc. & Health Servs., 134 Wash. 2d 523 (Wash. 1998). · cites it 51× “In this appeal we are asked to determine whether the family expense statute, RCW 26.16.205, imposes a child support obligation on a stepparent which is equal to that of the child’s mother and father and which continues after the child leaves the family home.”
Van Dyke v. Thompson, 630 P.2d 420 (Wash. 1981). · cites it 22× “Three questions are presented: (1) The applicability of RCW 26.16.205 to a noncustodial stepparent; (2) whether the holding of Fisch v.”
Sunkidd Venture, Inc. v. Snyder-Entel, 941 P.2d 16 (Wash. Ct. App. 1997). · cites it 12× “Sunkidd contends the lease extension, signed while the married couple was living in the apartment, was a community obligation.”
Jennifer J. Zacapu, V Andres Zacapu-Oliver, 368 P.3d 242 (Wash. Ct. App. 2016). · cites it 11× “The Court FINDS a deviation is appropriate in this case because Respondent has a duty of support to his step-children pursuant to RCW 26.16.205. The Court considered the parties!’] financial declarations and further FINDS that if a deviation is not granted there will be…”
Klossner v. San Juan Cnty., 605 P.2d 330 (Wash. 1980). · cites it 6× “RCW 26.16.205. Finally, the industrial insurance laws, while providing some benefits to stepchildren and stepparents, also set dependency and other limits on those benefits.”
Dewey v. Dewey, 886 P.2d 623 (Alaska 1994). · cites it 4× “, Wash. Rev. Code § 26.16.205 (West 1986 and Supp.”
Zellmer v. Zellmer, 188 P.3d 497 (Wash. 2008). · cites it 3× “, the Court of Appeals held a stepparent who is obligated to financially support a stepchild under the family support statute, RCW 26.16.205, is shielded by parental immunity from liability for negligent supervision of the child.”
Zellmer v. Zellmer, 164 Wash. 2d 147 (Wash. 2008). · cites it 3× “, the Court of Appeals held a stepparent who is obligated to financially support a stepchild under the family support statute, RCW 26.16.205, is shielded by parental immunity from liability for negligent supervision of the child.”
In Re the Marriage of Boisen, 943 P.2d 682 (Wash. Ct. App. 1997). · cites it 4× “[3] See RCW 26.16.205. [4] Report of Proceedings at 58.”
State v. Clark, 563 P.2d 1253 (Wash. 1977). · cites it 5× “RCW 26.16.205 provides: The expenses of the family and the education of the children, including stepchildren, are chargeable upon the property of both husband and wife, or either of them, and in relation thereto they may be sued jointly or separately: Provided, That with regard…”
Ducote v. Dep't of Soc. & Health Servs., 222 P.3d 785 (Wash. 2009). · cites it 2× “Stepparents” are not defined in the chapters governing dependency proceedings or investigations of child abuse; rather, they are defined in the context of support for dependent children: “ ‘Stepparent’ means the present spouse of the person who is either the mother, father, or…”
Show all 58 citing cases →
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.