THEWashington
Our printed Notice says, “Check our sources.” Here they are.
Below is the Notice exactly as printed. After it, each of its six footnotes is set out word for word, with the line it supports and free links to the law itself.
Each footnote is copied word for word from the Notice. The links go to free public copies: the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the Washington State Legislature, Washington Courts, and the Caselaw Access Project at Harvard Law School.
The Notice says. “Raising your children is a fundamental right protected at the highest level by the U.S. Constitution.”
The footnote. Washington v. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702, 720–21 (1997); Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57, 65–66 (2000) (plurality).
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The Notice says. “Easy to restrict. At one of the lowest evidence standards in the law.”
The footnote. RCW 26.09.191(4)(a) (no standard of proof stated); Cowan v. Cowan, 29 Wn. App. 2d 355, n.4 (2023) (trial court applied preponderance standard to a request for RCW 26.09.191 limitations).
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The Notice says. “Hard to escape. At one of the highest evidence standards in the law.”
The footnote. RCW 26.09.191(6)(a) (added by Laws of 2025, ch. 166, § 1 (ESHB 1620)).
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The Notice says. “Hard to appeal. Decisions are generally reviewed on appeal under one of the most deferential standards of review.”
The footnote. In re Marriage of Chandola, 180 Wn.2d 632, 642 (2014); In re Marriage of Littlefield, 133 Wn.2d 39, 46–47 (1997).
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The Notice says. “With this little rigor required, the story the judge believes can decide your future.”
The footnote. Chandola, 180 Wn.2d at 650 n.5 (“credibility determinations are for the trial court”); id. at 642 (findings “are treated as verities on appeal, so long as they are supported by substantial evidence”).
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The Notice says. “The Constitution says the state answers to you. IN FAMILY COURT, YOU ANSWER TO THE STATE.”
The footnote. U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1; Santosky v. Kramer, 455 U.S. 745, 747–48 (1982) (due process requires at least clear and convincing evidence before a State may sever parental rights).
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Learn your rights: our free Family Court Playbooks are on the Resources page.
Safety first: if you or your children are in danger, call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233.
The Due Process Project is a nonprofit civic education organization. We do not provide legal advice or represent individuals. This page is general education, not legal advice.