All Domestic -Paternity Settlement Conferences will be IN PERSON.  WebEx will no longer be available.  Please refer to your notice for direction.

For IN PERSON attendance for Settlement Conferences, please check-in at Court Administration, located on:     

Fraklin County
Second Floor 
1016 N. 4thAve
Pasco, WA 99301

Benton County
Suite A130
7122 W. Okanogan Place
Kennewick, WA 99336

Combined Settlement and Pretrial Conferences. In person attendance at settlement conference and pretrial conference is mandatory for all parties and their counsel. A combined settlement and pretrial conference shall be held in all contested family law/domestic relations cases. The purpose of the conference is to explore settlement of all issues and to identify disputed issues. Parties are not bound by the settlement recommendations of the Court but are required to attend and participate.

Attendance by all counsel and Parties is Mandatory. Failure to appear at the settlement conference, without prior permission of the court, shall constitute an act of default. The present party may file a motion for default pursuant to CR 55. Notice of default and the proposed final documents are required pursuant to Court/Civil Rules to be served on the opposing party.

Submit Position Statements. Both parties shall exchange position statements prior to the Settlement Conference. The Parties shall submit with Court Administration (or eMotion) and serve/exchange their position statement, three (3) days prior to the settlement conference. Position statements shall not be filed in the court file. No fax copies will be accepted by the court. See Position Statement for Settlement Conference as prescribed by the court. 

If No Settlement is Reached. At the conclusion of the settlement conference, if the case is not then settled, a Joint Pretrial Statement and Pretrial Order (JPSPO) will be prepared cooperatively between the parties and the Court. The Pretrial Order must be signed by the Judicial Officer. The Judicial Assistant will follow up on entry of the JPSPO prior to the scheduled Trial Priority Hearing.  

[Updated November 21, 2024; Updated August 30, 2026]
EXTREME HARDSHIP REQUESTS TO APPEAR VIA WEBEX

For Settlement/Pretrial Conferences

(CIVIL AND DOMESTIC ONLY)

Reminder:  Failure to appear at the conference may result in the other party being granted leave to file default/judgment against you.
  • Briefly outline the EXTREME HARDSHIP that would be caused if you had to appear personally.
  •  Submit your request one week (7 days) prior to your conference.
  • Use of the form linked here is required, no exception.
  • Keep your statements brief. 
  • Extreme Hardship Request Form click HERE
READ CAREFULLY:

  • If you do not get a response within 48 hours, be prepared to appear in person. 
  • If you have permission to appear for your conference by Webex, you are still required to submit all mandatory pre-conference materials, such as a Settlement Position Statement or Joint Pre-Trial Report, via eMotion prior to your conference in accordance with Local Court Rules. Failure to submit mandatory documents or materials could subject you to sanctions.