Jurisdiction depends on the current residency of the people (spouses and affected children) involved as well as their residency during the marriage. If you and your spouse currently live in Washington, the court has jurisdiction to decide all of the issues in your case. If you currently live here and your spouse does not, the Court will have jurisdiction over some of the financial matters only if your spouse lived in Washington during the marriage and is personally served. Property located in another state or country will be outside of the court's jurisdiction. The court will have jurisdiction concerning custody issues if the children have been living in Washington for at least six months and there have not been custody orders (including as part of a domestic violence protection or restraining order) entered in another state or country. If your situation is more complicated because your children have not been here for six months, your spouse lives elsewhere, or there have been custody/visitation orders entered regarding your children in another state (including as part of a domestic violence protection or restraining order) it is a good idea to consult with an attorney before filing for dissolution, separation or a declaration of invalidity.