Seattle Attorneys Blog
When confronted with a family law case, clients are often confused by terms and abbreviations used by lawyers and/or the courts. This article attempts to help explain some of commonly used abbreviations. There are some frequently used initialisms in family law. Here is a list of commonly used initialisms, and their meanings:
- RCW (Revised Code of Washington): The RCW is a compilation of Washington laws. It is the source of most of the laws involved in Washington family law cases. The laws included in the RCW are adopted by the Washington legislature. Another source of laws that commonly affect family law cases, is case law created by the courts.
- UCCJEA (Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act): This act provides laws for jurisdiction in parenting cases. This act is important in cases involving children. The UCCJEA has been adopted in every state.
- WSBA (Washington State Bar Association): The Washington State Bar Association is the organization empowered to license and regulate Washington attorneys. It is also a place where people can find the disciplinary history of attorneys.
- UISFA (Uniform Interstate Family Support Act): This act was adopted by Washington in RCW Chapter 26.21A. It provides rules for cases involving parties living in different jurisdictions at the time of initial child support disputes and continuing child support litigation. It also provides jurisdictional rules related to spousal maintenance cases. The act also outlines the procedure for registering a foreign support order for enforcement in Washington.
- TRO (Temporary Restraining Order): A temporary restraining order is frequently referred to by the abbreviated version TRO. TROs are temporary orders that are usually ordered at the beginning of a family law case. They restrain one or both parties from certain activities. The orders usually last until a final order is entered.
If you would like to talk to a Seattle area family law attorney, please contact us today.