RCW 26.20.035

Family nonsupport—Penalty—Exception.

Applied in 5 court decisions — leading case 86 Wash. App. 74 - State v. Morgan (1997)

Most recently applied in 116 Wash. 2d 466 - State v. Howe (March 2001)

2008 c 6 s 1040; 2002 c 331 s 7; 1984 c 260 s 27.

How often courts cite this section

citing decisions per year

Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, any person who is able to provide support, or has the ability to earn the means to provide support, and who:

(a) Willfully omits to provide necessary food, clothing, shelter, or medical attendance to a child dependent upon him or her; or

(b) Willfully omits to provide necessary food, clothing, shelter, or medical attendance to his or her spouse or his or her domestic partner,

is guilty of the crime of family nonsupport.

(2) A parent of a newborn who transfers the newborn to a qualified person at an appropriate location pursuant to RCW 13.34.360 is not subject to criminal liability under this section.

(3) The crime of family nonsupport is a gross misdemeanor under chapter 9A.20 RCW.

Official source: Washington State Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain Washington statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.