Washington Summons by Publication is a legal process used by a court in the state of Washington to notify a defendant of an impending court case when the plaintiff is unable to locate the defendant. The Summons by Publication is a method of service of process that allows the plaintiff to notify the defendant of a lawsuit without personal service of process. It is often used for cases involving family law, contracts, and civil debt cases. There are two types of Washington Summons by Publication. The first type is called “Ordinary Summons by Publication.” This type of summons is used for cases involving breach of contract, debt collection, or other civil matters. It requires the plaintiff to publish a notice of the lawsuit in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the defendant is believed to reside. The notice must be published once a week for four consecutive weeks. The second type of Washington Summons by Publication is called “Family Law Summons by Publication.” This type of summons is used for family law matters such as divorce, child custody, and child support. It requires the plaintiff to publish a notice of the lawsuit in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the defendant is believed to reside. The notice must be published once a week for four consecutive weeks. In both types of Summons by Publication, the defendant is required to respond to the summons within a certain time period or risk a default judgment being entered against them.