Washington Summons By Publication is a legal process that allows a plaintiff to obtain a court judgment against a defendant who cannot be found or served with a summons. It is used when an individual or entity cannot be located, or when the individual or entity is evading service of process. There are two types of Washington Summons By Publication: general and special. A general summons by publication is issued to give notice of a lawsuit to an unknown defendant in a civil action. The notice is published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the action is pending and in the county where the defendant is believed to be located. A special summons by publication is issued to give notice of a lawsuit to an unknown defendant in a domestic relations action, such as a divorce or child custody case. The special summons is published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the action is pending, and in the county where the defendant is believed to be located. In either case, the summons must contain specific information about the case, such as the case number, the court in which it was filed, and the name of the plaintiff and defendant.