Understanding Whether You Have a CIR
What a Committed Intimate Relationship Is
Washington courts developed the CIR doctrine to prevent unfair results when unmarried couples function like married couples in practice. A CIR may exist when partners lived together in a stable domestic partnership, shared resources, made major decisions jointly, or invested together in property. The doctrine applies equally to opposite-sex and same-sex partners.
Length of the relationship does not determine whether a CIR exists. Courts have found CIRs in relationships lasting only a few months when the financial behavior resembled a marriage, and rejected CIRs in longer relationships when partners kept everything separate.
A CIR also does not apply to roommates or casual relationships. The court looks for signs of a shared life, shared intent, and shared financial effort.
➡Learn more: [link: Understanding Committed Intimate Relationships]
You Must Prove Shared Financial Effort
A CIR does not exist simply because two people lived together. You must show that you built property, investments, or financial value together.
Courts look for patterns such as:
- Shared major expenses or mortgage payments
- Pooling funds for meaningful purchases
- Use of joint accounts or shared financial management
- Contributions of money or labor that increased property value
- Decisions about homes, vehicles, or investments made as a unit
Not every shared bill creates ownership. Courts evaluate the entire course of the relationship and how you behaved financially, both in public and in private. Contribution is what matters.
The Three-Year Statute of Limitations
Under RCW 4.16.080(3), you typically have three years from the end of the relationship to file a CIR claim. If you do not act in time, your claim can be permanently barred, and the court may refuse to divide property regardless of how much you contributed.
This deadline also applies when a partner has died. Many CIR cases arise in probate when heirs challenge the surviving partner’s interest.
If you believe you have CIR rights, you should act before evidence disappears or deadlines expire.
➡Learn more: [link: Statute of Limitations for CIR Claims]
Time, Cost, and Strategy in CIR Cases
CIR cases often require more preparation than divorce because there is no presumption of shared ownership. You must first prove the relationship qualifies as a CIR before any property can be divided. That process requires collecting records, tracing contributions, and organizing evidence clearly.
The time and cost of a CIR case depend on:
- The type and value of property at stake
- The availability of financial records
- Cooperation or hostility from the former partner
- Whether the case resolves early or proceeds to trial
At Pacific Northwest Family Law, we reduce unnecessary time and cost by using strategic discovery, early evidence organization, and targeted negotiation.
➡Learn more: [link: Time, Cost, and Strategy in CIR Cases]