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These Self-Help Resources are provided by the King County Bar Association only as general educational and informational guidelines. They are not intended to, and do not, constitute legal advice to the reader. They are not intended to or designed to advise the reader on any particular course of action, nor are they intended to create an attorney- client relationship between the reader and either KCBA or the authors of the resources. The reader is advised to consult his or her attorney for legal advice regarding the specific facts and circumstances of their case. To hire an attorney, contact the KCBA Lawyer Referral Service. For a free consultation with a volunteer attorney, contact Neighborhood Legal Clinics.
Links (Lawyers/Resource Links)
General Resources
King County Law Library – Legal Research & Training Center
http://www.kcll.org/learnhow/lrtc/index.html
The LRTC is free to the public and has 6 computers equipped with Internet Explorer and MS Word. All computers have dedicated connections to legal research databases & may be used for up to 2 hours per day per patron. Law librarians are available to assist patrons in legal research.
Washington Law Help
http://www.washingtonlawhelp.org
Links to information on numerous legal topics. Site is currently under construction, but some content is currently available. Sponsored by Northwest Justice Project, Washington State Access to Justice Network, Legal Services Corporation, Columbia Legal Services, and the Washington Courts.
Glossary of Legal Terms from King County Law Library
http://www.kcll.org/learnhow/lrtc/legalglossary.doc
Washington State Bar Association
http://www.wsba.org/public/consumer/default.htm
On-line pamphlets on numerous legal topics, including lawyer-client relationships, alternatives to court, family law, estate planning, real estate, and more.
King County Law Library
http://www.kcll.org
Web site of the law library. Includes links to legal information, research guides, and court forms.
The Internet Law Library
http://www.lawguru.com/ilawlib/index.html
General legal resources, including federal and state statutes, treaties, and legal directories.
LawForWA
http://www.lawforwa.org
The mission of the lawforwa website is to give the people of Washington easy access to information on the law, the courts, the government, and civic rights and responsibilities. It is a public service of the Council on Public Legal Education and the University of Washington
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Government
United States
http://www.firstgov.gov
Central home page for all US government agencies.
State of Washington
http://access.wa.gov/
Central home page for all Washington state agencies.
King County
http://www.metrokc.gov/
Central home page for all King County agencies.
City of Seattle
http://www.cityofseattle.net/
Central home page for all Seattle agencies.
Native American
http://www.goia.wa.gov/Tribal-Information/Tribal-Information.htm
Central homepage for WA State Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs.
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Courts
Washington State Courts
http://www.courts.wa.gov/
Information, rules, and forms for Washington State courts.
King County Courts
http://www.metrokc.gov/legal.htm
Information, rules, and forms for King County courts.
Municipal Court of Seattle
http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/courts/house.htm
Official web site of the Seattle Municipal Court.
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Statutes
LegalWA
http://www.legalwa.org
A catch all site to search the Revised Code of Washington, Washington Administrative Code, Washington State, County & City Municipal Codes. A service of Municipal Research & Services Center of Washington, a non-profit.
United States Statutes
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/
Search the United States Code.
Washington Statutes and Regulations
http://search.leg.wa.gov/pub/textsearch/default.asp
Search the text of Washington constitution, statutes (RCW), regulations (WAC), executive orders, state register, bills, and attorney general opinions.
King County Code
http://www.metrokc.gov/mkcc/Code/
Search the King County Code.
Seattle Municipal Code
http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~public/code1.htm
Search the Seattle Municipal Code.
Other Municipal Laws in Washington State
http://www.mrsc.org/codes.aspx
Search various city and county codes in Washington. Sponsored by the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington.
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Legal Forms
Washington State Court Forms
http://www.courts.wa.gov/forms/
All Washington State court forms.
Legaldocs.com
http://www.legaldocs.com/misc-s.htm
Free forms for various simple legal documents, including living will, automobile bill of sale, promissory note, demand for payment, and more.
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Consumer
Consumer Protection Division of the Washington Attorney General
http://www.atg.wa.gov/consumer/
Information and publications about the most common consumer protection questions.
Resolving Consumer Complaints
http://www.atg.wa.gov/consumer/resolve.shtml
Advice on resolving consumer complaints, including a guide to small claims court. Sponsored by the Washington Attorney General.
Buying a Used Car
http://www.atg.wa.gov/consumer/cars/buyused.shtml
Information about purchasing used cars. Sponsored by the Washington Attorney General.
Identity Theft
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
How to prevent and respond to identity theft. Sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission.
Center for Consumer Law
http://www.consumerrights.net/
Information on legal rights of consumers, including an introduction to the legal system, advice on choosing a lawyer, and information about responding to defective products. Sponsored by the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association.
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Credit & Debt
American Consumer Credit Counseling
http://www.consumercredit.com
A non-profit organization that assists individuals with financial education and debt management strategies.
CENTS
http://www.centsprogram.com/
A non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing free legal advice and money management to individuals and families throughout the State of Washington. Program provides Personal Financial Management classes required by the new bankruptcy laws. The website outlines the range of their programs, projects and resources.
Fair Debt Collection Practices
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.htm
Frequently-Asked Questions about the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act. Sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission.
Bankruptcy
http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/pamphlets/bankruptcy.htm
General information about bankruptcy. Sponsored by the Washington State Bar Association.
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Criminal Law
Criminal Law Summary
http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/pamphlets/criminal.htm
Pamphlet giving general information on the criminal justice system. Includes rights of persons accused with crimes. Sponsored by Washington State Bar Association.
Crime Victims
http://www.lni.wa.gov/ClaimsInsurance/CrimeVictims/
Washington state's program for providing financial assistance for crime victims. Includes downloadable forms. Sponsored by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.
Vacating/Sealing Criminal Records
http://www.courts.wa.gov/forms/?fa=forms.contribute&formID=38
Court Forms
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Discrimination
King County Office for Civil Rights
http://www.metrokc.gov/dias/ocre
King County's anti-discrimination office.
Seattle Office for Civil Rights
http://www.cityofseattle.net/civilrights/
City of Seattle's anti-discrimination office.
Also see Labor & Employment section, below
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Family Law: General
Washington Law Help
www.washingtonlawhelp.org
Contains self help materials on family law
Northwest Womens Law Center
http://www.nwwlc.org/main/content/services/publications_family.shtml
General information on family law, dissolution, child support, dependency, and more.
Child Support Resource Center
http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/dcs/index.shtml
Washington state agency responsible for the collection and distribution of child support. Brochures available in many languages; information is available on the child support program, hearing rights, modifications, paternity, interstate child support, options for victims of domestic violence, employer guidelines, child support and foster care, direct deposit, and automatic support payments.
Washington Courts Family Law Mandatory Forms
http://www.courts.wa.gov/forms/
Documents, forms, and instructions needed to begin family court procedures. The forms can be downloaded and printed.
Family Law Section
http://www.abanet.org/family/home.html
Home page of the Family Law Section of the American Bar Association. Includes links to family law magazines and publications, reports, committees. Highlights recent changes in the area of family law.
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Family Law: Dissolution
Dissolution of Marriage in Washington
http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/pamphlets/dissolution.htm
Brochure summarizing information about dissolutions in Washington. Sponsored by the Washington State Bar Association.
Divorce Law Information Center
http://www.divorcelawinfo.com/states/wash/washington.htm
Provides general information on Washington divorce law. Includes court forms and a child support calculator. Sponsored by various divorce law firms.
DivorceNet
http://www.divorcenet.com/wa/wa.html
General information about divorce in Washington state. Sponsored by various divorce law firms.
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Family Law: Domestic Violence
Seattle-King County Domestic Violence Protection Orders
http://www.protectionorder.org
Information and forms for obtaining a protection order in King County.
Washington Violence Against Women Network
http://www.wavawnet.org
Assistance for victims of domestic and sexual assault and those who provide services for them. Includes self-help ideas, training and related information.
Kitsap County Domestic Violence Task Force
http://www.kcdvtf.org/
Information and resources about domestic violence.
National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect
http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/
A national resource with information on the prevention, identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect. Sponsored by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
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Labor & Employment
Washington Law Help
www.washingtonlawhelp.org
Contains self help materials on employment law.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
General information: http://www.eeoc.gov/
Publications listed at: http://www.eeoc.gov/publications.html
Federal government agency for employment discrimination.
Workers Compensation Information
http://www.calbomschwab.com/services/WCLI.asp
Information about Washington's workers compensation system. Sponsored by the Calbom & Schwab law firm (Eastern Washington).
Primary Materials in Labor & Employment Law
http://www.findlaw.com/01topics/27labor/gov_laws.html
Links to statutes, regulations, and government publications in the area of labor and employment law. Sponsored by FindLaw.com.
Employment Discrimination Information
http://www.discriminationattorney.com
Summaries of many topics in employment and discrimination law. Sponsored by the Greenberg law firm (Los Angeles).
National Employment Lawyers Association
http://www.nela.org/home.cfm
An organization of lawyers representing individual employees in cases involving employment discrimination, wrongful termination, employee benefits, and other employment related matters.
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Landlord/Tenant
Washington Law Help
www.washingtonlawhelp.org
Contains self help materials on landlord/tenant law.
Landlord/Tenant Law
http://www.atg.wa.gov/consumer/lt/
Summary of Landlord/Tenant Law in Washington. Sponsored by Washington Attorney General.
Washington State Tenants Union
http://www.tenantsunion.org/
Nonprofit organization providing information and advocacy for residential tenants.
Tenant Network
http://www.tenant.net/Other_Areas/Washstat/
Links to various resources regarding Washington state landlord/tenant law. Sponsored by Collins, Dobkin & Miller law firm (New York).
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Native American
Native American Rights Fund
General Info: http://www.narf.org
National Indian Law Library: http://www.narf.org/nill/rlinks.htm
Non-profit legal organization devoted to defending and promoting the legal rights of Native Americans.
National Tribal Justice Resource Center
http://www.tribalresourcecenter.org/
Guide to tribal justice systems. Sponsored by the National American Indian Court Judges Association.
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Poverty & Public Benefits
Washington Law Help
www.washingtonlawhelp.org
Contains self help materials on poverty/public benefits law.
Fremont Public Association
http://www.fremontpublic.org/
Provides assistance to those in need, including assistance and advocacy for obtaining shelter, food, transportation, and communication. Offers special assistance for the elderly and disabled.
Unemployment Law Project
http://www.unemploymentlawproject.org
Seattle-based organization dedicated to helping people obtain unemployment insurance benefits.
Washington Parent Power
http://www.washingtonparentpower.org
Description of economic supports available to families, including health care, child care, food assistance and scholarships.
Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition
http://www.wroc.org/resources.htm
Information on the rights of people who receive of public assistance (welfare, food stamps, WorkFirst, etc.).
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Senior Citizens
Senior Services of Seattle/King County
http://seniorservices.org
The largest non-profit agency serving older people in Washington. Services include: Meals-on-Wheels, Volunteer Transportation, Homesharing, Minor Home Repair, African American Outreach, Senior Information and Assistance, Senior Rights Assistance as well as neighborhood senior centers and adult day health programs.
Administration on Aging
http://aoa.gov
Federal agency for older persons.
Washington (State) Probate
http://www.wa-probate.com
Free Washington State Probate forms & instructions to "Do It Yourself" without an Attorney or Lawyer.
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Youth
Street Youth Legal Advocates of Washington
http://www.sylaw.org
Provides assistance and referrals to street youth that face a variety of legal problems, including family issues, educational problems, mental health issues, and difficulty accessing state and federal entitlements such as housing and financial assistance.
Team Child
http://www.teamchild.org
TeamChild provides civil legal services for juveniles involved in the criminal justice system.
The Rights of Public School Students in Washington State
http://www.aclu-wa.org/issues/students/Rights.of.Students.9.00.html
Parents' Guide to Public School Discipline in Washington
http://www.aclu-wa.org/issues/students/Student.Discipline.html
Explanation of the laws regarding the rights of students in public schools, with special attention to school discipline. Sponsored by the ACLU of Washington.
Children's Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org
Lobbying and information regarding rights of minors. CDF pays particular attention to the needs of poor and minority children and those disabilities.
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Prepared by the Neighborhood Legal Clinics Committee of the King County Bar Association.
Last Updated June 28, 2004.