Thurston County | Superior Court | Self Represented Party

How to Find an Attorney or Legal Assistance

If you don’t have an attorney or are new to the court and are trying to learn what to do, please review the information below.

Family Law (divorce, child support, etc.)

File a case
If you want to file a family law case and you don't have an attorney, the following court programs may be helpful to you:

Family Law Facilitator's Office. Contact this office if you don't have an attorney. They can give you the necessary forms and tell you how to file your action with the court. If you need immediate access to Court Forms, please use this link.
Family Law Orientation. If you don't have an attorney, you must attend this class within 30 days after filing your action with the court.

Get Help with Child Support
If you need assistance with a child support action, the following programs may be helpful to you:

Washington DSHS - Division of Child Support. Contact this office if you need assistance paying or collecting administrative or court-ordered child support.
Family Law Support Division – Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney. Contact this office if you need assistance with a paternity action (for people who do not have an affidavit/acknowledgement of paternity) and for help reviewing child support orders if you have received, or are receiving, public assistance.

Learn about the Family Law Process
These written resources may help you understand the divorce process in Washington State.

Other Resources
Finally, if you are looking for legal assistance for a family law matter, the LIST OF RESOURCES below may be helpful to you.

Northwest Justice Project CLEAR Hotline
Low income parties may receive legal advice and referrals by phone. For more information:
(888) 201-1014 (9:15am – 12:15pm)
(888) 387-7111 - Persons 60 years old and over regardless of income
https://nwjustice.org/clear-hotline

Thurston County Volunteer Legal Services
TCVLS helps you resolve your own civil legal issue by giving you legal advice at one of their clinics. You leave the clinic with a list of next steps. Sometimes, they have attorneys who are willing to represent you in court. Usually this is for evictions in Thurston County, but occasionally for other types of civil legal issues.
tp://tcvls.org/

Washington Law Help
Website with hundreds of free legal education materials, including self-help packets, available for viewing and downloading at: www.washingtonlawhelp.org

WSBA Moderate Means Program

The Moderate Means Program is a partnership between the Washington State Bar Association and Washington’s three law schools, connecting people within 200–400% of the Federal Poverty Level to lawyers who offer legal help at reduced fees. For more information:
(855) 741-6930
http://www.moderatemeanswa.com

Dependency (if your child has been removed from your home by the state)

Parents for Parents

Domestic Violence/Unlawful Harassment/Stalking/Sexual Assault

Domestic Violence Resources

Community Resources (Green Sheet)

Warning! If an abuser is monitoring your computer activity, it may be impossible to erase all trace of the sites you visit on your computer or mobile device. For more information on erasing your browser's history, visit ComputerHope.com. Learn more about safety and technology here.

Landlord-Tenant Problems

If you are facing eviction, the Housing Justice Project, sponsored by the Thurston County Volunteer Legal Services, may be able to assist you. This program serves low-income landlords and tenants in Thurston County.

Northwest Justice Project CLEAR Hotline
Low income parties may receive legal advice and referrals by phone. For more information:

(888) 201-1014 (9:15 am – 12:15 pm)
(888) 387-7111 - Persons 60 years old and over regardless of income
https://nwjustice.org/clear-hotline

Low-Cost Legal Assistance

The following organizations provide free or reduced-cost legal assistance or may be able to assist you in finding answers to questions about your legal matter.

General Assistance

Northwest Justice Project. Provides free civil (non-criminal) legal services to low-income residents of Thurston County. Interpreters are provided to those who do not speak English or who are hearing impaired. Help is available in the following areas: family law (for domestic violence survivors), housing law, consumer law, education, public benefits, and in some limited circumstances, immigration. Please note that case acceptance is dependent on office priorities, staff availability, and the merit of each case. Services, especially representation by an attorney, may not be available even if all case criteria are met.

Self-Help Services

Washington LawHelp Website. Hundreds of free legal education materials available for viewing and downloading.

Unbundled Legal Services

It is possible for attorneys to offer limited legal representation (unbundled legal services). This means that self-represented parties can hire an attorney for limited assistance in their case, such as temporary orders, support or parenting plan modification, settlement conferences, trials, etc. For more information click here.