6 Affordable Divorce Resources In Pierce County
- 855-741-6930 | Apply online at the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA).
- Sliding fee scale if you qualify for assistance.
- According to the WSBA:
In 2016, more than 2 million people in Washington fell between 200% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (poverty guidelines) and were considered of moderate income. This means they probably couldn’t afford a full-fee attorney, yet they did not qualify for free legal aid. The Moderate Means Program (MMP) is a statewide program designed to bridge this gap with attorneys who offer reduced-fee assistance in family, housing, and consumer law cases.
- The Program does not provide immediate assistance and cannot guarantee a referral, particularly in some rural communities where attorney resources are limited.
#5 WASHINGTON PARALEGAL SERVICES
- (253) 227-8462 | University Place, WA -- by appointment only.
- Flat fee paralegal services. Call for pricing.
- Operated by experienced senior paralegal, Tina Krueger.
- Affordable document preparation: child support, divorce, parenting plans, health care directives (living wills), simple wills, quit claim deeds, excise tax affidavits and more.
- Absolutely NO attorney’s fees.
- Personalized one-on-one service.
- Service area includes the entire state of Washington including but not limited to the following Pierce County cities & towns: Auburn, Bonney Lake, Buckley, Carbonado, DuPont, Eatonville, Edgewood, Enumclaw, Fife, Fircrest, Gig Harbor, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), Lakewood, Milton, Orting, Pacific, Puyallup, Roy, Ruston, South Prairie, Steilacoom, Sumner, Tacoma, University Place, and Wilkeson.
#4 PIERCE COUNTY COURT FACILITATOR
- (253) 798-3627 | 930 Tacoma Ave., Rm. 104 & 119, Tacoma, WA 98402.
- Some counties charge for courthouse facilitator services. Fees range from $10 to $60 per appointment. Some counties may also, or instead, assess a surcharge on the filing fee for a family law case. Low income parties may request that a filing fee be deferred for payment or waived.
- A courthouse facilitator is an individual who assists self-represented parties with their family law cases in superior court. A person is self-represented if he or she is not represented by an attorney.
- The courthouse facilitator is not your lawyer, cannot give you legal advice, and will not represent you in court.
- The Pierce County Family Law Facilitator Office is open 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Appointments are made by calling the appointment line at 253-798-3627. The appointment line opens at 8:00 a.m. Monday through Friday and closes when all appointments are filled. The appointments are made one week in advance.
- Family law forms and form packets are available and may be purchased from the Pierce County Law Library.
- 1-888-201-1014 | Apply online with CLEAR*Online.
- This is Washington’s publicly funded legal aid program.
- According to the official website:
NJP operates a toll-free intake and referral hotline called CLEAR (Coordinated Legal Education Advice and Referral). CLEAR serves as the statewide, centralized point of access for clients seeking free legal help, including advice, education, limited legal services, self-help materials and, where available, referrals for further representation. NJP attorneys in offices around the state provide assistance and direct representation in high priority, complex cases, including cases that address barriers to persons seeking access to our justice system, and also engage in community education efforts.
#2 TACOMAPROBONO
- (253) 572-5134 [or] e-mail vls@tacomaprobono.org. 621 Tacoma Avenue South, Suite 303, Tacoma, WA 98402.
- Tacomaprobono (formerly Volunteer Legal Services) can help with civil legal issues in Pierce County when you cannot afford to hire an attorney.
- If you call, the organization requests that you leave one message and you will be contacted by an intake specialist who can schedule you for a legal clinic or refer you to other resources as appropriate. The organization also invites you to come to their office for a walk-in intake Monday-Thursday, 9-4 (closed for lunch from noon-1:15 daily).
- According to the official website:
Washington LawHelp is a guide to free civil legal services for low-income persons and seniors in Washington. This site provides legal education materials and tools that give you basic information on a number of legal problems, and in some cases, detailed instructions and forms to help you represent yourself in court. You can also locate information on free legal aid programs in Washington, including basic eligibility and contact information.
- Free legal materials and tools providing basic information on a number of legal problems.
- Free do-it-yourself packets with forms.
