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Updated Feb. 14, 2007.
Prepared by Mary Whisner. Updated by Chris O'Byrne (2005-06).
This list identifies free
Internet sources of information on Washington State law, organized by subject.
This page supplements the content available at
LawforWA and
Washington LawHelp. Guides on those sites are not duplicated here. Instead, this page links to
additional web sources of information on Washington law not found on either
of those sites.
Additional sources
include:
Two law libraries in Washington
accept reference questions by email:
the King County Law Library
and the Washington State Law Library.
They do not provide legal advice, but they may be able to direct you to
material appropriate to your question.
For Internet sources of Washington laws, cases, and regulations, see
Internet Legal Resources > Washington
Alternative Dispute Resolution (Arbitration, Mediation, Negotiation)
LawforWA >
Arbitration and Mediation
Washington Courts >
Washington State Dispute Resolution Centers
(a directory)
Washington State Bar Association >
Alternatives to Court
Dispute Resolution Washington (a
directory)
Animals & Pets
LawforWa >
Animal and Pet Law (animal welfare, dangerous dogs, endangered
species, estate planning for your pet, injuries caused by pets, leash laws,
lemon laws, noise & nuisance, travel & transportation, and wildlife
preservation)
Bankruptcy
Washington LawHelp
> Consumer & Debt >
Bankruptcy
Business Organizations
LawforWA >
Business Law (contracts, corporate bankruptcy, employer rights &
responsibilities, intellectual property, and interstate commerce)
Access Washington > Doing Business in Washington
(starting a business, changing business status, growing a business,
licenses & permits, hiring & managing employees, taxes, doing
business with the state, and finding laws & regulations)
Washington Attorney General >
Antitrust/Unfair
Trade Practices
Washington Secretary of State >
Corporations (the registration process
& fees for corporations,
limited liability companies, nonprofits,
partnerships & professional service corporations, and a searchable
directory)
Washington Department of Licensing
U.S. Small Business Association,
Seattle Office > counseling & training, a
startup kit, and information about financing & business
opportunities. See also the
Spokane Office website.
Seattle Office of Economic Development >
Doing Business in Seattle
( environmental programs, financial support,
infrastructure, licensing, taxes, technical assistance, utilities &
the workforce)
King County Bar Association >
How to Form and Maintain a a Nonprofit Corporation in Washington State
Charities
Washington Attorney General >
Charities
(disputes, fund-raising & registration)
Washington Secretary of State >
Consumer Tips & Frequently Asked
Questions
Civil Rights
Washington LawHelp >
Civil Rights (Americans with Disabilities Act,
discrimination, prisoners' rights & other topics)
Washington LawHelp >
Housing Discrimination
LawforWA >
Civil Rights and Liberties (guns, hate crimes, privacy, voting
rights & the war on drugs)
LawforWA >
Disability Law (Americans with Disabilities Act, education,
housing, the Rehabilitation Act & Washington laws
LawforWA >
Employment Discrimination (age, disability, equal pay, filing
complaints, gender, immigration status, nationality, race, religion, Seattle
city laws, sexual harassment & sexual orientation)
Washington Human Rights Commission >
The
Complaint Process
King County Civil Rights Commission
King County Office of Civil Rights
(fair employment, fair housing, public
accommodations & fair contracting ordinances in unincorporated King
County)
King County Law Library >
Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation Research Guide
Computers & Internet
LawforWA > Consumer Law >
Internet (complaints, dispute resolution, and Internet
purchasing & advertising)
Washington Attorney General >
Internet Safety
(spam, Internet auctions, file-sharing, and kids & the Internet)
King County Prosecuting Attorney >
Computer
Crime Prevention (how to protect yourself & what to do if you
suspect you are victim)
Consumer Information & Protection
Washington LawHelp >
Consumer & Debt
(contracts, credit denial, credit reporting problems, debt collection, fraud
& unfair sales practices, and loans)LawforWA >
Consumer Law (complaints & dispute resolution, construction,
contracts, day care, debt & credit, health clubs, Internet, investment,
motor vehicles, privacy, safety regulations, small claims court &
telephones)
Washington State Library > Find-It!
Consumer (searchable)
Washington Attorney General >
Consumer Issues
A-Z (cell phones, contractors, franchises, identity theft, junk mail,
pyramid schemes, senior fraud & other topics)
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries >
Hiring a Contractor
(searchable database of licensing
contractors, electricians & plumbers)
Washington State Bar Association >
Signing Documents
top
Crime Victims
LawforWA > Criminal Law >
Crime Victims
Washington Labor and Industries Dep't >
Help for Crime Victims
(victim compensation program & forms)
King County Prosecuting Attorney >
Victim Assistance
(victim advocacy & rights, interpreters, notice, restitution & information
for witnesses)
Criminal Law
Washington LawHelp >
Criminal (expungement of criminal records)
LawforWa >
Criminal Law (court records, crime victims, criminal procedure,
dating violence, drugs & alcohol, evidence, police practices, prisons &
prisoners, rights of suspects, traffic & motor vehicles, and the court &
legal system)
The Washington State Office of Public Defense
> Brief Bank (copies of appellate briefs filed for indigent clients; free, but registration
required)
Seattle
Police Department >
General Information & FAQ's
(fingerprinting, filing complaints, and citizen
& victim rights)
King County Prosecuting Attorney
> computer
crime, employee theft
& insurance
fraud
American Civil Liberties
Union of Washington >
Police Practices,
What to Do If You Are Stopped by the Police
&
You and the Police
Washington State
Bar Association >
Criminal Law
King County Law Library >
Vacating Records
Research Guide.
Washington Courts >
Criminal History
and Criminal Records: A Guide on When and How to Challenge, Seal,
Vacate or Expunge
See also Domestic Violence.
Divorce
Washington LawHelp > Family Law (child support, divorce
(called dissolution of marriage), do-it-yourself packets, parenting plans &
relocation)
Washington State Bar Association
>
Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce)
& Divorce and Parenting: The Parenting Act
King County Prosecuting Attorney >
Family Support
Division
King County Law Library
See also
Family Law and Marriage.
Domestic Violence
Washington LawHelp >
Domestic Violence & Antiharassment
LawforWA >
Domestic Violence (child abuse, elder abuse & spousal/partner abuse)
Washington Secretary of State > Address
Confidentiality (victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking)
King County > Domestic Violence
Information Page
King County Prosecuting Attorney >
Domestic Violence
& Protection Order Advocacy Program
King County Law Library >
Family Law Research Guide: Domestic Violence
Washington Courts
Education
Washington LawHelp >
Youth Law & Education (public education & schools, school
discipline, special education & student loans)
LawforWA >
Education covers (discipline, records, student rights & testing)
LawforWA >
Youth (student loans & student rights)
American Civil Liberties Union
of Washington State
Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Education
King County Prosecutor >
truancy law
(including "the Becca Bill")
Elder Law
Washington LawHelp >
Aging / Elder Law (guardianship & power of attorney, kinship care,
long-term care assistance, Medicaid & Medicare, medical & mental health
issues for seniors, Social Security & Supplemental Security Income (SSI),
and wills & probate)
LawforWA >
Senior Citizens (age discrimination, elder abuse, guardianship,
health care, power of attorney, Social Security, and wills & estate
planning)
Washington Attorney General >
Protecting
Seniors (dealing with death, Medicaid and other fraud, prescription drug
prices)
King County Prosecuting Attorney >
Elder Abuse Project
Washington State Bar Association >
Elder Law
top
Elections & Voting
LawforWA >
Civil Rights and Liberties (election reform & voting rights)
LawforWA >
Elections (running for office, voting & voter registration)
Washington Secretary of State >
Elections
& Voting
American Civil Liberties Union of Washington >
How Ex-Felons Can Restore Their Right to Vote in Washington
& Restoring the Right to Vote in Washington
Family Law
Washington LawHelp > Family Law (child protection system,
do-it-yourself packets, paternity & parentage, unmarried & same-sex
couples, divorce, domestic violence, and marriage)
LawforWA > Employment >
Family and Medical Leave Act
LawforWA >
Family (adoption, child abuse, child custody, child support & alimony,
domestic violence, divorce, gay/lesbian families, marriage, name change,
parentage, and vital records)
King County Prosecutor >
Family
Support
King County Law Library >
Family Law
Research Guide (annulment, divorce,
parenting plans, child support, relocation, nonparental custody,
domestic violence, guardians ad litem, and family court procedures)
The Family Law Handbook for Washington State
(prenuptial agreements, ending a marriage, community property, alimony,
shared parenting, relocation, child support, domestic violence, child
abuse & neglect, and community resources)
See also see Divorce, Domestic
Violence, Marriage, and
Minors.
Freedom of Expression
American Civil Liberties Union of Washington >
Street Speech: Your
Rights in Washington to Parade, Picket, and Leaflet
top
Gay Men & Lesbians
LawforWA > Employment Discrimination >
Sexual Orientation
LawforWA > Family >
Gay/Lesbian Families
American Civil Liberties Union of Washington >
The Rights
of Gays and Lesbians and the Work of the ACLU of Washington
Government Assistance
Washington LawHelp >
Government Benefits (appeals & hearings, cash assistance
for families (TANF) & people with disabilities (GA & SSI), child
care, Dep't of Social & Health Services programs & problems,
emergency & food assistance, benefits for immigrants & refugees,
health care assistance (Medicaid & Medicare), long-term care
assistance, public & subsidized housing, unemployment
compensation, veterans' benefits, and energy assistance). See also
Housing > Emergency Shelter & Assistance.LawforWA >
Government Benefits (food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, Social
Security, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF))
Hate Crimes
LawforWA > Civil Rights and Liberties >
Hate Crimes
American Civil Liberties Union of Washington >
Hate Crimes: Current
Laws and Policy RecommendationsHealth Care
WashingtonLawHelp >
Health (basic rights of health care consumers, children's &
seniors' medical & mental health care issues, obtaining &
maintaining medical coverage, and the rights of the insured & uninsured)
LawforWA >
Health (charity care & medical bills; files, records & information;
insurance coverage; group plans; Medicare; and Medicaid.
American Civil Liberties Union in Washington >
A Guide to
Washington's Medical Marijuana Law and
What You Should Know
about Reproductive Freedom in Washington State
Northwest Health Law Advocates > Medicaid
Immigration
WashingtonLawHelp >
Immigration (becoming a permanent resident or US citizen,
government assistance, issues for children & minors, visa petitions, and
other immigration issues)
LawforWA >
Immigration (deportation, employment, family & adoption, foreign
students & exchange visitors, forms, immigrant rights, naturalization,
permanent residency, refugees, seeking asylum, and visas & the visa lottery)
Insurance
Washington Insurance Commissioner >
consumer information page.
Consumers with questions can call the Statewide Health Insurance Benefits
Advisors (SHIBA) HelpLine at 1-800-397-4422 or the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) Consumer Hot Line at 1-800-562-6900.Jury Duty
Washington Courts > Welcome
to Jury Duty (frequently asked questions, do's & don'ts, information
for employers, links to local juror websites, a glossary of terms, and a
juror's guide)top
Labor & Employment
Washington LawHelp >
Employment / Farm Worker Rights (discrimination, health in the
workplace, pensions, termination, unemployment compensation, wage
claims & workers' compensation)
LawforWA >
Employment (family & medical leave, Social Security & unemployment
insurance)
LawforWA >
Employment Discrimination (age, disability, equal pay, filing
complaints, gender, immigration status, nationality, race, religion, Seattle
city laws, sexual harassment & sexual orientation)
Washington Human Rights Commission >
(discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit & and
insurance)
Washington Department of Licensing >
Professional Licensing
Landlord &Tenant
Washington LawHelp >
Housing (evictions, housing discrimination, mobile home park
tenants, public & subsidized housing, and tenants' rights)
LawforWa >
Housing (pets, public & subsidized housing, and rented housing)
Washington Attorney General >
Landlord - Tenan
Washington State Bar
Association
King County Law Library >
Landlord/Tenant
Research Guide
top
Lawyers & Legal Services
Washington LawHelp > More Legal Information >
Representing Yourself / Additional Court Procedures (depositions, in forma pauperis
motions, obtaining a name change, preparing for a hearing or trial,
sealing or vacating criminal records, subpoenaing documents &
witnesses, and other matters)
LawforWA >
Finding a Lawyer
Washington State Bar Association
Washington State Practice of Law Board
(filing a complaint for the unauthorized practice of law)
Washington State Access to Justice Board >
county-based lawyer referral services
Marriage
LawforWA > Family >
Marriage
Washington State Bar Association >
Marriage in Washington State
King County Law Library >
Family Law Research Guide: Declaration Concerning Validity
(annulment)
See also Divorce, Domestic
Violence, and Family Law.
Minors
Washington Law Help >
Youth Law & Education (emancipation, foster care, homelessness,
immigration issues, juvenile offenders, medical & mental health issues,
public education & schools, school discipline, special education, and
student loans)
LawforWA > Domestic Violence >
Child Abuse
LawforWA >
Youth (age of majority, at-risk youth, health care, student loans, and
student rights)
King County Prosecuting Attorney >
Truancy
Child Advocacy Central
American Civil Liberties Union of Washington >
Student/Youth
Rights
King County Bar Association >
On Your Own: Your Legal Rights
(driver's rights &
responsibilities, jobs, tenant's rights & duties, money & credit,
freedom of expression, crimes, marriage & children, your day in court,
and working with a lawyer)
See also Education
and
Family Law.
Motor Vehicles
Washington Law Help > Consumer & Debt >
Auto: Purchasing, Repairs, Towing & Insurance and
Drivers and Professional Licenses.LawforWA > Consumer Law >
Motor Vehicles (complaints & dispute resolution; insurance; lemons,
warranties & service contracts; purchasing & leasing; repair; and
repossession)
Washington Attorney General >
Lemon Law
Washington
Department of Licensing
- Boat Registration
- Car Title and Registration
(lemon law, emissions testing, license
plates & taxes)
- Driver Licenses (identification, tests, renewal
& replacement, teens,
seniors, motorcycles, commercial drivers, hearings, accidents,
organ donation & related topics)
- Truck Licensing (commercial drivers licenses, taxes, fees, insurance,
emissions testing & accident reporting)
King County Law Library >
Traffic Infractions Research Guide
Name Change
Washington LawHelp > More Legal Information > Representing Yourself /
Additional Court Procedures >
Name Change
LawforWA > Family >
Name Change
King County Law Library >
Name Change Research GuideNative Americans
Washington LawHelp >
Native American Issues (discrimination & economic development,
government benefits, the Indian Child Welfare Act, treaty rights, tribal
acknowledgement, tribal law, and tribal land issues)
Open Meetings & Public Records
Washington Attorney General >
Open Government
(open meetings, public disclosure and records)
The American Civil
Liberties Union has 2 versions of a guide on How to Get Government Records:
HTML version and
PDF
version.
King County Law Library >
Washington Public Records Research Guide
top
Power of Attorney
See Washington LawHelp > Health >
Guardianships & Power of Attorney.
Real Estate
Washington LawHelp >
Consumer & Debt
(buying & selling real estate, buying a
manufactured home, filing complaints against contractors,
foreclosure, forfeiture, predatory lending, quit claim deeds & reverse
mortgages)LawforWa >
Housing (buying, construction, deeds & selling property)
LawforWA >
Neighborhood Issues and Disputes (animals (pets and wildlife);
noise & other problematic behavior; property lines; street repairs; and
trash, water & foliage)
Washington State Bar Association >
Real Estate
top
Small Claims
Washington LawHelp > Consumer & Debt >
Small Claims CourtLawforWA > Consumer Law >
Small Claims Court
Washington
Courts >
An Introduction to Small Claims Court
Washington Attorney General >
Disputes (small claims court, arbitration)
How
to Win the Small Claims Game by Mark Rahner, Seattle Times
(Jan. 26, 2003).
King County Bar Association >
King County Small Claims Courts: A Guide on How to Use the Small
Claims Courts and How to Collect Small Claims Judgments
King County Small Claims Court
Utilities
Washington LawHelp > Consumer & Debt >
Energy Assistance, Utilities & Telecommunications
Washington Attorney General >
Utilities
LawforWA > Consumer Law >
Telephones (complaints & dispute resolution, telephone sales &
telemarketing, telephone service & billing, unfair & deceptive
practices, unsolicited goods & trial offers, and warranties & service
contracts)
Wills, Probate & Estate Planning
Washington LawHelp > Aging / Elder Law >
Wills, Probate & Alternatives
LawforWA >
Wills and Estate Planning (estate planning, trusts, wills & probate)
Washington State Bar Association
King County Law Library
Women
American Civil Liberties Union of Washington State >
What You Should
Know about Reproductive Freedom in Washington State
King County Dep't of Adult and Juvenile Detention >
A Guide for Women:
Meeting Basic Needs in King County (women
leaving detention & returning to the community)
See also Divorce, Domestic Violence,
Family Law, and Marriage.
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