Steps

Keep trying!  CLEAR has staff available between 9:15am and 12:15pm. When you get through to CLEAR you might be able to talk to an attorney, which will save you time! CLEAR will also mail you the court forms you need so that you don’t have to pay for it at the Courthouse.  CLEAR also figures out the best legal organization for you to contact based on your legal issues.   If you have an emergency and need urgent legal advice, you can get it from CLEAR much sooner than if we scheduled you for one of our clinics.  If after trying multiple times, please call our office at (360) 705-8194 or toll-free at 1-844-211-6916.

Most of our clinics happen in the evening, so our staff work non-traditional hours.  If no one answers, please leave a phone message and we will call you back as soon as we can!   During clinics, we can’t answer the phones because we are helping other people.  Our phone number is (360) 705-8194 or toll-free at 1-844-211-6916.

If you live in Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Grays Harbor or Pacific Counties and  have been served papers saying that your landlord is trying to evict you, you may qualify for pro bono representation during your eviction proceeding. 

For other types of civil legal issues, it is not often that we have a lawyer who will represent you.  Our legal advice clinics help you take the steps you need to take to represent yourself.

When you get to the clinic, you will have an intake interview with someone who is not a lawyer.  After this, a volunteer attorney will be assigned to your case.  The attorney will interview you about your legal issue and then give you legal advice.   Because lawyers have specialties that may not match your specific issue, the lawyer will consult with a “Mentor” who is a seasoned lawyer with many years of experience representing clients in lots of different areas.

When you leave the clinic, you will have a plan to follow to take the next step or steps in your legal case.

As long as it’s the same legal issue, you are welcome to come back for further advice until the issue is resolved. Please note that we currently have a high volume of clients seeking legal advice. TCVLS prioritizes appointments for those who have not yet received legal advice, but we will try to schedule you for a follow up appointment as best we can.  You can also call our office at (360) 705-8194 or toll-free 1-844-211-6916 and we will schedule you for the next available clinic appointment.

Bring ALL the paperwork you have regarding your legal issue.  For example, if you have a landlord-tenant issue bring your lease and any notices that you have received.   If it is a family law issue, bring any prior court orders or other legal documents.

If you did an intake with CLEAR, then they will send you the paperwork you need.   Another useful site to get forms is  www.WashingtonLawHelp.org.   Your local court might also have the forms available but will likely charge you for printing and delivery costs.   We have forms at the in-person clinics as well.

Only if you are a tenant participating in the appointed counsel or pre-filing stage of a rental housing issue. Otherwise, staff at TCVLS are not attorneys and are not allowed to give legal advice.  CLEAR does have attorneys on staff who can advise you over the phone.   CLEAR’s phone number is 888-201-1014.

Since the federal bankruptcy court is in Pierce County, we refer bankruptcy questions to the Volunteer Legal Services Program at the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association.

The phone number is (253) 572-5134.

TCVLS is not able to help you with criminal cases.   Each county court has attorneys who provide defense for those who cannot afford private attorneys.

Check with  your local Bar Association or the internet for attorneys who specialize in these types of legal cases.

Call our office at (360) 705-8194  or  toll-free at 1-888-211-6916.  We’ll help point you in the right direction!