Listing of self-help materials and informational publications.
There are 142 resources
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Home buyers & owners
Property Tax Exemptions for Senior Citizens and Disabled People
The property tax exemption is a way to lower the property taxes you have to pay by exempting all excess levies (like school construction bonds and other levies passed by voters) and sometimes part of regular levies on your home. The program does not apply to property where you do not live a majority of the time, or to more than one acre surrounding your home.
By: Northwest Justice Project
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Quitclaim Deeds and Life Estates Before transferring any property, it is best to consult with a lawyer to find out all the possible consequences of the transfer in your specific circumstances. Some lawyers will provide services free of charge or for a reduced fee for low-income people. Contact your local bar association for more information.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Reverse Mortgage Loans 3/05
By: Columbia Legal Services
Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure
(Separate Website)
If you are having trouble keeping up with your mortgage payments or you have received a notice from your lender asking you to contact them, here are some tips to help get you back on track.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Video - Foreclosure Mediation in Washington State
(Separate Website)
Basic Introduction to Washington's New Mediation Process for Homeowners Facing Foreclosure
Current as of December 2011.
By: Northwest Justice Project
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Spanish / Español
Video - Good Faith Foreclosure Mediation (& Not-So-Good)
(Separate Website)
An introduction to the "good faith" requirement in foreclosure mediation in Washington state with a dramatization of "A Very Good Faith Mediation."
By: Northwest Justice Project
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Spanish / Español
What to do If You are not Satisfied with a Construction Contractor's Work and Want to File Suit against the Contractor's Bond
0302EN - There are number of reasons why you may want to sue a construction contractor. The contractor did not finish the job you hired him to do, for example, or did not do a good job. If the contractor is bankrupt or does not have any other assets, you can sue against the contractor's bond.
By: Northwest Justice Project
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Credit Freeze and Fraud Alert
(Separate Website)
Several tools are available to help identity theft victims and potential victims in Washington. Instructions are provided for obtaining a credit report security freeze, a fraud alert or a free copy of your credit report. Which option is right for you will depend on your situation and eligibility.
By: Washington State Attorney General
Fighting Back Against Identity Theft
(Separate Website)
Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years - and their hard-earned money - cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit record. This site provides information on what to do if your identity has been stolen.
By: Federal Trade Commission
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Spanish / Español
Identity Theft & Privacy
(Separate Website)
Technological advances have made data-gathering and information-sharing easier than ever before, but this is a double-edged sword for consumers and businesses. Access to personal information?including Social Security numbers, addresses, credit card numbers, and personal buying habits?allows businesses to target audiences and customize sales efforts. But it also permits unwelcome invasions of personal privacy through telemarketing calls, fraudulent sales pitches and other uses consumers never intended.
By: Washington State Attorney General
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Spanish / Español
What to do if Your Personal Information has been Compromised
(Separate Website)
Companies or institutions that keep personal information about you have an obligation to safeguard it. Still, from time to time, the personal information they hold may be accidentally disclosed or deliberately stolen. If your information falls into the wrong hands, it may be misused to commit fraud against you.
By: Federal Trade Commission
2012 Free Tax Preparation Sites in Washington
A listing of free tax preparation sites around the state. Some sites offer free e-filing and can save you money.
By: IRS
IRS Forms and Publications
(Separate Website)
You can access all of the IRS tax forms from this web page.
By: Internal Revenue Service
AARP Tax Aide Sites
(Separate Website)
From February 1st through April 15th each year the AARP Tax-Aide program offers free one-on-one counselling as well as assistance on the telephone and internet to help individuals prepare basic tax forms including the 1040 1040A 1040EZ and other standard schedules. You can search by zip code to find the AARP Tax-Aide site nearest you.
By: AARP
Pierce County: Free Tax Preparation Sites A listing of free tax preparation sites in Pierce County for 2011.
By: Pierce County Asset Building Coalition
Tax Tips
Read this before you start on your taxes! Learn about how to get the most money back.
By: Northwest Justice Project
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Don't Pay to Borrow Your Own Money: The risks and costs of Tax Refund Anticipation Loans
(Separate Website)
This pdf brochure explains the risks and costs of tax refund anticipation loans.
By: National Consumer Law Center
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Chinese / 中文
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Korean / 한국어
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Russian / Pусский
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Spanish / Español
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Vietnamese / Tiếng Việt
Information for Low-Income Workers - Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC)
(Separate Website)
Find out if you quality for the EITC and CTC tax credits. You may be eligibile for thousands of dollars in tax credits.
By: Internal Revenue Service
Innocent Spouse Relief (Taxes)
(Separate Website)
Information about what you can do when ou signed a joint return with your spouse and . . .
You thought your spouse had paid the taxes due, or . . .The IRS increased your taxes because of your spouse?s unreported income or disallowed
deductions and . . .You knew nothing about your
spouse?s unreported or erroneous items when you signed the return. Now the IRS is asking you to pay
the tax owed on this joint return.
By: IRS
Tax Information for Members of the U.S. Armed Forces
(Separate Website)
Tax laws provide some special benefits for active members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including those serving in combat zones.
By: IRS
Native American Consumer Publications
(Separate Website)
A collection of useful online publications.
By: First Nations Development Institute
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Video
Short video explaining what the EITC is, who qualifies and how to file.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Earned Income Tax Credit Info for Members of the Military
(Separate Website)
Although certain combat pay may be nontaxable, military personnel can choose to include this pay in earned income, which may make them eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit.
By: IRS
Earned Income Tax Credit Info for Native Americans
(Separate Website)
Legal financial obligations / Restitution-reduction or Waiver of Interest
Interest Waiver Guide: A Guide on How to Obtain a Court Order Waiving or Reducing Interest on Legal Financial Obligations This brochure provides information and forms on how to obtain a court order waiving or reducing interest on legal financial obligations (LFOs) in Washington State. Defined by statute RCW 10.82.090, the court may, on motion by the offender, reduce or waive the interest on legal financial obligations ordered as a result of a criminal conviction.
By: American Civil Liberties Union of Washington Foundation
Other Formats:
DOCX File
Legal Financial Obligations (LFOs): Understanding How LFOs Work The purpose of this guide is to help educate people
about Legal Financial Obligations (LFOs) and how they work. LFOs include fees, fines, and restitution orders that are assessed by judges at the time of
criminal conviction.
By: Seattle University School of Law Access to Justice Institute
Beware of Dishonest Immigration Consultants
(Separate Website)
Those seeking to adjust their legal status or obtain work authorization in the United States are often bewildered by the complex immigration laws in this country. Unscrupulous immigration consultants take advantage of these circumstances in many different ways. Read about the different scams.
By: National Consumer Law Center
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Korean / 한국어
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Russian / Pусский
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Spanish / Español
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Vietnamese / Tiếng Việt
Lawyer or Notary? What's the Difference Between Them? Describes the differences between a notary public and a lawyer.
By: Northwest Justice Project
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Spanish / Español
Small Claims Court In Small Claims Court, a person may sue for up to $5,000. This court is meant to be a relatively quick, inexpensive way to resolve disputes that you've been unable to settle. The Small Claims Court is not complicated. Lawyers generally cannot participate and there are no juries, motions or objections. There is only a small charge for filing the lawsuit. A trial may be obtained much sooner than in other courts, and most trials are short, lasting about 20 minutes.
By: Northwest Justice Project
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Spanish / Español
What to do If Your Check Bounces
Provides options on what you can do if you receive an insufficient funds notice from your bank.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Other Formats:
PDF File
An Introduction to Small Claims Court
(Separate Website)
This brochure is intended to be a general statement of small claims procedure.
By: Administrative Office of the Courts
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Spanish / Español
How to Use Small Claims Court to Recover Wages If you are owed wages by your employer, you may use Small Claims Court to attempt to recover them. This publication contains instructions on the process.
By: Northwest Justice Project
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Spanish / Español
Small Claims Court In Small Claims Court, a person may sue for up to $5,000. This court is meant to be a relatively quick, inexpensive way to resolve disputes that you've been unable to settle. The Small Claims Court is not complicated. Lawyers generally cannot participate and there are no juries, motions or objections. There is only a small charge for filing the lawsuit. A trial may be obtained much sooner than in other courts, and most trials are short, lasting about 20 minutes.
By: Northwest Justice Project
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Spanish / Español
Borrower Beware: The High Cost of Small Loans, Pawn Brokers and Rent-to-Own Stores
(Separate Website)
Sometimes you may need to borrow a few hundred dollars because of an unexpected medical bill, broken appliance, or to buy a used car to obtain keep ajob. While the amount of cash you may need is small, the amount of interest you will repay may be large.
By: National Consumer Law Center
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Spanish / Español
Payday Loans
(Separate Website)
A payday loan is a small, unsecured, high interest, short-term cash loan. In most cases, consumers write a post-dated, personal check for the advance amount, plus a fee. The lender holds the check for the loan period and then deposits it, or the customer returns with cash to reclaim the check.
By: Washington State Department of Financial Institutions
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Spanish / Español
Payday Loans Equal Very Costly Cash
(Separate Website)
The ads are on the radio, television, the Internet, even in the mail. They refer to payday loans, cash advance loans, check advance loans, post-dated check loans, or deferred deposit loans. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, says that regardless of their name, these small, short-term, high-rate loans by check cashers, finance companies and others all come at a very high price.
By: Federal Trade Commission
Payday Loans: What to do if You Get Caught in the Debt Trap
A payday loan is a short-term, high-cost loan that must be paid back on or before your next payday, whether your income is from employment or government benefits. Payday loans are made by storefront lenders, check cashers, pawn shops, credit unions, and Internet-based providers.
By: Northwest Justice Project
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Discharging Student Loans Due To Disability 1172EN - This packet contains general information and forms to fill out for discharging student loans due to a severe disability.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Student Financial Aid and Welfare Benefits 7914EN - This publication explains the affect of receiving student financial aid when you also receive welfare benefits.
By: Northwest Justice Project
Student Loan Borrower Assistance
(Separate Website)
SLBA is focused on providing information about student loan rights and responsibilities for borrowers and advocates. SLBA also seeks to increase public understanding of student lending issues and to identify policy solutions to promote access to education, lessen student debt burdens and make loan repayment more manageable.
By: National Consumer Law Center
Student Loans: Default and Delinquency
(Separate Website)
General information on what you can do when you fall behind on paying your student loan.
By: Student Loan Borrower Assistance
Earned Income Tax Credit Info for Members of the Military
(Separate Website)
Although certain combat pay may be nontaxable, military personnel can choose to include this pay in earned income, which may make them eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit.
By: IRS
Military OneSource Tax Services
(Separate Website)
Military OneSource offers free tax consultations and free e-filing for active duty, Guard, Reserve and their family members.
By: U.S. Department of Defense
Tax Information for Members of the U.S. Armed Forces
(Separate Website)
Tax laws provide some special benefits for active members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including those serving in combat zones.
By: IRS
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Washington LawHelp is provided as a public service by the Northwest Justice Project in collaboration with other legal aid providers in the Alliance for Equal Justice and Washington courts.
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