What if i can't afford an attorney?

Hiring an attorney is a stressful process. It’s often unclear where to start to choose an attorney or how you’ll pay for an attorney. This is by no means an exhaustive list of how to do so, but a starting point.
 
Free legal services. If you make 200% or less of the federal poverty line, you are generally entitled to receive free civil legal services in areas like family law (divorce, child custody/paternity, parenting plans), landlord-tenant (housing issues), and related areas. You are always entitled to free criminal help if you qualify—that is a Constitutional right, which we won’t cover here.
 
200% or less of the federal poverty line in a family of four making $30,750 - $61,500. The income level varies based on number of household members. To obtain free civil legal aid in Washington, you should contact CLEAR, which can connect you to the appropriate legal service providers in your community for your issue. More information can be found here: https://nwjustice.org/clear-hotline.
 
Reduced cost legal services. If you make 200 – 400% of the federal poverty income level ($61,500 - $123,000 for a family of four), you may be entitled to reduced cost legal services of “low bono” help. One option for this is the Moderate Means Program, which is part of the Washington State Bar Association’s service. Our founding principal helped work on its predecessor program in Spokane called GAAP. In the Moderate Means Program, attorneys agree to lower their hourly rates to assist clients who don’t qualify for free legal aid in areas such as family law, landlord-tenant, and consumer (like debt collection matters). To be referred to a Moderate Means attorney, find more information here: http://wsba.org/Legal-Community/Volunteer-Opportunities/Public-Service-Opportunities/Moderate-Means-Program/Moderate-Means-Legal-Help. Our GIANTlegal attorneys handle Moderate Means clients, but you must be referred by the program.
 
Contingent legal services. In many areas of the law, attorneys will agree to take your case on a contingent basis, meaning that the attorney does not get paid unless you get paid. This primarily occurs in personal injury (car accidents, medical malpractice, slip and falls), employment (wrongful termination, sexual harassment, discrimination in hiring and firing), consumer collection cases (debt collection), consumer construction cases (for licensed contractors only), and workers compensation (on the job injuries). If your legal matter involves one of these areas of the law, contact an attorney for a free consultation to determine if you need to retain a lawyer. The lawyer will take a percentage of any amounts you receive at the end of your matter.
 
Flat rate services. For many areas of the law, like basic wills and estate planning, business formations, employee handbooks and employment agreements, attorneys will charge the client a flat rate. If you are a small business or want to open a small business – or even if you aren’t so small – ask your attorney about flat rate services for things like this. At GIANTlegal, we charge flat rates for business setups, employee handbooks, review and drafting of employment contracts, and debtor-side Ch. 7 bankruptcies. 

As always, ask around and contact us with questions.