Learn About The Law
Get help with your legal needs
FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.
Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff
(1) All court clerks' offices shall make available the standardized forms, instructions, and informational brochures required by this chapter, and shall keep current specific program names and telephone numbers for community resources, including civil legal aid and volunteer lawyer programs. Any assistance or information provided by clerks under this chapter, or any assistance or information provided by any person, including court clerks, employees of the department of social and health services, and other court facilitators, to complete the forms provided by the court, does not constitute the practice of law, and clerks are not responsible for incorrect information contained in a petition.
(2) All court clerks shall accept and provide community resource lists as described in (a) and (b) of this subsection, which the court shall make available as part of, or in addition to, the informational brochures described in RCW 7.105.115.
(a) The court clerk shall accept an appropriate community resource list from a domestic violence program and from a sexual assault program serving the county in which the court is located. The community resource list must include the names, telephone numbers, and, as available, website links of domestic violence programs, sexual assault programs, and elder abuse programs serving the community in which the court is located, including law enforcement agencies, domestic violence agencies, sexual assault agencies, civil legal aid programs, elder abuse programs, interpreters, multicultural programs, and batterers' treatment programs. The list must be made available in print and online.
(b) The court clerk may create a community resource list of crisis intervention, behavioral health, interpreter, counseling, and other relevant resources serving the county in which the court is located. The clerk may also create a community resource list for respondents to include suicide prevention, treatment options, and resources for when children are involved in protection order cases. Any list must be made available in print and online.
(c) Courts may make the community resource lists specified in (a) and (b) of this subsection available as part of, or in addition to, the informational brochures described in subsection (1) of this section, and should accept from the programs that provided the resource lists translations of them into the languages spoken by the county's top five significant non-English-speaking populations.
(3) Court clerks should not make an assessment of the merits of a petitioner's petition for a protection order or refuse to accept for filing any petition that meets the basic procedural requirements.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Washington Revised Code Title 7. Special Proceedings and Actions § 7.105.120. Filing--Court clerk duties - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/wa/title-7-special-proceedings-and-actions/wa-rev-code-7-105-120/
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.
A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw’s Learn About the Law.
Get help with your legal needs
FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.
Search our directory by legal issue
Enter information in one or both fields (Required)