Hiring Process

Low-Cost Legal Representation After the Consultation

Many students decide to hire Student Legal Services (SLS) for ongoing representation and assistance after the free consultation – the same day, or next week, or next month, or next quarter, or even later. Depending on your case, our advocacy may include reviewing contracts, research, interviewing witnesses, negotiating with opposing parties, creating and filing legal documents, and representing you in court.

“I was constantly informed about the progress in my case and the cost for services was affordable. The counselors were always helpful and made the process easy for me.”

Hiring Process, Fees, and Costs

After the free legal consultation, you may wish to retain SLS for further legal services. SLS reserves the right to choose which cases to accept for ongoing representation. To hire SLS, you review and sign our authorization and fee agreement and pay a $10 administrative fee.

Our hourly fee currently starts at $20 per hour for all matters filed in courts in the city limits of Seattle, Shoreline, Bellevue, and Redmond, and for matters not filed in any court. Reciprocal estate planning with a spouse and matters filed in other courts in King County are billed at $40 per hour. SLS rarely accepts cases outside of King County. If SLS accepts representation in these counties, you will be billed $50 per hour and will not be eligible for a fee waiver or reduction.

The client also pays all costs of litigation, including filing fees and service of process. A waiver or reduction of the SLS hourly fee may be available for students with exceptional financial hardship who make a written request and disclose required financial information.

Have an SLS invoice that you need to pay? The HUB is now taking online payments! To pay your bill, visit TouchNet and select “Student Legal Services Invoice”. If you have any questions, please email hubcash@uw.edu.

Students often hire SLS for these types of legal matters

• Immigration (adjustment of status, filing paperwork)
• Landlord/tenant disputes
• Contracts
• Consumer and credit issues
• Marital or relationship issues, including dissolution (divorces), legal separation, parentage, and child support
• Uncontested family law cases
• Estate planning (wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives)
• Criminal
• Traffic matters
• Restraining orders
• Insurance coverage disputes
• Non-injury car or bike accidents
• Internet scams

Students cannot  hire SLS for these types of legal matters

Although SLS provides free legal consultations for any legal questions, the following are areas in which SLS will not provide ongoing representation:

• Bankruptcy
• Business formation
• Contested family matters
• Criminal cases for felony charges
• Evaluation of work of other attorneys
• Fee-generating personal injury cases
• Immigration matters, in which the student will require assistance post-graduation. In that case, we can provide consultations but not ongoing representation.
• Legal issues of a student’s friends or family members
• Matters involving the University of Washington, including, but not limited to, Housing and Food Services, academic departments, and faculty or staff.
• Out-of-state cases. However, SLS can be hired to facilitate communication with out-of-state legal counsel.
• Tax matters

Regardless of the nature of your legal matter, we encourage you to contact us for a consultation. For questions about case eligibility not addressed on our website, please phone our office at 206.543.6486.