How the Court Can Help You

Seattle Municipal Court staff are dedicated to helping you as much as possible. However, the law limits the type of help we can provide. Please see below for information about what we can and cannot do.

We Can

We can tell you how to find laws, court rules and procedures.
We can tell you about court schedules and how to get something scheduled.
We can suggest resources for finding a lawyer, legal clinic, etc.
We can help you get public information from case files.
We can provide assistance on using public access terminals.
We can give or refer you to court forms, rules, and instructions.
We can provide you with copies of public court documents.
We can tell you how to pay fines, fees, and outstanding account balances.

We Cannot

We cannot tell you what you should say in court.
We cannot tell you whom to sue.
We cannot tell you whether you should file a case.
We cannot refer you to specific lawyers, contact lawyers for you, or give you answers that are considered legal advice.
We cannot tell you how your case might come out.
We cannot tell you if you should (or shouldn't) do something in your case.
We cannot tell you how to fill out forms, nor may we fill them out for you.
We cannot correct forms for you or tell you what corrections should be made.
We cannot change a judge's order or arrange for you to talk to a judge privately.

When you need help and don't know how to get it, please ask!

We are glad to help. Occasionally, there may be a long wait time for information. We really appreciate your patience!