Hiring a Business Lawyer in Washington
How to form an LLC in Washington, the state fees and yearly filings, how to check a lawyer's license, and the state bar's fee rules. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Washington: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under Washington RPC 1.5(c), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client and must state how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal; litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery; and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated, clearly notifying the client of expenses owed whether or not the client prevails. At the end, the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the remittance and how it was determined. Where all or part of a recovery is paid in the future, the percentage fee is paid only as the client receives the amounts, or applied to the actual cost of the settlement or award to the defendant. RPC 1.5(d) bars fees in domestic relations matters contingent on securing a dissolution or annulment or on the amount of maintenance, support or property settlement, and contingent fees for defending a criminal case. |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Washington State Bar Association does not resolve fee disputes. It refers people to Resolution Washington and to the Washington State Dispute Resolution Centers listed by the courts. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | The WSBA's Client Protection Fund, overseen by the Client Protection Board, aims to relieve or mitigate a client's financial loss caused by a licensed legal professional's dishonesty or failure to account for money or property entrusted in connection with their law practice. Complete the Application Form (English or Spanish) and email it with supporting documents to cpfund@wsba.org; the CPF Procedures document is linked on the page. |
Washington rules to know first
| How to form an LLC | An LLC is formed by filing a Certificate of Formation with the Secretary of State, online through the Corporations and Charities Filing System or by mail or in person using the fillable PDF form. An Initial Report (recording principal office and governors) can be filed with the formation document for free, or within the first 120 days for an additional $10. After forming, the LLC must apply for a business license with the Department of Revenue. The Secretary of State pages reviewed did not state standard processing times for a Certificate of Formation. |
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| LLC filing fee | The Secretary of State lists the required filing fee for a Certificate of Formation for a domestic LLC at $180. The Secretary of State notes that all filings are subject to additional fees depending on the priority requested and delivery method. |
| Registered agent | Every domestic LLC and registered foreign LLC must have a registered agent who consents to accept legal documents for the business. The agent needs a physical address in Washington State; P.O. boxes and PMBs are prohibited. The agent may be a non-commercial registered agent (any person or business with a Washington address who agrees to serve, including a designated position or office title) or a commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State. A signed and dated consent to serve is required. |
| Annual report | An Annual Report must be filed every year to keep an LLC active. It is due by the business's expiration date, which is the last day of the month in which the business was first formed or registered, and can be filed up to 180 days early. The required filing fee is $70. An Amended Annual Report (to update information between reports) costs $10. |
| Operating agreement | The Secretary of State says LLCs must also create an operating agreement, a governance document establishing the LLC's rules and operations. An operating agreement is not recorded by the Secretary of State. |
| Closing an LLC | A Washington LLC files a Certificate of Dissolution with the Secretary of State to dissolve voluntarily; the required filing fee is $0. After 120 days the business is no longer eligible for reinstatement and is permanently dissolved. A foreign LLC files a Statement of Withdrawal (fee $0). |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Washington State Bar Association does not provide referrals to private attorneys. It points the public to local county bar association referral services in Clark, King, San Juan (by email request), Snohomish and Tacoma-Pierce Counties, and to the American Bar Association's lawyer referral directory. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Washington State Bar Association's Legal Directory lets anyone search currently licensed Washington lawyers (and limited practice officers and limited license legal technicians) for contact, license and discipline information. It shows license status and type (such as Active, Inactive, Suspended or Disbarred), email and phone, city, county and zip, and discipline notices on the profile; it does not show admission date or full street address. Practice details are voluntary and may be incomplete. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | The Washington State Bar Association reviews complaints (grievances) about a lawyer's ethical conduct. File online with the E-Grievance Form or print the Grievance Form and mail it to Washington State Bar Association, 1325 Fourth Ave., Suite 600, Seattle, WA 98101-2539; questions to intake@wsba.org or 800-945-9722 (206-443-9722 local). The WSBA suggests reading its guide 'Lawyer Discipline in Washington' and the grievance FAQ first. For help reestablishing communication or getting your client file, use the Request for Assistance Form instead. Discipline notices appear on lawyers' Legal Directory profiles. Online grievance form: https://onlinegrievance.wsba.org/ |
All legal help in Washington · Background guide
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.