Domestic court forms will soon be available in plain language

The “plain language” initiative could have a big impact in Cowlitz County, where nearly 60 percent of family law cases in the last seven months were handled “pro se,” meaning at least one party represented themselves without a lawyer. Laurie Garber, family lawyer with the Northwest Justice Project, said low- to middle-income families who can’t afford lawyers often get caught in a tangle of legalese and paperwork.