Proxy Contest and Related Litigation	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]
Proxy Contest and Related Litigation	Proxy Contest and Related Litigation On March 29, 2012, Stilwell Value Partners II, L.P., one of a group of funds controlled by Joseph Stilwell (the “Stilwell Group”), submitted to First Financial Northwest a notice of the Stilwell Group's intent to nominate Joseph Stilwell and Spencer L. Schneider for election to First Financial Northwest's Board of Directors at its May 24, 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (“Annual Meeting”). The Federal Reserve subsequently advised the Stilwell Group that the solicitation of proxies to elect two directors to First Financial Northwest's Board of Directors, along with other actions the Stilwell Group had taken in connection with the proxy contest, could result in a controlling interest that would not be permitted under federal law. As a result, the Stilwell Group determined to nominate only Mr. Schneider for election to First Financial Northwest's Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting. Following the Annual Meeting, the independent inspector of election, Raymond Riley of Carl T. Hagberg and Associates (“Inspector of Election”), issued his Final Report which stated that (1) a quorum was present for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting; and (2) the opposition proxy holders did not submit an executed master ballot for the Stilwell Group's nominee prior to the closing of the polls. Thus, First Financial Northwest's nominees, Victor Karpiak, M. Scott Gaspard and Daniel L. Stevens, were each duly elected to serve for a three year term; the Stilwell Group's nominee did not receive the votes required for election to First Financial Northwest's Board of Directors. On June 7, 2012, the Stilwell Group filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of the State of Washington for King County (the "Court") against First Financial Northwest, Raymond Riley (the independent Inspector of Election) and Victor Karpiak, seeking to overturn the outcome of the election of directors at the Annual Meeting. The Stilwell Group's complaint alleged, among other things, that (i) proxy cards and proxy reporting service tabulations showed that the Stilwell Group's nominee, Spencer L. Schneider, received more shareholder support than Mr. Karpiak; (ii) the Inspector of Election should have determined the outcome of the election based on proxy cards and proxy reporting service tabulations alone and that submission of a master ballot by the opposition proxy holders was unnecessary; (iii) alternatively, the opposition group's master ballot should have been accepted late-after the polls had been declared closed; and (iv) if the absence of a timely master ballot means shareholders that returned proxies to the Stilwell Group did not vote, then those shareholders were not present for quorum purposes either, and the election was invalid for lack of a quorum. First Financial Northwest denied all of the Stilwell Group's allegations. On October 5, 2012, the Court heard oral argument concerning a motion for summary judgment filed by the Stilwell Group and the cross-motions for summary judgment filed by (1) First Financial Northwest and Victor Karpiak and (2) Raymond J. Riley, the Inspector of Election (collectively, the “Defendants”). On October 9, 2012, the Court issued an order in which it denied the Stilwell Group's motion for summary judgment and granted in part the Defendants' cross-motions. The Court agreed with the Defendants that the Inspector of Election correctly determined that the Stilwell Group did not cast a ballot before the time to vote had closed. The Court concluded, however, that certain material facts were in dispute that precluded it from ruling as a matter of law on whether the Inspector of Election correctly determined that he could not accept a master ballot that the Stilwell Group submitted after the polls had closed. In December 2012, First Financial Northwest and the Stilwell Group announced that a settlement in the case was reached. In connection with the settlement, First Financial Northwest entered into a Settlement Agreement and Mutual Releases on December 20, 2012, as amended on January 16, 2013 and February 26, 2013, with the Stilwell Group. The original Settlement Agreement provided, among other things, that (i) Spencer L. Schneider will be given a seat on First Financial Northwest's Board after First Financial Northwest and Mr. Schneider obtain any required regulatory approvals, and will then be nominated by First Financial Northwest at the 2013 Annual Meeting of Shareholders for a full three-year term; (ii) Victor Karpiak will resign as Chairman of the Board immediately after Mr. Schneider joins the Board, but Mr. Karpiak will remain a member of the Board until September 1, 2013, whereupon he will resign from the Board; (iii) First Financial Northwest will reimburse a portion of the Stilwell Group's proxy solicitation expenses in connection with the 2012 Annual Meeting; (iv) the Stilwell Group will support the Board's nominees in the director elections to be held at First Financial Northwest's 2013, 2014 and 2015 Annual Meetings of Shareholders; and (v) the litigation will be dismissed with mutual releases exchanged. Pursuant to the first amendment to the Settlement Agreement, the Company will appoint Kevin D. Padrick to its Board, rather than Mr. Schneider, subject to any required regulatory approvals, and will then nominate Mr. Padrick at the 2013 Annual Meeting of Shareholders for a full three-year term. Mr. Padrick is a Senior Principal of Obsidian Finance Group, LLC, whose offices are located in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The second amendment to the Settlement Agreement extended the time to allow for receipt of the required regulatory approvals. All other significant terms of the settlement remain the same. For more information regarding the settlement, please see First Financial Northwest's Form 8-Ks that were filed with the SEC on December 19, 2012, January 17, 2013 and February 26, 2013. Currently, the amount or range of reasonably possible losses related to the proxy contest litigation cannot be estimated.

Proxy Contest and Related Litigation

On March 29, 2012, Stilwell Value Partners II, L.P., one of a group of funds controlled by Joseph Stilwell (the “Stilwell Group”), submitted to First Financial Northwest a notice of the Stilwell Group's intent to nominate Joseph Stilwell and Spencer L. Schneider for election to First Financial Northwest's Board of Directors at its May 24, 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (“Annual Meeting”). The Federal Reserve subsequently advised the Stilwell Group that the solicitation of proxies to elect two directors to First Financial Northwest's Board of Directors, along with other actions the Stilwell Group had taken in connection with the proxy contest, could result in a controlling interest that would not be permitted under federal law. As a result, the Stilwell Group determined to nominate only Mr. Schneider for election to First Financial Northwest's Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting.

Following the Annual Meeting, the independent inspector of election, Raymond Riley of Carl T. Hagberg and Associates (“Inspector of Election”), issued his Final Report which stated that (1) a quorum was present for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting; and (2) the opposition proxy holders did not submit an executed master ballot for the Stilwell Group's nominee prior to the closing of the polls. Thus, First Financial Northwest's nominees, Victor Karpiak, M. Scott Gaspard and Daniel L. Stevens, were each duly elected to serve for a three year term; the Stilwell Group's nominee did not receive the votes required for election to First Financial Northwest's Board of Directors.

On June 7, 2012, the Stilwell Group filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of the State of Washington for King County (the "Court") against First Financial Northwest, Raymond Riley (the independent Inspector of Election) and Victor Karpiak, seeking to overturn the outcome of the election of directors at the Annual Meeting. The Stilwell Group's complaint alleged, among other things, that (i) proxy cards and proxy reporting service tabulations showed that the Stilwell Group's nominee, Spencer L. Schneider, received more shareholder support than Mr. Karpiak; (ii) the Inspector of Election should have determined the outcome of the election based on proxy cards and proxy reporting service tabulations alone and that submission of a master ballot by the opposition proxy holders was unnecessary; (iii) alternatively, the opposition group's master ballot should have been accepted late-after the polls had been declared closed; and (iv) if the absence of a timely master ballot means shareholders that returned proxies to the Stilwell Group did not vote, then those shareholders were not present for quorum purposes either, and the election was invalid for lack of a quorum. First Financial Northwest denied all of the Stilwell Group's allegations.

On October 5, 2012, the Court heard oral argument concerning a motion for summary judgment filed by the Stilwell Group and the cross-motions for summary judgment filed by (1) First Financial Northwest and Victor Karpiak and (2) Raymond J. Riley, the Inspector of Election (collectively, the “Defendants”).

On October 9, 2012, the Court issued an order in which it denied the Stilwell Group's motion for summary judgment and granted in part the Defendants' cross-motions. The Court agreed with the Defendants that the Inspector of Election correctly determined that the Stilwell Group did not cast a ballot before the time to vote had closed. The Court concluded, however, that certain material facts were in dispute that precluded it from ruling as a matter of law on whether the Inspector of Election correctly determined that he could not accept a master ballot that the Stilwell Group submitted after the polls had closed.

In December 2012, First Financial Northwest and the Stilwell Group announced that a settlement in the case was reached. In connection with the settlement, First Financial Northwest entered into a Settlement Agreement and Mutual Releases on December 20, 2012, as amended on January 16, 2013 and February 26, 2013, with the Stilwell Group. The original Settlement Agreement provided, among other things, that (i) Spencer L. Schneider will be given a seat on First Financial Northwest's Board after First Financial Northwest and Mr. Schneider obtain any required regulatory approvals, and will then be nominated by First Financial Northwest at the 2013 Annual Meeting of Shareholders for a full three-year term; (ii) Victor Karpiak will resign as Chairman of the Board immediately after Mr. Schneider joins the Board, but Mr. Karpiak will remain a member of the Board until September 1, 2013, whereupon he will resign from the Board; (iii) First Financial Northwest will reimburse a portion of the Stilwell Group's proxy solicitation expenses in connection with the 2012 Annual Meeting; (iv) the Stilwell Group will support the Board's nominees in the director elections to be held at First Financial Northwest's 2013, 2014 and 2015 Annual Meetings of Shareholders; and (v) the litigation will be dismissed with mutual releases exchanged.

Pursuant to the first amendment to the Settlement Agreement, the Company will appoint Kevin D. Padrick to its Board, rather than Mr. Schneider, subject to any required regulatory approvals, and will then nominate Mr. Padrick at the 2013 Annual Meeting of Shareholders for a full three-year term. Mr. Padrick is a Senior Principal of Obsidian Finance Group, LLC, whose offices are located in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The second amendment to the Settlement Agreement extended the time to allow for receipt of the required regulatory approvals. All other significant terms of the settlement remain the same.

For more information regarding the settlement, please see First Financial Northwest's Form 8-Ks that were filed with the SEC on December 19, 2012, January 17, 2013 and February 26, 2013.

Currently, the amount or range of reasonably possible losses related to the proxy contest litigation cannot be estimated.