Quick-reference guides covering the rules that come up most often for renters, consumers, and people heading to small claims. Read them here or download the PDF.
A plain-English map of the American court system: what makes a case civil or criminal, the people you'll see in a courtroom, the step-by-step path each kind of case follows, the three standards of proof, the difference between state and federal court, and the free help available at every stage.
Category: Going to Court · Coverage: All states · ~8 pages
A plain-English walkthrough of the rules that come up most often for renters — getting a security deposit back, repair remedies, landlord-entry notice, the eviction timeline, and protections against lockouts and retaliation. Choose your state on the guide to see local deposit caps, notice periods, and deadlines.
Category: Renting · Coverage: All states · ~9 pages
Most security-deposit disputes never need a lawyer. This guide walks through the four steps that work in almost every case: documenting the move-out, requesting the itemization, sending a formal demand letter, and (if needed) filing in small claims.
Category: Renting · Coverage: All states · ~7 pages
Small claims court was designed for people without lawyers. This guide explains the filing process, evidence rules, and hearing format common to small-claims courts in every state, plus how to find your own state's dollar limit.
Category: Going to Court · Coverage: All states · ~7 pages
A plain-English overview of the divorce process, child-custody factors, child-support guidelines, alimony, and protective orders in every state — written for people deciding whether they need a family-law lawyer.
Category: Family · Coverage: All states · ~8 pages
A practical guide to cease and desist letters: what they are (and aren't), the four most common types you'll receive, how to evaluate the underlying claim, and the elements of a well-crafted C&D when you're the one sending it.
Category: Small Business · Coverage: All states · ~7 pages
An overview of the major U.S. immigration categories: nonimmigrant visas, employment- and family-based green cards, the adjustment of status process, work authorization rules, and the steps to naturalization.
Category: Immigration · Coverage: Federal · ~8 pages
A plain-English walkthrough of the family, employment, humanitarian, and diversity-lottery routes to a U.S. green card, plus the difference between adjustment of status and consular processing and the mistakes that most often derail an application.
Category: Immigration · Coverage: Federal · ~7 pages
A focused walkthrough of Form I-765 — eligibility categories, the filing process, processing-time realities, automatic renewal extensions, and the serious consequences of working without authorization.
Category: Immigration · Coverage: Federal · ~6 pages
A plain-English guide to the constitutional rights that apply to everyone on U.S. soil — how to recognize an administrative vs. judicial warrant, how to invoke the right to remain silent and to counsel, and how to build a family preparedness plan before anything happens.
Category: Immigration · Coverage: Federal · ~6 pages
A 6-section guide to writing and sending a cease and desist letter that gets results: pinning down the legal hook, drafting clear demands, picking a delivery channel that creates proof of service, and knowing when to escalate.
Category: Small Business · Coverage: All states · ~6 pages
A 6-section guide to responding to a cease and desist letter: triaging the demands, stress-testing the legal claim, preserving evidence, deciding whether to comply, and drafting a response that keeps your options open.
Category: Small Business · Coverage: All states · ~6 pages
A 5-section guide to filing a Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown notice: confirming the work is yours, finding the right designated agent, drafting a notice that meets the statutory requirements, and handling the counter-notice process if it comes back.
Category: Small Business · Coverage: Federal · ~5 pages
A plain-English guide to anti-SLAPP statutes across all 50 states: what kinds of speech are covered, how the early motion to dismiss works, the fee-shifting rules, and how protection differs from one state to the next — including the states that have no anti-SLAPP law at all.
Category: Small Business · Coverage: All states · ~7 pages
A plain-English guide to your rights when you're fired or laid off in any U.S. state: at-will employment and its limits, the illegal reasons no employer can fire you for, how final-paycheck timing and unemployment work, and what to read before signing severance. State-specific numbers come from your-state panels and the 50-state comparison table on this page.
Category: Work · Coverage: All states · ~8 pages
A plain-English walkthrough of U.S. wage and hour law: the federal minimum wage and overtime rules that apply in every state, the common ways pay gets shorted, and the ladder for recovering unpaid wages. Because the exact numbers depend on where you work, this guide points you to your state's minimum wage, paid sick leave, and final-paycheck figures rather than guessing them.
Category: Work · Coverage: All states · ~8 pages
Estate planning isn't just for the wealthy. This guide explains the four core documents most adults need, how probate works, and why your state — not you — decides who inherits if you die without a will. Intestacy rules and small-estate shortcuts vary by state; find yours in the panel and table on this page.
Category: Wills & Estates · Coverage: All states · ~8 pages
A plain-English guide to your federal rights when a debt collector calls. Covers the FDCPA, debt validation, the statute of limitations on old debt, debt lawsuits, and wage-garnishment limits — with a panel and table to find the figures that depend on your state.
Category: Money & Debt · Coverage: All states · ~8 pages
A crash sets off a clock and a paper trail. This guide walks through the scene, your medical records, insurance claims, and fault rules, with the parts that vary by state — your injury-claim deadline, how shared fault is handled, and uninsured-motorist rules — pulled from your own state's official sources.
Category: Injuries & Accidents · Coverage: All states · ~8 pages
Expungement and record-sealing rules differ enormously from state to state. This guide explains the general shape common to most states — the vocabulary, who tends to qualify, the petition process, and 'clean slate' automatic sealing — plus how to find your own state's waiting period and forms.
Category: Crime & Police · Coverage: All states · ~8 pages
A limited liability company is formed under your state's law, so a few specifics — the filing fee, the business-license rules — depend on where you set up. This guide walks through the steps that look the same in every state, points you to your own state's official numbers, and explains the ongoing habits that keep an LLC's protection from quietly falling apart.
Category: Small Business · Coverage: All states · ~8 pages
Being served with a lawsuit is stressful, but the response process follows the same general shape across the country. This guide explains the summons and complaint, what an Answer is, and how to find your own state's deadline to respond — which varies by state and by how you were served.
Category: Going to Court · Coverage: All states · ~8 pages
These guides are general information about the law, not legal advice for your specific situation. Statutes change, and the right answer for your case can depend on facts not covered in a guide. Talk to a licensed attorney in your state before making decisions that affect your rights.