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Questions and answers
Straight answers about what we do, what happens to your information, and where to find help. If your question isn't here, use our contact form.
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About Legal Rights Now
Is Legal Rights Now a law firm?
No. Legal Rights Now publishes plain-English guides to legal rights and accepts free case review requests. We don't give legal advice or represent anyone, and using the site doesn't create an attorney-client relationship.
Can you give me legal advice about my situation?
No. Our guides explain the law in general terms, and they may not fit your situation. For advice about your situation, talk to a licensed attorney in your state. If cost is a concern, legal aid may be able to help for free.
Where does the information in your guides come from?
From federal statutes and regulations, court records, and guidance published by agencies such as the CFPB, FTC, FCC, Department of Labor, EEOC, OSHA, HUD, FDA, CPSC and NHTSA. Each guide links to its sources and shows when it was last reviewed.
The free case review
Does it cost anything to request a case review?
No. There's no fee to request a case review.
What happens after I send a request?
Your request comes to Legal Rights Now so we can follow up with you about it. We may email you with a question or two. If your situation fits an area where independent attorneys review cases, we ask your permission before sharing anything with an attorney. If you say no, it goes no further.
Will a lawyer take my case?
We can't promise that. An attorney who reviews a situation decides independently whether to talk with you or take it on. Any agreement you make is between you and that attorney.
What if I already have a lawyer for this?
It's usually best to talk with your lawyer first. The form asks whether you've hired a lawyer, and you can still send a request.
Does sending a request stop the clock on a deadline?
No. A request to us doesn't file a claim, start a lawsuit or pause any deadline. If a deadline is close, contact a lawyer or your local legal aid office directly.
Your information
Will you sell or share my information?
We don't sell, rent or trade your information. We share your case review details with an independent attorney only if you give permission. We also use service providers, such as our website host and email provider, who handle information only to run the site and are not allowed to use it for their own marketing. The Privacy Policy has the details.
What shouldn't I put in the form?
Please leave out Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, account numbers and passwords. A few sentences about what happened, when, and who was involved is plenty.
Can I ask you to delete my information?
Yes. Send a request through our contact form using the email address you gave us, and we'll delete it unless the law requires us to keep it.
Text messages
Do I have to agree to text messages?
No. Both text message boxes on the case review form are optional and start unticked. You can send a request without agreeing to any texts.
How do I stop texts from Legal Rights Now?
Reply STOP to any message. Reply HELP for help. You can also use our contact form. See our SMS Terms.
Lawyers, costs and deadlines
How do lawyers usually charge for these kinds of cases?
It varies. Many injury lawyers work on a contingency fee, where the fee comes out of any recovery and there's no fee up front. Ask whether you would owe case costs, such as filing or expert fees, if there's no recovery. Some consumer and employment laws let a court order the other side to pay a winning person's attorney's fees. Other lawyers charge by the hour or a flat fee. Whatever the arrangement, ask for it in writing.
How long do I have to take action?
It depends on the type of problem and your state, and some deadlines are short. Some federal deadlines: an EEOC discrimination charge generally must be filed within 180 days, or 300 days in many places; a HUD fair housing complaint within one year; a lawsuit against a debt collector under the FDCPA within one year; and an unpaid overtime lawsuit under the FLSA within two years, or three if the violation was willful. A licensed attorney in your state can tell you which deadline applies.
Sources: EEOC, Time Limits for Filing a Charge (opens in a new tab); HUD, how to file a fair housing complaint (opens in a new tab); 15 U.S.C. § 1692k(d); 29 U.S.C. § 255(a).
I can't afford a lawyer. Where can I find free help?
Legal aid organizations give free civil legal help to people with low incomes. Find one at LawHelp.org (opens in a new tab) or with the Legal Services Corporation's search tool (opens in a new tab). USA.gov (opens in a new tab) also lists law school clinics and other low-cost options.
Want someone to look at your situation?
Tell us what happened in a few sentences. There's no fee to request a review, and nothing is shared with an attorney unless you say yes.
a few sentences is enough
Requesting a review doesn't file a claim or pause any deadline. We can't promise that a lawyer will take any case.
a few sentences is enough