Clear answers about your rights after an injury, a debt call, or trouble at work or home.

start with the date it happened

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Reading the morning's mail at the kitchen table.

Legal Rights Now explains everyday U.S. law in plain English, using official sources like the CFPB, EEOC, HUD and FDA. Each guide covers what the law generally says, what to do now, what to keep, and which deadlines matter.

Request a free case review Browse the guides

No fee to request a review. Not a law firm.

Start with what happened

Pick the guide closest to your situation. Each one names the law, explains it in plain words, and links straight to the agency that handles that kind of problem.

  1. Hurt by a medication, medical device or product

    What product liability means, how FDA and CPSC recalls work, how mass torts and MDLs are organized, and what to save.

    Read the product injury guide

  2. Injured in a car or truck crash, or another accident

    The first steps after a crash, dealing with insurance companies, the evidence that tends to disappear, and why your state's deadline matters.

    Read the accident guide

  3. Debt collectors, robocalls, credit report errors and data breaches

    Your rights under the FDCPA, the TCPA and the FCRA, how to dispute a debt or a credit report error, and what to do after a breach notice.

    Read the consumer rights guide

  4. Unpaid wages, discrimination or an unsafe job

    Overtime and minimum wage under the FLSA, EEOC charge deadlines, retaliation, and OSHA safety complaints.

    Read the workplace guide

  5. Repairs, deposits, eviction or housing discrimination

    What usually comes from state and local law, what federal law covers, and how to file a fair housing complaint with HUD.

    Read the tenant guide

What happens when you request a review

No pressure and no fine print surprises. Here is the whole process, start to finish.

  1. Step 1: You tell us what happened

    A short form asks for your state, the kind of problem, roughly when it happened, and a description in your own words. It takes a few minutes.

  2. Step 2: We read it and follow up

    Your request comes to Legal Rights Now. We may email you with a question or two so we understand the situation.

  3. Step 3: You decide whether it goes to an attorney

    If your situation fits an area where independent attorneys review cases, we ask your permission before sharing anything with one. If you say no, it goes no further.

  4. Step 4: The attorney makes their own decision

    An attorney who looks at your situation decides independently whether to talk with you or take it on. We can't promise that any lawyer will take a case, and any agreement you make is between you and that attorney.

There's no fee to request a review, and we never sell your information.

Start your request See what happens to your details

Six things federal law already says

These are general federal rules. Your state may add more protection or set different deadlines.

Federal time limits on this list: 30 days (items 2 and 6), 180 days and 300 days (item 4), and one year (item 5).

  1. Debt collectors generally can't contact you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your time, unless you agree to it.

    Source: Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, as explained by the Federal Trade Commission (opens in a new tab)

  2. If you dispute a debt in writing within 30 days of the collector's validation notice, the collector has to stop collecting until it sends you written verification.

    Source: Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, as explained by the Federal Trade Commission (opens in a new tab)

  3. Unless they're exempt, employees covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act must be paid at least time and one-half their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek.

    Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (opens in a new tab)

  4. A charge of job discrimination with the EEOC generally has to be filed within 180 calendar days. That becomes 300 days where a state or local agency enforces a law against the same kind of discrimination.

    Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (opens in a new tab)

  5. A housing discrimination complaint under the Fair Housing Act can be filed with HUD within one year of the last discriminatory act.

    Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (opens in a new tab)

  6. When you dispute an error with a credit bureau, the bureau generally has 30 days to investigate.

    Source: Fair Credit Reporting Act, as explained by the Federal Trade Commission (opens in a new tab)

deadlines differ by state, check yours

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Notes, printouts and photos laid out on a table.

Built from the law and the agencies that enforce it

Every guide starts with the statute and the official agency guidance behind it. We name the law, link to the source, and say plainly when something depends on your state. We don't publish case results, client stories or promises, because no one can tell you what your situation is worth from a web page. Guides were last reviewed in October 2026.

More about Legal Rights Now
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A sheet of paper and a quiet bench in the afternoon sun.

If cost is the worry

Legal aid organizations give free civil legal help to people with low incomes, including help with evictions, debt, and problems at work. Find the nearest one at LawHelp.org (opens in a new tab) or with the Legal Services Corporation's search tool (opens in a new tab).

Questions people ask first

Read all questions
Is Legal Rights Now a law firm?

No. We publish plain-English guides and accept free case review requests. We don't give legal advice, and using the site doesn't create an attorney-client relationship.

Does it cost anything to request a review?

No. There's no fee to request a case review.

Will my information be sold?

No. We don't sell your information. It goes to an independent attorney only if you give permission.

Does sending a request stop a deadline?

No. A request to us doesn't file a claim or pause any deadline. If a deadline is close, contact a lawyer or legal aid office directly.

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.

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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