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Know the rules before you need them: courts, evictions, and paycheck law.
Legal problems are expensive mostly because of information asymmetry. The other side, the landlord, the employer, the contractor who vanished, does this routinely. You do it once. These references exist to close that gap for the most common situations ordinary people actually face, and to be clear about what they are: information, not legal advice. For anything with real money or real consequences on the line, talk to a lawyer in your state.
Small claims court is the people's court in the best sense. No lawyers needed, filing fees of $30 to $75, and limits from $2,500 to $25,000 depending on the state. It handles exactly the disputes that otherwise go unresolved: the $2,800 contractor deposit, the $1,200 security deposit, the $900 vendor no-show. The limit and fee references cover all 51 jurisdictions. My strong opinion after watching these play out: most defendants pay within days of being served, because the letter from the court concentrates the mind wonderfully.
Eviction law cuts both ways and both sides should know it. Tenants should know that notice periods range from 3 to 90 days and that defective notices are invalid, because landlords routinely serve bad ones. Landlords should know the exact requirements too, because serving the wrong notice restarts a clock you already waited through, and self-help measures like changing locks create liability that dwarfs the lost rent.
Employment law has its own deadlines that favor the informed. Final paycheck rules vary from immediate payment to the next regular payday, and employers violate them constantly. Jury duty pay is the odd one: most states require little or nothing from employers, but a few mandate full pay. Know your state's rule before you serve.
The common thread across every tool here: procedure beats outrage, every single time. The correct notice, served properly and on schedule, outperforms the angry phone call by orders of magnitude. Learn the deadlines before the dispute starts, document everything from day one, and let the process do the heavy lifting for you.
When your employer legally owes your final paycheck, by state.
Open the tool →It depends on your state: limits range from $2,500 in some states to $25,000 in others, with most falling between $5,000 and $10,000. Filing fees are typically $30 to $75. You represent yourself and the process is designed for non-lawyers.
No. Every state requires written notice with a legally specified period, ranging from 3 days for nonpayment in some states to 90 days for no-cause terminations in others. Lockouts, utility shutoffs, and removing belongings without a court order are illegal everywhere.
State law controls, and it varies widely: some states require payment on your last day, others by the next regular payday, a few allow additional days. Many states add daily penalties for late payment. Check your state's deadline in the reference.