Editorial Policy

We work from primary sources

Legal topics get distorted quickly when one site summarizes another, which summarizes another. We try to avoid that by starting from primary sources rather than secondary write-ups:

• State statutes and codes, read directly rather than through a summary
• Court rules and published opinions, for topics where procedure or case law drives the answer
• Federal and state agency publications — for example, the Department of Labor, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or a state's courts self-help pages
• Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute (LII), which provides free, well-organized access to federal and state law
• State bar associations, for information on attorney referral, licensing, and consumer protection

When a topic genuinely varies by state — which is most of them — we say so, rather than writing as if a single national rule applies.

How an article gets written

A writer researches the topic against the primary sources above, drafts the article in plain English, and cites where the significant claims come from. We favor plain language over legal jargon; where a legal term is unavoidable (like “discovery” or “summary judgment”), we define it the first time it appears.

We flag uncertainty honestly. If a rule genuinely depends on which court you're in, or the outcome depends heavily on specific facts, the article says that instead of implying a cleaner answer than actually exists.

Review before publication

Before an article is published, it goes through an internal accuracy review: claims are checked against the cited sources, and the article is checked for anything that reads as advice about a specific situation rather than general information about how an area of law works. See our contributor and review process page for more on how that review is organized.

Keeping content current

Legislatures amend statutes, courts issue new decisions, and procedures change. We review content on a rolling basis and prioritize re-checking pages covering topics that change more often — things like filing fees, statutory deadlines, and benefit amounts. When a page is substantively updated, we note the change.

That said, no publication schedule can guarantee that a page reflects the law at the exact moment you read it. If a specific number, deadline, or procedure matters to your situation, confirm it against the current statute or with a licensed attorney before relying on it. Our legal disclaimer explains this in more detail.

Corrections

If you find an error, we want to know about it and we will fix it. Minor issues — typos, broken links, outdated formatting — are corrected without a public note. Substantive errors, such as a misstated deadline or an outdated rule, are corrected and, where the error was significant, the page notes what changed.

To report an error, email us through our contact page with a link to the page and a description of what you believe is wrong. Please include a citation or source where possible — it helps us verify and fix the issue faster.

Editorial independence

Legal Advice for Free does not accept payment from law firms, bar associations, or any other party in exchange for favorable coverage, placement, or omission of information. Content decisions are made based on what is accurate and useful to readers, not on any commercial relationship.