Legal Disclaimer
Last updated: August 22, 2026
This page exists so there's no ambiguity about what Hard Legal is. Please read it — it's short, and it's the honest frame around everything else on the site.
Educational information, not legal advice
Every article on hardlegal.com is general educational information about how legal processes typically work in the United States. No article is legal advice. Legal advice means applying the law to your specific facts — and that's something only a licensed attorney in your state can responsibly do. This site deliberately never does it: articles explain processes, define terms, and link to official sources, but they do not and cannot tell you what to do in your situation.
No attorney-client relationship
Reading this site, emailing its author, or commenting on its content does not create an attorney-client relationship. It couldn't: the author, Evan Callahan, is not an attorney — he's a researcher who translates official sources into plain English, and the site says so everywhere, because pretending otherwise would be both illegal and gross.
Laws change, and they vary by state
Most everyday law — landlord-tenant, small claims, traffic, employment — is state law, and the fifty states genuinely differ on deadlines, dollar limits, and procedures. Articles here name that variation and link to official state sources, but no article can cover every state's current rule. The number that was right when an article was last updated may have changed. Before you rely on any specific fee, deadline, or threshold, check the official source linked beside it.
When you need a real lawyer — and how to find one, free or cheap
If a legal question is live in your own life — you've been sued, you're facing eviction, a deadline is running, money or your record is at stake — that's when general information stops being enough. Good news: real help is more findable than most people think.
- Legal aid (free, civil cases, income-qualified): The Legal Services Corporation funds nonprofit legal aid offices in every state that represent income-eligible people in civil matters like housing, benefits, and family law, at no charge.
- LawHelp.org: LawHelp.org routes you to free legal aid programs and plain-language legal information for your state.
- State bar lawyer referral services: Most state and local bar associations run referral lines that match you with a vetted attorney, often with a low-cost initial consultation. Find yours through the American Bar Association's Find Legal Help directory.
- ABA Free Legal Answers: Income-eligible users can ask civil legal questions online and get answers from volunteer attorneys at ABA Free Legal Answers.
- USA.gov: The federal government's own directory of legal help options, including law school clinics, is at usa.gov/legal-aid.
- Criminal cases: If you're charged with a crime and can't afford a lawyer, you have a constitutional right to a court-appointed attorney — ask the court at your first appearance.
For a fuller walkthrough of these options and what different kinds of legal help cost, see Do You Need a Lawyer for That?
Liability
Hard Legal and its author disclaim all liability for actions taken or not taken based on this site's content, to the fullest extent permitted by law. See the Terms of Use.