Free legal calculators and guides for everyday problems

VeriAdvisor helps people in the United States work through common legal problems before they decide what to do: getting a security deposit back, a landlord who will not make repairs, a late final paycheck, unpaid overtime, a refund the store refuses, or a debt collector who will not stop calling.

The calculators work out deadlines, amounts and penalties from the statute that applies, and the letter templates help you put a demand in writing. The guides explain the rules, how several large states differ, and what to do next. Every page cites the statutes and government sources it relies on. This is general legal information, not legal advice; for your situation, talk to a licensed attorney or your local legal aid office.

Calculators

Renting and housing

• Security Deposit Return Deadline CalculatorCalculate the exact statutory date your landlord must return your deposit and itemized deductions—and check if you are owed 2x–3x bad-faith penalties.
• Normal Wear and Tear vs. Tenant Damage Legal CheckerAudit every deduction on your landlord's move-out bill against statutory housing standards to separate illegal ordinary wear charges from chargeable damage.
• Security Deposit Bad-Faith Statutory Penalty Calculator (2x–3x Damages)Calculate your total Small Claims Court recovery including unreturned principal, statutory bad-faith multipliers (2x or 3x), and pre-judgment interest.
• Rental Carpet, Paint & Appliance Depreciation CalculatorCalculate the exact pro-rated remaining useful life of rental carpets, interior paint, blinds, and appliances so your landlord cannot charge full new replacement cost.
• Security Deposit Return Demand Letter GeneratorGenerate a formal, statute-cited pre-lawsuit Demand Letter to recover your wrongfully withheld rental deposit before filing in Small Claims Court.
• Landlord Itemized Deduction & $125 Receipt Rule ValidatorVerify whether your landlord's move-out deduction statement complies with statutory documentation, invoice, and hourly labor disclosure laws.
• Pre-Move-Out Initial Inspection Rights & Evidence AuditorVerify your statutory right to a walkthrough inspection before moving out—and check if your landlord forfeited deductions by failing to notify you.
• Implied Warranty of Habitability & Rent Abatement EvaluatorAssess whether severe housing defects (no heat, plumbing leaks, mold, pest infestation, broken locks) violate statutory habitability laws and entitle you to rent reduction.
• Tenant 'Repair and Deduct' Statutory Limit & Eligibility CalculatorCalculate the maximum amount you can legally spend to fix urgent habitability defects yourself and deduct directly from next month's rent.
• Rent Increase Cap & Notice Period Legality Calculator (AB 1482 & Local Caps)Check whether your landlord's proposed rent hike exceeds statutory rent-cap limits (e.g., California AB 1482 5% + CPI or max 10%) and verify required advance notice.
• Late Rent Fee Cap & Statutory Grace Period CheckerCheck whether your landlord's late fee violates state percentage caps, mandatory grace periods, or prohibitions on punitive liquidated damages.
• Landlord Illegal Entry & 24-Hour Notice Violation Warning GeneratorCheck whether your landlord's unannounced entry violated statutory privacy laws and generate a formal Cease Unlawful Entry & Quiet Enjoyment Notice.
• Penalty-Free Early Lease Termination Rights CheckerDetermine whether you qualify to break your residential lease early with ZERO penalty under statutory protections (habitability, military SCRA, domestic safety, illegal unit).
• Early Lease Break & Landlord 'Duty to Mitigate' Cost CalculatorCalculate your true maximum liability when breaking a lease early—accounting for the landlord's statutory duty to re-rent the unit and prohibiting double-dipping.
• Eviction Notice (3-Day / 30-Day / 60-Day) Legal Validity & Defect CheckerScan an eviction or 'Pay or Quit' notice for fatal procedural defects that require a court to dismiss an Unlawful Detainer lawsuit.
• Prorated Rent Calculator (30-Day Banker's Rule vs. Actual Calendar Month)Calculate your exact partial-month rent when moving in or moving out mid-month—comparing the statutory 30-day uniform method against actual calendar days.
• Roommate Deposit Split & Sublease Indemnification Agreement GeneratorGenerate a binding Roommate & Subtenant Agreement covering rent shares, security deposit allocation, utility splits, and hold-harmless protection.
• UK Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDS) 1x–3x Compensation CalculatorCalculate your mandatory 1x to 3x statutory compensation claim if your England, Wales, or Scotland landlord failed to protect your deposit or serve Prescribed Information within 30 days.
• Hong Kong Tenancy Stamp Duty (打厘印) & Break Clause Notice CalculatorCalculate exact Hong Kong IRD Tenancy Stamp Duty rates (0.25% / 0.5% / 1%) and verify Fixed Term ('死約') vs. Flexible Term ('生約') early termination dates.
• Small Claims Security Deposit Lawsuit ROI & Evidence Readiness CalculatorCalculate your net recovery after court filing fees, service of process costs, and bad-faith multipliers—plus generate your hearing exhibit checklist.

Work and pay

• Final Paycheck Waiting Time Penalty Calculator (Up to 30 Days' Daily Wage)Calculate your statutory daily waiting time penalty when an employer fails to issue your final paycheck on time after termination or resignation.
• Unpaid Overtime & Double-Time Liquidated Damages Calculator (FLSA & State)Calculate unpaid 1.5x overtime, 2.0x California daily double-time, plus mandatory 100% FLSA liquidated damages (double recovery).
• Salaried Exempt vs. Non-Exempt Overtime Misclassification CheckerJust because you are paid a fixed salary or given a 'Manager' title does NOT make you exempt from overtime. Test both the Salary Basis and Duties Tests.
• Missed Meal & Rest Break Premium Pay Calculator (1 Hour Extra Pay per Day)Calculate your statutory premium wages (up to 2 extra hours of pay per workday) for missed, late, interrupted, or short lunch and rest breaks.
• Unused PTO & Vacation Pay Cash-Out Calculator at TerminationCalculate your mandatory final vacation payout and check whether your employer's 'Use-It-Or-Lose-It' forfeiture policy is illegal in your state.
• 1099 Independent Contractor vs. W-2 Employee Misclassification Checker (ABC Test)Test whether your employer illegally misclassified you as a 1099 Independent Contractor—and calculate unpaid overtime, 7.65% FICA tax reimbursement, and expense recovery.
• Severance Package Fairness & Negotiation Leverage CalculatorBenchmark your layoff severance offer against industry formulas (1–4 weeks per year of service), COBRA health coverage value, and legal claim release leverage.
• WARN Act Mass Layoff 60-Day Back-Pay Calculator (Federal & Cal-WARN)Check whether your mass layoff violated the 60-day advance written notice requirement under the federal WARN Act or California/NY mini-WARN laws.
• Non-Compete Clause Void & Unenforceability Checker (State-by-State)Check if the non-compete agreement in your employment contract is 100% void and illegal under state bans (CA, MN, OK, ND) or low-wage salary thresholds.
• Unpaid Wages, Commissions & Expense Reimbursement Demand Letter GeneratorGenerate a formal statutory Wage Demand Letter citing FLSA and state labor penalties (2x/3x liquidated damages + daily waiting time penalties).
• Workplace Retaliation & Wrongful Termination Prima Facie Case CheckerEvaluate the strength of your whistleblower or workplace retaliation claim using the 3-element legal standard: Protected Activity, Adverse Action, and Causal Temporal Proximity.
• FMLA & State Medical/Parental Leave Eligibility & Return Date CalculatorVerify your 12-week job-protected leave eligibility (1,250 hours & 12 months service) and calculate your exact protected return-to-work date.
• Sales Commission Withholding & Post-Termination Clawback Legality CheckerAudit your written Commission Plan against state wage laws to determine if your employer illegally forfeited earned commissions or unlawfully deducted 'draw' clawbacks.
• Job Offer Revoked After Background Check? FCRA & 'Ban the Box' Violation CheckerCheck whether an employer violated the mandatory 2-step Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) pre-adverse action notice rules—carrying $100–$1,000 statutory damages plus punitive damages.
• UK Statutory Redundancy Pay & Notice Period CalculatorCalculate your exact tax-free UK Statutory Redundancy Pay (up to £30,000 tax-free) and statutory notice pay under the Employment Rights Act 1996.
• Hong Kong Severance Payment & Long Service Payment Calculator (Post-MPF Abolition)Calculate your statutory Severance Payment (遣散費) or Long Service Payment (長期服務金) under Hong Kong Cap. 57 using the 2/3 × HK$22,500 cap formula.
• Germany (§ 622 BGB) & France Statutory Termination Notice & Severance CalculatorCalculate mandatory European statutory notice periods based on seniority and standard German Abfindung (0.5 month/year) or French Indemnité de licenciement.
• Freelancer Unpaid Invoice Statutory Late Interest & Double Damages CalculatorCalculate statutory late interest and double-damages penalties under freelance protection laws (NYC/NY 'Freelance Isn't Free' Act, California SB 988, UK Late Payment Act).
• Employee Side-Project & Invention Assignment (Labor Code § 2870) Ownership CheckerDetermine whether your personal startup, app, or side project belongs 100% to you under state 'Moonlighting IP Carve-Out' laws—or if your employer can claim ownership.
• EEOC, NLRB & State Labor Board Statute of Limitations CalculatorCalculate your strict administrative filing deadline (180 days, 300 days, 1 year, or 3 years) before your workplace discrimination, retaliation, or wage claim expires.

Consumer rights

• Store Return & Refund Policy Legal Rights Checker (US, UK & EU)Check whether a seller's 'No Refunds / Final Sale' refusal is illegal under conspicuous disclosure statutes, defective goods warranties, or 14-day cooling-off laws.
• Credit Card Chargeback Win-Probability & Reason Code Evaluator (FCBA)Evaluate your federal Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) dispute rights and match your claim to official Visa/Mastercard/Amex Chargeback Reason Codes.
• Unlawful Auto-Renewal Subscription Refund Demand Generator (ARL & ROSCA)Generate a statutory refund demand when a SaaS app, streaming service, or membership auto-renewed you without mandatory reminder notices or 1-click cancellation.
• Vehicle Lemon Law Buyback & Replacement Qualification CalculatorCheck if your new or warrantied vehicle meets the statutory repair-attempt or 30-days-in-the-shop presumption for a full manufacturer repurchase or replacement.
• Used Car 'As-Is' Sale Exceptions & Dealer Fraud CheckerEven if a dealer stamped 'AS-IS' on your contract, multiple federal and state laws void 'As-Is' disclaimers. Check if you can force a cancellation and refund.
• Flight Delay & Cancellation Compensation Calculator (EU261, UK261 & US DOT)Calculate your mandatory cash compensation (€250 / €400 / €600 or £520 per passenger) plus automatic US DOT cash refund entitlements.
• Airline Lost, Delayed & Damaged Baggage Compensation CalculatorCalculate your maximum statutory airline baggage reimbursement under the US DOT ($4,700 limit) and the Montreal Convention (1,519 SDR / ~$2,000 international limit).
• Gym & Health Club Statutory Cancellation Notice GeneratorForce immediate cancellation of a gym or fitness studio contract using state Health Studio Services Act protections (relocation, injury, 5-day cooling-off, or online click-to-cancel).
• Home Improvement Contractor Deposit Cap & Unlicensed Work Audit ToolAudit your contractor's contract against strict state Home Improvement laws (10% / $1,000 down-payment cap, unlicensed contractor disgorgement, and 3-day rescission).
• Medical Bill 'No Surprises Act' & Good Faith Estimate Dispute CheckerCheck if a surprise out-of-network emergency bill, anesthesiologist charge, or bill exceeding your Good Faith Estimate by $400+ is illegal under federal law.

Guides

Renting and housing

• Breaking a Lease Early: What You Owe, What Is Legal, and How to Limit the CostThe legal ways to end a lease early, how landlords' duty to re-rent works in major states, and what military, domestic violence and habitability exits require.
• The Eviction Process Explained: Notices, Court Steps, and Your OptionsA plain-English walkthrough of how residential evictions work, with notice periods and court timelines in California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois and Washington.
• How to Get Your Security Deposit Back: Deadlines, Deductions, and Next StepsState-by-state deposit return deadlines, what a landlord must put in writing, and a step-by-step plan if your deposit does not come back on time.
• Normal Wear and Tear vs. Tenant Damage: Where the Line FallsHow landlords and courts separate ordinary aging from chargeable damage, with examples, a depreciation worked example, and tips for documenting your unit.
• Tenant Repair Rights and the Warranty of Habitability: What to Do When Your Landlord Will Not Fix ItHow the warranty of habitability works, how to give repair notice, and how repair-and-deduct and other remedies differ across five major states.

Disputes, accidents and courts

• After a Car Accident: Step-by-Step Insurance Claim GuideWhat to do in the first hours, days and weeks after a car accident, how fault rules and deadlines differ in five states, and how to handle adjusters and settlements.
• How to Write a Demand Letter That Gets Taken SeriouslyWhat a demand letter should say, how to send it, when state law requires one, and a plain-language template for unpaid money or damaged property.
• Small Claims Court: A Practical Guide From Demand to Collecting Your JudgmentHow small claims court works in the US, with 2026 dollar limits in California, New York, Texas, Florida and Illinois, plus steps for filing, evidence and collecting.
• Statutes of Limitations Explained: How Long You Have to SueHow statutes of limitations work, when the clock starts and stops, and how debt, contract and injury deadlines differ in five major states.

Consumers, debt and medical bills

• Credit Card Disputes and Chargebacks: Using the Fair Credit Billing ActHow to dispute a card charge under the Fair Credit Billing Act and Regulation Z: the 60-day notice, issuer deadlines, merchant disputes and debit card differences.
• Your Rights When a Debt Collector Contacts YouWhat the FDCPA and CFPB Regulation F allow debt collectors to do, how validation notices and disputes work, and how to respond or sue for violations.
• Lemon Law Basics: When a Defective Car Qualifies for Refund or ReplacementHow state lemon laws and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act work, with presumption tests and notice steps for California, New York, Texas and Florida.
• The No Surprises Act: Your Rights Against Surprise Medical BillsWhat the federal No Surprises Act protects, what it does not, how good faith estimates and dispute resolution work, and what to do about a bill that looks wrong.

Work and pay

• Employee or Independent Contractor? The Tests, the Stakes, and How to Challenge a LabelHow the IRS, the Department of Labor and states like California apply different classification tests, what misclassification costs workers, and how to push back.
• Final Paycheck Laws: When Your Last Pay Is Due and What to Do If It Is LateFederal law sets no final pay deadline, so state rules control. Compare six states, vacation payout, late penalties, and how to claim unpaid wages.
• FMLA Leave Basics: Eligibility, Notice, Job Protection, and Where State Laws Add MoreWho qualifies for federal FMLA leave, how much you get, what notice and paperwork to expect, and how state programs can fill the gaps.
• Non-Compete Agreements in 2026: What Is Enforceable After the FTC Rule FellThe FTC non-compete ban is gone, so state law decides. See where California, Minnesota, Washington, Illinois and Florida stand and what to do before signing.
• Overtime Pay Under the FLSA: Exempt vs. Non-Exempt ExplainedWho is owed time-and-a-half, how the salary and duties tests work, how state rules in California, New York and Washington go further, and how to check your pay.

Estates and powers of attorney

• Power of Attorney Types: General, Durable, Springing and Medical ExplainedThe main kinds of power of attorney, how they differ, who should sign what, how to revoke one, and how signing rules vary in California, New York, Texas and Florida.
• Small Estate Affidavits: Skipping Probate When a Loved One's Estate Is ModestHow small estate affidavits and simplified probate work, with 2026 dollar limits and waiting periods in California, New York, Texas and Florida, and what to do first.

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