Legal Guides & Answers

An iceberg with a small peak labeled filing fee above the water and a much larger mass labeled yearly fees below it, holding a calendar, an envelope and a coin, watched by a person in a rowboat flying an LLC pennant.

How Much Does an LLC Cost? What Your State Charges the First Year and Every Year After

Standard LLC filing fees run $70 to $300 in the 11 states we checked. Recurring charges start at $0 to $800, with extra fees and exemptions. Here's what you can skip.

November 6, 2026 · 16 min read

A man stands on a stepping stone marked last filing, looking across a wide stretch of river to a stone marked new filing, with an open discharge gate on the far bank.

How Often Can You File Bankruptcy? The 8-Year Rule Is Only One of Three Clocks

You can usually file again. Another discharge can require 2 to 8 years between filings. Some dismissals block refiling or cut the stay after 30 days.

November 3, 2026 · 16 min read

Overhead view of a table split down the middle: a thin wallet and a filing-fee receipt on one side, a tall stack of coins and a thick wallet on the other, a legal-fees bill being pushed toward the side with more money, and a gavel beside a tag asking who pays.

How Much Does a Divorce Cost? What the Lawyer Will Bill, and When a Judge Can Make Your Spouse Pay It

The filing fee is the small part. Here's how divorce lawyers bill, what people really pay, and when a judge can make your spouse cover your legal fees.

October 30, 2026 · 13 min read

A balance scale on a plinth marked NO FAULT, with an empty pan marked BLAME raised high and a pan marked TIME weighed down by an hourglass, while two people walk away from it in opposite directions.

No-Fault Divorce: Why Your State Might Make You Live Apart First, or Need Your Spouse's Consent

Nobody has to prove wrongdoing, but the rules still differ. See what 17 states and D.C. require, where a spouse can object, and when cheating costs alimony.

October 27, 2026 · 15 min read

A parent in a red jacket walks up a winding path toward a courthouse with a HEARING DATE banner, passing a signpost that reads MODIFY ORDER.

How Far Behind in Child Support Before a Warrant Is Issued? What Actually Triggers One

There's no set number of missed payments. Here's what leads to a warrant, the lines for passports, refunds and felony charges, and how to protect yourself.

October 23, 2026 · 13 min read

Flat illustration of a woman leaning on an apartment window sill holding a letter, with dotted lines linking it to three floating bubbles labeled COURT FILE, SCREENING REPORT and CREDIT REPORT. A small clock sits on the rim of each bubble, and the hands on the three clocks point to different positions.

How Long Does an Eviction Stay on Your Record? Three Records, Three Different Clocks

Screening companies can usually report an eviction case for seven years. Your court file and credit report run on different clocks. Here's how each one works.

October 20, 2026 · 15 min read

A large teal envelope labeled SUMMONS lies open with an ochre sheet labeled ANSWER rising out of it, a dotted line arcing across to the drop slot of a dark navy building labeled COURT, and a woman standing to the right holding a pen.

Being Sued for Credit Card Debt? Respond Before the Deadline and Keep Your Case Alive

Not replying is how these cases are lost. Here is how to respond, which law sets the debt's time limit, and when a fee award may help cover a lawyer.

October 16, 2026 · 16 min read

Seen from behind, a woman in a mustard sweater sits at a wide table holding a document labeled DEED with a small green house printed on it, while a blue card labeled MORTGAGE, a red padlock labeled LIEN and a short stack of gold coins sit apart further along the table, separated from the deed by dotted gaps.

What a Quitclaim Deed Really Transfers, and the Tax Risk of Gifting a Home

A quitclaim deed transfers whatever interest you hold, but it doesn't remove the mortgage or liens. If the transfer is a gift, the recipient usually takes your adjusted basis.

October 13, 2026 · 15 min read

A couple stands at the center of a small crowd of neighbors, friends and a clerk at a counter. A speech bubble reads AGREEMENT, a house reads LIVING TOGETHER, and a sign board reads TOLD OTHERS. The illustration shows the three parts of the Texas common law marriage test.

What Is Common Law Marriage? Where It Still Exists, and Why the Seven Year Rule Is a Myth

Only a handful of states still let a common law marriage begin, and years together are not what makes one. Here is the list, the dates, and the real test.

October 9, 2026 · 15 min read

Flat illustration of a seated man holding one long blank receipt ribbon that curves across the frame, stamped with three discs reading SETUP FEE, HOUSE DEED and TRUSTEE COSTS, beside a side table holding a binder labeled LIVING TRUST.

How Much Does a Living Trust Cost? The Signing Fee Is Only the First Bill

A lawyer-drafted trust package runs about $2,700 and online plans start at $399. Compare deed costs now and administration costs after death.

October 6, 2026 · 15 min read

Flat vector illustration of a three-step staircase rising from left to right, with a calm adult figure climbing to the second step, one hand on a handrail, a small flag on each step, a hearing bench at the top under a large check-mark badge, and a closed envelope on the ground at the foot of the stairs, labeled APPEAL LEVELS, 60 DAYS and HEARING.

Social Security Disability Insurance Application Denied? What Each Appeal Level Is Worth

SSDI application denied? You usually get 60 days after receipt. See what Social Security's numbers say about appeal levels, waits and representative fees.

October 2, 2026 · 13 min read

A calm man walks left to right along a single ground line, carrying a plain document sheet labeled LATE RETURN toward a wide, low receiving cabinet with an open slot across its front, marked FILE IT NOW. Above them a long shelf on two posts holds two small markers labeled PENALTY RELIEF.

What Happens If You File Taxes Late? Two Penalties, and the New Rule That Can Zero Them Out

Filing late costs ten times what paying late costs. A new IRS rule may wipe out both penalties if your filing and payment history qualifies.

September 29, 2026 · 15 min read