Your state. Your next step.
Find help for the problem in front of you, and see where a prepaid legal plan may help or fall short.
Custody, support, divorce
Renting, eviction, repairs
Pay, job loss, discrimination
Debt, credit, scams
Coverage, benefits, accommodations
Tickets, licenses, arrests
Status, applications, qualified help
Injuries, claims, lawsuits
Wills, probate, care planning
Contracts, employees, specialist advice
A state rule does not tell you whether a plan covers your issue. Check the product, effective date, existing-matter rules, lawyer network, and extra costs.
Check the benefit and exclusions · Compare plans, lawyers, and legal aid
Find local civil legal aid or use the state court and help directory below. Ask about eligibility and available assistance.
General information, not legal advice. Some steps vary by county or court.
Find local civil legal aid. Ask the program about eligibility, issue limits, available help, and response time. Applying is not acceptance or an agreement to represent you.
Court self-help information explains procedures; it does not establish attorney representation.
New York Courts lists at least $335 in court filing fees for an uncontested divorce, and describes a fee-waiver application for extreme financial hardship. A service's advertised price should be compared separately from these court fees. Source and current instructions.
Legal help beyond divorce
Three sourced distinctions for New York. Reviewed October 10, 2026. Exceptions and local rules still matter.
Small claims
NYC: $10,000; other city courts: $5,000; town/village courts: $3,000. Nassau and western Suffolk use $5,000. Check the proper court rather than treating the NYC limit as statewide.
New York Courts: local claim limits
Ask your prepaid planAsk whether advice, a demand letter, or preparation is included. Court appearance and collecting a judgment are separate questions.
Rental deposits
The landlord must provide an itemized statement and the remaining deposit. The statute excludes specified housing categories; check applicability rather than applying this clock to every rental.
General Obligations Law section 7-108
Ask your prepaid planAsk whether lease review or help responding to a deduction notice is covered. Confirm whether tenant work, landlord work, and representation have different limits.
Wills
The testator must declare that the document is a will and request the witnesses' signatures. The 30-day rule is not a suggestion to sign casually in separate sessions; follow a qualified professional's execution instructions.
Estates, Powers and Trusts Law section 3-2.1
Ask your prepaid planAsk whether a simple will, revisions, and signing guidance are included. Trusts, tax planning, or probate work may need a different benefit or paid engagement.
Planning follow-through: Who supervises the will ceremony, and are the instructions current for the date I actually sign? Compare will-signing rules and prepaid help. Estate comparison reviewed October 11, 2026.
Consumer debt
Ask a local lawyer about the debt type, limitation period, response deadline, and any protected income or property. A generic deadline from another state may not apply.
CFPB: debt-collection rights and responses (federal resources, not a state-law comparison).
Ask your prepaid planConfirm whether reviewing a collection notice or defending a suit is included. A benefit is not debt forgiveness or a promise to stop collection.
Divorce law details
Reviewed October 10, 2026. General information; exceptions and jurisdiction questions require individual review.
One-year routes combine residence with marriage in New York, living there as spouses, or grounds arising there. Another route applies when grounds arose in New York and both spouses reside there when the case starts. Check all five statutory routes.
New York Domestic Relations Law 230At least one spouse states this under oath. The required financial and parenting issues must be resolved or determined before a judgment under this ground. Separate statutory grounds have different conditions.
New York Domestic Relations Law 170(7)Do not confuse the no-fault ground with a required period of living apart or a guaranteed judgment date. Service, response periods, resolution of issues, and court processing still matter.
New York Domestic Relations Law 170(7)Separate property remains separate under the statute. The court considers the parties' circumstances and statutory factors, including contributions, financial position, duration, and domestic violence.
New York Domestic Relations Law 236(B)(5)Income definitions, the applicable cap, other support, and statutory factors affect the calculation. A formula is not a promise of entitlement, amount, or duration in every case.
New York Domestic Relations Law 236(B)(5-a),(6)Health and safety, caregiving, practical arrangements, and domestic violence matter. Do not assume a parenting-time arrangement eliminates child support or resolves jurisdiction.
New York Domestic Relations Law 240Use the current instructions and correct forms. If disputes arise, the uncontested packet may no longer fit. Documents, proper service or appearance, and judicial approval remain important.
New York Courts: uncontested divorceMaintenance and other interim financial orders may be available under the statute. Ask a court self-help center or legal aid about the appropriate court and protective-order process when safety is involved.
New York Domestic Relations Law 236(B)Minimum legal periods are not completion estimates. See the timing explanation above before planning around a date.
Compare New York with another researched state · Local divorce and safety resources
Divorce & safety resources
New York Courts: uncontested divorce information and forms. Uncontested resources do not determine whether a particular case qualifies.
Check the local court's forms, filing and service requirements, response deadlines, and fee-waiver instructions. A form packet is not individualized legal advice.
Compare divorce paths and service benefits · Find local legal aid
Divorce resource reviewed October 10, 2026. Existing legal-help research dates above are unchanged.
Immediate danger: call 911. 911 information is not an online emergency-response service.
For domestic-violence support: National Domestic Violence Hotline, 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788. Safety-first divorce guidance. Use a safer device if monitoring is a concern.
For a non-emergency law-enforcement contact, WomensLaw's sheriff-department directory lets you choose New York. Confirm jurisdiction and the current local number; not every matter belongs to a sheriff. This is a directory, not emergency dispatch or confidential advocacy.
For the court or self-help resource: Which packet or DIY program fits my case, and which filing expenses are outside the service quote?
For the plan: Is my specific issue covered in New York? What effective-date, existing-matter, network, and extra-cost rules apply?
Request an itemized quote that distinguishes document preparation, attorney services, and court costs.
Separate the service price from court costs and any additional work. Ask whether a fee-waiver procedure is relevant. Use the cost calculator with an actual quote and the payments you still owe.
For civil legal-aid options, the Legal Services Corporation locator can identify nearby funded organizations. Each organization determines eligibility and available assistance.
Check plan terms · Compare provider policies · Other state resources
State outline adapted from Wikimedia Commons, CC0. General information, not legal advice.
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