Know Your Rights
Your legal rights explained in plain language. No legalese, no footnotes — just clear answers and actionable next steps.
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Short, state-by-state guides organized by what's actually happening to you — eviction, unpaid wages, wrongful termination, and more.
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Your Rights, Explained Simply
Commoner Law is a free legal rights reference for ordinary people. The law affects every part of your life — from your paycheck and your apartment to a traffic stop or a tax return — but most legal information is written in language only lawyers understand. This site translates the law into plain English so you can quickly find out what protections you have, what your obligations are, and what to do when something goes wrong. Every article is written at an accessible reading level, with clear next steps and links to official government resources.
The site covers 17 countries across nine categories of legal rights: workers' rights, tenants' rights, consumer protection, criminal justice and police encounters, tax obligations, family law, immigration rights, healthcare rights, and immigration pathways. For the United States, each topic includes state-by-state breakdowns so you can see exactly how your state's laws differ from federal protections. For other countries — including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore, India, Germany, France, and several Gulf states — the content covers national law with notes on regional differences where they exist.
Every article is written from primary law — the actual statutes, regulations, and official agency guidance, not second-hand summaries. Citations point to specific code sections (U.S. Code, CFR, state compiled statutes, and the foreign-country equivalents) so you can verify what you read against the source. Articles are reviewed before publication for statutory accuracy, plain-language clarity at roughly an 8th-grade reading level, and whether the "what to do" steps are current and actionable. Our full methodology, correction policy, and source-selection rules are published on the editorial standards page.
Commoner Law is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice for specific situations. What it does provide is a reliable starting point: a clear, accurate summary of the law so you can understand your rights before you speak with a lawyer, file a complaint, or make a decision. Think of it as an encyclopedia of everyday legal rights — organized by topic, written in plain language, and always free to use.
Browse by Category
Workers' Rights
Federal and state protections for employees covering wages, safety, discrimination, and more.
Police Encounters
Your constitutional rights during police stops, searches, arrests, and interactions with law enforcement.
Housing Rights
Tenant protections for eviction, security deposits, habitability, housing discrimination, and lease disputes.
Tax Rights
Your rights as a taxpayer when dealing with the IRS — audits, payment plans, penalties, collections, and appeals.
Family Law
Your rights in divorce, child custody, child support, domestic violence, and parental rights — federal baselines and state-specific rules explained in plain language.
Consumer Rights
Your rights when dealing with debt collectors, credit reports, small claims court, credit card disputes, and identity theft.
Immigration Rights
Your legal rights in the U.S. immigration system — due process protections, visa options, deportation defense, asylum basics, and workplace rights for all immigrants.
Healthcare Rights
Your rights as a patient — medical privacy under HIPAA, informed consent, protection from surprise bills, disability accommodations, and emergency care regardless of ability to pay.
Immigration Pathways
Practical guide to U.S. immigration — work visas, family sponsorship, green cards, citizenship, student pathways, humanitarian protection, and common mistakes to avoid.
How It Works
Find your situation
Browse categories or search for the issue you're facing — employment, housing, police encounters, debt, taxes, and more.
Understand your rights
Read a plain-language summary of your federal rights, then select your state for state-specific differences.
Take action
Get clear next steps: what to say, what to file, who to contact, and connect with legal help if you need it.