How we check the law

Last updated October 30, 2026

Everything Instant Legal Letters says about the law, in our guides and in every letter, comes from the official text of the statute or ordinance. Here is how we keep it accurate, and what we don't do.

We read the statute itself

For each state we cover, we read the deposit statute in full from the legislature's official site (or, where that site can't be read directly, a mirror of the official text, compared against it) and record each rule we rely on: the deadline, what must be sent, the penalty and the exact subsection. Our guides cite the subsection after each rule so you can check it yourself.

The law in your letter never comes from AI

Deadlines, amounts, penalties and citations come from a table we maintain by hand and a calculation that always gives the same answer for the same facts. An AI model helps write the paragraphs about what happened, from your own answers, and those paragraphs are checked against your answers before you see them. You read and approve every word before anything is sent.

We date every check

Every guide shows the date its law was last checked against the official text. We re-check when a legislature changes a statute and at least once a year.

Our sources

What we are, and aren't

Instant Legal Letters is a self-help writing tool for people who represent themselves. We're not a law firm, our guides are general information rather than legal advice, and no attorney reviews individual letters. Courts decide cases on their own facts. If you need advice about your situation, talk to a licensed attorney in your state. See our Terms.

Found a mistake?

Tell us through the contact form, with the page and what you think is wrong. We check every report against the statute and correct confirmed errors promptly.