Legal, disclaimers & our sources
How Paper Alibi works, what it is and isn't, where our information comes from, and how we handle your privacy.
Legal information, not legal advice
Paper Alibi provides general legal information compiled from public sources. It does not provide legal advice. We are not a law firm and not your attorney, and using this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. We cannot tell you what you should do in your specific situation.
Laws are complex and facts matter. For advice about your circumstances, talk to a licensed attorney or a free legal-aid program. We link to free and low-cost options in each guide.
If you may be in danger at home, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.
How we compile information
Paper Alibi gathers information that is already free and public — state statutes, official court forms, and nonprofit legal-aid guides — and organizes it into one plain-language plan. We do not reproduce restricted or copyrighted forms; we point you to the official versions and, where helpful, help you organize your own answers to use with them.
For every rule we state, we link to its original source so you can read it directly and verify it. When we summarize, we aim to stay faithful to the source and flag exceptions. If our summary and the official source ever disagree, the official source controls.
Keeping it current
Each guide carries a "last reviewed" date. Laws change — for example, Montana's security-deposit statutes in Title 70 were amended in recent sessions — so we link to the live statute text and encourage you to confirm the current version. If you find something outdated, please let us know.
Our sources (Montana security deposit)
The Montana security-deposit guide is compiled from these public sources:
- Montana Code Annotated, Title 70, Chapter 25 — the security deposit statutes.
- MontanaLawHelp, How to Protect Your Security Deposit (FAQ).
- MLSA demand letter tools — interactive form and blank form letter (PDF).
- Court complaint packet — Filing a Complaint to Ask for Your Security Deposit Back (Montana Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission and MLSA) and courts.mt.gov/forms.
- MLSA, 3 Ways to Apply for Free Legal Help.
Our sources (Alabama security deposit)
The Alabama security-deposit guide is compiled from these public sources. Alabama rules last reviewed 2026-07-08:
- Code of Alabama, § 35-9A-201 — security deposits (full text via Justia).
- Code of Alabama, § 12-12-31 — small-claims $6,000 limit (full text via Justia).
- Alabama Administrative Office of Courts, small-claims forms (SM-01, C-10-Civil).
- Legal Services Alabama, apply for free legal help — 1-866-456-4995.
- AlabamaLegalHelp.org, plain-language tenant guides.
- Alabama Tenants’ Handbook (2024), Legal Services Alabama & Alabama Arise.
- 2-1-1 Connects Alabama — local tenant-rights referrals.
- Alabama Attorney General, consumer complaint (not a lawsuit; the AG does not give legal advice).
- HUD Alabama — public housing, Section 8, and vouchers.
Your privacy
The planner runs in your browser. Your answers are saved locally on your own device so you can come back to them, and they are never sent to us. On a shared device, use "Clear my answers" when you're done. When you download, print, or email your plan, it goes only where you send it.
We use Google Analytics 4 for basic site traffic, such as page views, device type, general location, and referral source. We do not send planner answers, names, addresses, landlord information, dispute details, letter text, or payment-card details to Google Analytics. We also turn off Google signals and ad-personalization signals in the site tag.
Payments, when available, are handled by Stripe. Paper Alibi does not receive or store your full card number.
The optional Golden Kit
The core plan is free. The optional $5 kit organizes your answers into editable drafts, scripts, and a printable packet. It does not replace free public forms or legal help, and it is not legal advice. You review and decide what to send. You can always use the free official forms and resources instead.
Refunds and access help
Because the Golden Kit is a low-cost digital product, refunds are handled case by case. If you paid and cannot access the kit, if you were charged twice, or if something did not work, email hello@paperalibi.com and include the checkout email and a short note about what happened.
Contact
Questions, corrections, refund or access help, or a state request? Use the contact page or email hello@paperalibi.com. See also our Terms of Use.