One way of understanding your legal situation is to simply talk to an attorney -- most will give you one initial free consultation. They're helpful. If you wish, you can get free consultations from multiple lawyers. Also do some checking into your local Legal Aid Society if any.
You can go in the yellow pages and look for attorneys that offer free consultation. They will usually help you and if they cant they can usually point you in the right direction. If that doesnt help then call the free city lawyers and ask them if they can assist you further.