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Goods All consumers have rights when they buy faulty goods from someone acting in the course of trade, although the type of rights you have may depend on what you bought and how... read more
Steps to follow Are you an employee? Your employment status determines what rights you have. If you are paid a salary, do the work personally (rather than sub-contract it out), if your... read more
There are six forms of British citizenship, some of which are defined in the British Nationality Act 1981. They are: British citizenship; British overseas... read more
Every company has a duty to prepare a set of accounts which report on the company’s performance and activities during the financial year. A copy of these accounts must be sent to... read more
Steps to follow If you have an elderly relative who increasingly needs looking after and you’re responsible for sorting out their care, you must first decide where they are going to... read more
As an employer in a UK company you have a number of duties and obligations to the people working for you under employment legislation. The duties you have depend largely on what category... read more
What is fostering? Fostering places a child into the care of a family when it cannot live with its own parents. This may be because its parents have problems, cannot cope and need a... read more
If you or your employer wants to terminate your employment, your employment contract will usually set out how much notice one must give the other before you leave. This may be more generous... read more
Steps to follow Report the matter to the police as soon as possible. Dial 999 if it’s an emergency, otherwise, report it to your local police station either in person, via phone or... read more
If you’re an employee and expectant mum, you’re entitled to 26 weeks of ordinary maternity leave (OML) and 26 weeks additional maternity leave (AML) which – as long as you... read more
In harsh economic times, most companies start to examine how they can cut costs and save cash, with eyes almost inevitably turning to the company’s employee wage bill which will... read more
Definition of fraud In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the fraud laws were overhauled by the Fraud Act 2006 which came into force in 2007. It introduced a statutory... read more
Estate planning is the process of disposing of an estate in a way which is designed to eradicate uncertainties over the administration of a probate and maximize the value of the estate. If... read more
Steps to follow Renting The easiest way of finding a private residence to rent is through a letting agency. The agency may also manage the property on the landlord’s... read more
Buying or selling a property is, for many, a major life event. It can be a complicated process, but there will be plenty of professional help on hand to guide you through the various... read more
Employees and workers in the UK enjoy a number of employment rights by law. You are classed as an employee if you are a working under a contract of employment. Employment... read more
Pre-action protocol There are certain steps your lender must take before it takes action to repossess your home, which are set out in a ‘pre-action protocol’. This applies... read more
Making a will gives you the power to decide how your assets and possessions are divided up after you pass away. It means you can protect your final wishes and safeguard the interests of... read more
In recent years law firms have reported a significant increase in the number of couples deciding to divorce later in life. Official statistics have also revealed that couples married for... read more
Steps to follow If you’re unhappy with HMRC’s service – eg unreasonable delay, an avoidable mistake, or how you’ve been treated – first talk to the person or... read more
Steps to follow How much do you need to borrow? How soon can you pay it back? How quickly do you need it? What assets do you have? These questions need to be answered before you can... read more
Who can get married? Any two people can get married in the UK provided they are: Aged 16 or over Of different sex Not too closely related Unmarried and not in... read more
If you supply products to consumers you need to make sure they are safe. The main responsibility for ensuring this safety lies with the product’s manufacturers but if your... read more
Purchasing a property is a milestone for some, an investment for others. But whether you are looking for a new home or a secure asset, it’s essential you understand the legal points... read more
You are a victim of identity theft if someone pretends to be you in order to steal money or gain some other sort of benefit. Offences It is an offence to possess, control and intend... read more
Business restructuring can mean a host of different things, including downsizing the workforce, mergers, acquisitions, debt for equity swaps, and corporate simplification. Businesses... read more
Steps to follow Employers have a duty of care to their workers and to visitors to their premises. Their duty extends to providing a safe place to work, preventing risks to health,... read more
Every company has its ups and downs but you need to ensure your business can run as a viable concern in the good times and bad. If your company is having problems, there are several things... read more
Steps to follow Do you genuinely believe on reasonable grounds that the employee committed the offence? This is the test that a tribunal will apply if you dismiss the employee and the... read more
Drink driving ruins lives. There is no safe limit of alcohol, because each person’s tolerance depends on a range of factors such as metabolism, stress levels and weight. If you have... read more
Steps to follow There are a number of good reasons for making a will: not least that you can arrange your affairs so your loved ones pay less tax after you’ve gone; and you can... read more
Personal information is freely given in everyday transactions, from paying for goods at a supermarket to filling in health insurance forms. Consequently, there is a vast amount of... read more
Earning a living can be hazardous. And it’s not just occupations like firefighting and construction work that are dangerous—office work can also lead to injury. Unfortunately,... read more
Steps to follow The state pension is worth less than £5,000 per annum for a single person, and about £7,500 for couples. You can draw it, if you have paid enough national... read more
Sometimes you will have no choice but to seek advice from a lawyer about a legal problem. If you meet a lawyer and decide that you want to engage their services, you will want to get the... read more
There are many reasons why you may need to make staff redundant including closure or relocation of your company, a need to cut costs by reducing headcount or simply because some posts... read more
Steps to follow If you are a limited company, you will have to pay corporation tax on any profits at the end of the financial year. Partnerships have to pay income tax. Then there are... read more
Steps to follow Police have the legal right to stop any motorist at any time. They don’t have to give you a reason and it’s a criminal offence if you fail to stop.... read more
Before your initial meeting with your lawyer, you may be wondering what will happen at the meeting. What will be discussed, and what questions should you ask? What will the lawyer ask... read more
Speeding laws exist for a purpose—breaking the speed limit contributes to more than 727 deaths and 4,555 injuries every year. It was a factor in a quarter of fatal road accidents in... read more
Steps to follow If you’re worried that conditions at your workplace are a potential threat to your health and/ or safety, first of all explain your concerns to your employer, or... read more
The death of a loved one is a distressing time. There are practicalities surrounding death which need to be taken care of, such as arranging the funeral and winding up the estate of the... read more
Steps to follow Seller issues the contract package which consists of a draft contract, Official Copies of the legal title, copies of any deed/documents which affect the title, a Sellers... read more
Steps to follow Make sure your credit rating is in good shape – some companies do free credit checks. You can improve your credit rating by: registering on the electoral roll at... read more
Driving carelessly, while over the limit, or too fast, means you may have points added to your licence. Once you have a certain number of points, you may be banned from driving for a... read more
The government collects taxes from individuals through HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) under a variety of different headings including: Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax (CGT), Inheritance Tax... read more
Renting out property is not as easy as it might look to the outsider. The landlord has many responsibilities towards the tenant, and must take care of a multitude of repairs, insurance and... read more
Retirement Age You can retire at any age you want – as long as you can afford it – but the default retirement age in the UK is 65. When you reach this age your employer can... read more
Whatever your legal problem, you take a big step towards resolving it when you hire a good lawyer. This in itself, however, can be tricky. Where do you find the best lawyer for you, how do... read more
An increasing number of disputes over wills are ending up in the courts. These disputes are often bitterly contested and can have a devastating effect on the family unity. One reason... read more
Pre-employment checks You’ve made it through the interview and you’ve been offered a new job – all good news, but it’s a wise idea to get the job offer in... read more
Why write a will? Failing to make a will means your belongings will be distributed according to the laws of the country you live in – which may not be in the manner you would... read more
Different types of business have different legal structures and the kind you choose will depend on the sort of business you have and what you want out of it. The tax/national insurance and... read more
Despite popular belief, there is no such thing in the UK as “common law marriage”. If you and your partner are living together you have considerably less rights than couples who... read more
What is bankruptcy? If you are an individual and you are insolvent, i.e. you have debts which you are totally unable to repay, then you may have to consider bankruptcy as an... read more
Duty to provide stakeholder pensions Under the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999, most businesses which have five or more employees, are required to provide access to a stakeholder... read more
You want to ensure that your first meeting with your solicitor is as useful as possible. To ensure your solicitor thoroughly understands your problem and can provide you with proper legal... read more
Employers have a duty to tell their employees about health and safety issues that may affect them, to provide relevant safety equipment and training, and to provide a safe place to... read more
Have you been injured in a road traffic accident, or developed a psychological condition that you believe is the result of an earlier trauma? Did a doctor fail to diagnose an illness, or... read more
There are thousands of motor accidents on the UK’s roads each year. If you are unlucky enough to be involved in a motoring accident, you are likely to be involved in a subsequent... read more
Once you have arranged your first meeting with a solicitor, it’s a good idea to gather your paperwork together and work out what questions you want to ask. Otherwise, you could end up... read more
Steps to follow As soon as the accident has taken place, obtain and exchange information with all other drivers involved including full names, registration numbers, insurance company... read more
Steps to follow If you’ve been injured at work, you should (if you are capable of doing so) record the details of the incident in your employer's accident book. (All employers,... read more
Steps to follow Are you owed money and beginning to get fed up of excuse after excuse? Or, do you have debts that you can’t pay? Either way, take action and sort the problem... read more
Lawyers don’t come cheap, and sometimes the people who need them most can’t afford to pay. If you are unable to pay a lawyer, then there are several options available to... read more
Steps to follow Have you suffered some sort of loss which is covered by an insurance policy? If so, first check your policy to ensure it’s worth making a claim – most... read more
There are a number of steps that need to be worked through when you are buying or selling a business. These include: valuing the business tax advice sales... read more
Legal problems arise in business all the time and the temptation might be to run to a lawyer every time to get them to sort the problem out for you. There is no doubt that in some... read more
Copyright and trademarks fall into the field of intellectual property. Copyright protects written, theatrical, musical and artistic works. It exists automatically, but in order to... read more
Law firms are busy places. They come in various shapes and sizes, from sprawling multinational operations to just one solicitor working as a sole practitioner from a high street... read more
Steps to follow Where do you want to trade? Is it within the EU or outside? You will need to do thorough research to ensure you are complying with all relevant laws and... read more
Scientific inventions, commercial designs, songs, sculptures, novels and dramatic performances all share one thing in common—they are protected by Intellectual Property... read more
Sales and distribution overseas If you want to sell your wares overseas, you need to decide how you’re going to distribute them. You might opt to sell them directly, e.g.,... read more
Steps to follow Whether you are buying or selling a business, the first step is to put a value on it. This is a negotiable matter. Valuing a business is a complex process, so consider... read more
Steps to follow A contract is an agreement between two or more persons, which gives rise to obligations that are enforceable by law. Has an offer been made? In legal parlance, an... read more
Late payment of invoices can make or break a company – especially a small one. Many businesses are often not keen to chase debtors too hard for fear of damaging their relationship... read more
Businesses often have to borrow money, and how to do this is a question it pays to research. Borrowing may be necessary while the business is starting up, if a big order comes in, or if... read more
There are numerous types of insurance cover available for businesses. Some must be taken out by law, others aren’t mandatory but are highly advisable for all businesses, while still... read more
Steps to follow Do you want to run a business, but feel uncomfortable about the risks involved? Franchising may be the answer. It allows you to learn the ropes but minimise the risk and... read more
Steps to follow There are many reasons for restructuring a company—realising value from assets, downsizing the workforce, streamlining and simplifying, taking it in another... read more
Renting a commercial property for your business requires less financial outlay than buying, freeing up your capital to plough into your business and, unless you plan to sell the remaining... read more
Finding suitable business premises is a major decision. A business will have to decide on location, and on whether to buy or rent their property. There are many factors to consider, and... read more
Buying Businesses tend to rent premises rather than buy them as finding vacant commercial premises for sale is often hard. Buying also tends to tie up what could be crucial capital and... read more
Joining commercial ventures with other businesses may be an attractive proposition, especially, for example, if you or the other party want to sell your products in unfamiliar... read more
Steps to follow Do you want to change business premises? Whether buying, selling or renting premises, it is a good idea to use a specialist commercial property solicitor who will be able... read more
Steps to follow Start small, think big. Keep your expenses as low as possible, but leave yourself scope to expand. On the other hand, don’t choke off possible growth by scrimping on... read more
A lease or tenancy is an "estate in land" and is a legal agreement between you and the landlord allowing you to use the premises, subject to pre-agreed conditions. It can be... read more
Legal terms related to your search
Proceedings taking place in commercial...
The laws relating to property used for...
A broad term which covers areas of law...
A method of resolving international...
Includes legislation on driving...
Dealing with the area of insurance law...
Laws related to the compulsory...
Carrying out a person's wishes...
When property, life, health, etc is...
Late payment of invoices can make or...
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