Consumer Rights Lawyers in Belfast

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Your consumer rights

Whether we purchase goods from a shop, another person, or across the internet, we have legal rights as consumers. We also have rights when we hire goods or enter into a hire-purchase... more

I need help with a contract

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... more

I have a dispute (customers and suppliers)

Steps to follow Are you in dispute with a customer over goods or services that you supplied, or are you a customer who is dissatisfied with your supplier? The best solution is to try to... more

I have a dispute with a builder

Steps to follow If you feel your building work has been botched or isn’t finished, first work out who your contract is with. This could be the builder, architect/ structural... more

Dealing with consumers

Relevant legislation If you’re a trader who sells to consumers, under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (SOGA) you must ensure the goods you sell are: as described; fit for the purpose... more

I am having problems with my local council

Steps to follow Call the council and tell them you want to make a complaint. They will be able to tell you which department you need to complain to and who in that department you should... more

I have been given a poor service

Steps to follow Have you received poor service from a plumber, builder or other provider of services? If so, is your complaint about the quality of work, the time it took to... more

Problems with goods and services

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... more

Defending copyright and trademarks

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... more

I am bankrupt

Steps to follow Do you have debts which you are totally unable to repay? You can declare yourself bankrupt which is a means of clearing debts you can’t pay. If you owe... more

I have a problem with my bank

Steps to follow If you think your bank is treating you unfairly – eg overcharging you for a service or selling you a product without explaining the risks – your first move... more

I have debts

Steps to follow Is your bank account continually in the red? Are you falling further and further behind with you bill or mortgage payments? Are you being turned down for credit with high... more

Disputing fees with lawyers and suing your lawyer

Has your latest bill from your lawyer left you reeling in shock? If the fee was larger than you expected, you can dispute it. Lawyers, as heavily regulated professionals, are obliged to... more

I want a mortgage

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... more

Overview of copyrights, trademarks and intellectual property

  Scientific inventions, commercial designs, songs, sculptures, novels and dramatic performances all share one thing in common—they are protected by Intellectual Property... more

Overview of employment rights (personal)

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... more

Advice on employment rights

Steps to follow If you have a contract of employment you’ll usually be classed as an employee and are therefore entitled to a number of employment rights. These include statutory... more

I am having a baby, I need flexible working hours, I am owed money

Steps to follow If you are pregnant, you are allowed time off work for antenatal care. This can include relaxation classes and parent-craft classes. You may have to show your employer... more

Rights to maternity leave

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... more

Overview of child support

Having children is, as they say, a lifelong commitment. Regardless of whether or not the parents stay together (or ever were in a relationship at all) they have a responsibility to support... more

Overview of commercial agreements

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... more

I have an employment issue

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... more

Disability discrimination (personal)

If you are an employee or a job applicant and you have a disability, then you have certain rights under UK law. These include the right not to be discriminated against at work or during the... more

Claiming asylum

Who may claim asylum? To be recognised as a refugee and thus claim asylum in the UK, you must have left your country and be unable to go back because there is a real danger that... more

I have a health and safety issue

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,... more

Choices if you cannot afford a lawyer

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... more

Overview of adoption

Adoption is a legal device designed to provide permanent new homes and families to some of the thousands of children in the UK who are orphaned or who have birth parents either unwilling or... more

I want to hire an employee, I want to fire an employee, I am being made redundant, I have been fired

Steps to follow Have you been fired following a certain number of warnings? Or fired on the spot? You can only be fired for a first offence if there has been gross misconduct. This... more

Choosing an employment lawyer

Employment Law If your dream job is turning into a nightmare, or your ‘perfect’ employee is wreaking havoc in the workplace, then you may need the help of an employment... more

I am a victim of discrimination

Steps to follow It is illegal for your employer to treat you less favourably (ie discriminate against you) because of your: gender; marital status; gender reassignment; pregnancy and... more

Problems with your landlord - private landlord

The days of slum landlords have—in theory at least—ended. As a tenant, you have a right to live in a safe home free from an intrusive or unscrupulous landlord. What you are... more

Overview of employment rights (business)

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... more

Rights of carers

If you are a carer who looks after a relative, friend or neighbour who needs support because of their sickness, age or disability, you have a number of rights at work and you may be... more

Overview of replacing your lawyer

The decision to replace your lawyer is not one you should make lightly. There are times, the night before a tribunal hearing, for example, when it may cause more problems than it would... more

I am being bullied, I am a victim of discrimination (employees)

Steps to follow Bullying in the workplace is where someone tries to intimidate another worker. It is defined by Acas as “Offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour,... more

Welcoming a child

There are laws specifically designed to protect prospective or new parents and there are a range of benefits and allowances that you are entitled to as well. Pregnant employees If... more

Invasion of privacy

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... more

Living together wisely

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... more

I need advice with a mental health issue

Steps to follow  If you feel you have a mental health problem, your first stop should be your GP. They can provide advice or refer you for specialist services. Professionals who... more

I am being investigated for fraud

Steps to follow Have you failed to report a change in your personal circumstances to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or council or deliberately provided incorrect information... more

I am being bullied

Steps to follow If you’re being bullied, your first move – if you feel able to - should be to talk to the bully and tell them, in a calm and controlled a manner, that you find... more

I have a benefits issue

Steps to follow Do you think the Benefits Office or another body (eg, CSA, HMRC, local council) has made a mistake in calculating your benefits which has resulted in you not receiving the... more

I have injured myself at work

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,... more

Termination of employment contracts

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... more

Overview of marriage

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... more

Becoming a British citizen

There are six forms of British citizenship, some of which are defined in the British Nationality Act 1981. They are: British citizenship; British overseas... more

I want to adopt

Steps to follow If you are over 21 (over 18 if part of a couple and one of you is the birth parent) and healthy enough to provide a long-term stable environment for a child you may be... more

Special needs education

Steps to follow If your child has learning difficulties or disabilities which affects their behaviour and makes it harder for them to learn or communicate than most children of the same... more

My child has been excluded/expelled

Steps to follow If your child has learning difficulties or disabilities which affects their behaviour and makes it harder for them to learn or communicate than most children of the same... more

Fostering a child

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... more

I have been accused of a crime

Steps to follow If you’ve been accused of a crime the police will no doubt want to talk to you about it. If the offence you’ve been accused of carries a power of arrest (eg... more

Problem tenants

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... more

I want to start a company

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... more

I have a housing dispute

Steps to follow Landlords and tenants have various rights and obligations: as a tenant, for example, you have the right to have your accommodation kept in a reasonable state of repair,... more

I need help with immigration

Steps to follow If you’re from Switzerland or the European Economic Area, you and your family will usually have the right to freely enter the UK and work there. However, the rules are... more

I have a health and safety issue

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... more

Franchises

You want the challenge of running a business but want to minimise the risks. Above all, you want to know your business idea is viable before you start. A good solution may be to take on a... more

I need help with an elderly relative

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... more

Overview of occupiers liability

  The occupier of premises has a legal duty to do everything reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure that lawful visitors are reasonably safe when using the premises for the... more

Overview of sex discrimination in employment

Under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (SDA 1975), it is illegal for your employer, or a prospective employer, to discriminate against you because of your gender, your marital status or... more

Choosing a personal injury lawyer

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... more

Do I need a lawyer? (personal)

There are many ways to resolve legal problems, the overwhelming majority of which do not involve going to court and some of which do not require the attention of a solicitor. Having... more

What is redundancy?

If your employers are considering making you redundant – which will result in the termination of your employment – they have a duty to treat you fairly and there are number of... more

Overview of accidents at work

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,... more

Missing mortgage payments

In times of recession, a great number of homeowners fall into arrears with their mortgage. If you are in this situation, you are best to seek help as fast as possible. If you... more

Dividing property on divorce

The family home should be a place of security, a major investment in emotional as well as financial terms. Where a married couple split up, however, the family home can become the subject... more

Criminal justice process

Many people and organisations make up the criminal justice process, from police officers to criminal barristers to prisons. The following is a brief guide to what happens and who is... more

Dealing with domestic abuse

Nobody should have to live with domestic abuse. The abuse can be physical, sexual, financial, psychological, or emotional. It is mainly carried out by men towards women, but also happens in... more

Requirements to provide pensions to employees

There are two main types of pension in the UK: money-purchase and final salary schemes.   Money-purchase schemes include occupational money purchase, personal pensions, stakeholder... more

Overview of winding up a business

If your company is insolvent – i.e. it doesn’t have enough money to pay off its debts – there are several different possible outcomes. Some of these could involve allowing... more

Eviction from a home you are renting

All homes rented from a private landlord after 28 February 1997 will automatically be an assured shorthold tenancy unless your landlord has given you notice in writing that it is an assured... more

Managing debtors

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... more

Overview of sex discrimination

The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (SDA) outlaws discrimination in the workplace on the grounds of sex, marital status, civil partnership status and gender reassignment. It covers job... more

Do I need a lawyer? (business)

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... more

Drink driving and defences to drink driving

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... more

Renting a business property - obligations on a commercial tenant

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... more

Overview of starting a new job

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... more

Overview of retirement

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... more

I want to trade internationally

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... more

Disability discrimination (business)

All employers, bar the armed forces, have a legal duty not to discriminate against employees or job applicants on the grounds of disability. This has been the case since October 2004 (prior... more

I am a victim of crime

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... more

Commercial leases

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... more

Overview of the minimum wage

National Minimum Wage rates Since April 1999 most workers in the UK have been legally entitled to a minimum wage. The National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates are set based on recommendations... more