Contracts Articles
Expert articles and practical legal guides on contracts for uk businesses.

Can You Extend a Probation Period in the UK? Rules and Risks for Employers
Probation periods can be a really useful way to bring someone into your business while you both work out whether the role is the right fit. But in real life, performance and...

Restocking Fees In The UK: What Businesses Can And Can’t Charge Under Consumer Law
If you sell products in the UK (especially online), you’ve probably dealt with returns that cost you real money - payment processing fees, admin time, re-packaging, damaged boxes, and sometimes stock you...

No Refund Policies: What UK Businesses Can (And Can’t) Enforce Under Consumer Law
If you run a small business, refunds can be one of the quickest ways to lose time, money, and customer goodwill - especially when you feel the customer is being unreasonable. So...

Service Level Agreement Between Two Companies: What to Include and How to Draft One
If you’re a small business that relies on another company to deliver something important (IT support, logistics, SaaS hosting, customer service, manufacturing, marketing - you name it), you’ll know how quickly things...

Appendix vs Addendum: Differences in UK Business Contracts
If you’ve ever been mid-way through finalising a contract and someone says, “Let’s just put it in the appendix” (or “we’ll add it as an addendum”), it can feel like they’re using...

UK Probation Period Rules for Employers
Hiring someone new is exciting - but it can also feel like a big risk, especially when you’re running a small business and every hire has a real impact on your time,...

UK Directors’ Conflicts of Interest: What You Must Disclose and Manage
If you run a small company, it’s completely normal to wear multiple hats. You might be a director, a shareholder, a supplier, and the person who “knows a guy” for everything from...

Assignment vs Transfer of a Commercial Lease: What’s the Difference?
If you’re running a small business, your premises can be one of your biggest ongoing commitments. So when your business needs change (maybe you’re moving location, scaling down, or selling the business),...

Opt Out Agreements In The UK: When You Need One & Key Terms
If you run a small business, there’s a good chance you’ve come across the phrase “opt out agreement” when hiring staff, scaling up hours during busy periods, or tightening up your HR...

How To Protect Commercially Confidential Information In Contracts
If you run a small business, chances are you’re sharing sensitive information more often than you realise. It might be a pricing model sent to a supplier, a customer list shared with...

Free Legal Documents UK Small Businesses Can Use (And What to Avoid)
If you’re running a small business, it’s completely normal to look for free legal documents before you spend money on a lawyer. When you’re watching cashflow, “free” can feel like the sensible...

Free Business Partnership Agreement Template (UK): Key Clauses & Common Pitfalls
If you’re going into business with someone else, it’s easy to assume you’re “on the same page” because you trust each other (especially if it’s a friend, spouse, or long-time colleague). But...

What Happens If A Shareholder Dies Without A Will In The UK?
If you run a small company, you’ve probably thought about “what if” scenarios like losing a key client, a co-founder leaving, or funding drying up. But one scenario that can quietly cause...

Title Deed vs Agreement: Key Differences for UK Businesses
If you run a small business, it’s only a matter of time before someone asks you to “sign an agreement” or “sign a deed”. At first glance, they can look pretty similar:...

Business Agreement Template: What To Include And When To Use It
If you’re running a small business, it’s only a matter of time before someone asks you to “just send over an agreement”. Maybe it’s a new client. A supplier. A freelancer you...

Force Majeure Clause Example (UK): What To Include And When It Applies
If you run a small business, you’ve probably signed (or sent) contracts that assume everything will go to plan: suppliers deliver on time, venues stay open, staff can travel, and customers pay...

Joint Venture Agreements In The UK: Key Terms And Common Pitfalls
Teaming up with another business can be a smart way to grow faster, enter a new market, or bring a new product to life without doing everything alone. But if you’re searching...

Terms Of Business Template: What To Include And How To Use It In The UK
If you’re running a small business, you’re probably making agreements every day - quoting for work, onboarding new clients, taking orders, booking projects, and chasing invoices. The tricky part is that many...

Joint Data Controllers Under UK GDPR: What Businesses Need to Know
If your business shares customer, user or employee data with another organisation, you might assume one of you is the “data controller” and the other is just a “service provider”. In reality,...

Contract Drafting in the UK: Practical Tips for Startups and SMEs
When you’re running a small business or scaling a startup, your time is usually split between winning customers, delivering work, hiring, and keeping cash flow steady. Contracts can feel like “admin” compared...

Buying a Restaurant in the UK: Legal Checklist for Owners
Buying a restaurant can be an exciting shortcut into the hospitality industry. You’re not starting from scratch - you’re taking over a venue that (hopefully) already has a customer base, a team,...

What Is A Contractor In The UK? Business Hiring Guide
If you’re building a small business, hiring contractors can feel like the perfect middle ground: you get specialist skills, flexible support, and you don’t need to commit to a long-term hire. But...

Offering Credit to Customers: Legal Risks and Terms in the UK
Offering credit to customers can be a great way to win work, improve customer loyalty and smooth out sales - especially if you’re in B2B services, trade, wholesale or higher-value retail. But...

IP Contracts: Key Clauses UK Businesses Need To Protect IP
If you’re building a business, your intellectual property (IP) is often the thing that makes you different - your brand, your designs, your content, your software, your processes, and the “know-how” that...
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