Setting up a business involves complying with a range of legal requirements. Find out which ones apply to you and your new enterprise.
Every business needs to be aware of its obligations under minimum wage and equal pay laws, as well as recent pensions auto-enrolment changes.
What particular regulations do specific types of business (such as a hotel, or a printer, or a taxi firm) need to follow? We explain some of the key legal issues to consider for 200 types of business.
While poor governance can bring serious legal consequences, the law can also protect business owners and managers and help to prevent conflict.
You must comply with legal restrictions on employees' working hours and time off, or risk claims, enforcement action and even prosecution.
The right employment policies are an essential part of effective staff management. Make sure any policy is clear and well communicated to employees.
Whether you want to raise finance, join forces with someone else, buy or sell a business, it pays to be aware of the legal implications.
While sick employees need to be treated fairly, you need to ensure that 'sickness' is not being used as cover for unauthorised absence.
Marketing matters. Marketing drives sales for businesses of all sizes by ensuring that customers think of their brand when they want to buy.
Most pregnant employees are entitled to maternity leave and maternity pay, while new fathers are entitled to paternity leave and paternity pay.
Commercial disputes can prove time-consuming, stressful and expensive, but having robust legal agreements can help to prevent them from occurring.
As well as undermining morale, illegal discrimination can lead to workplace grievances. Employee discrimination is covered by the Equality Act 2010.
Whether your business owns or rents premises, your legal liabilities can be substantial. Commercial property law is complex, but you can avoid common pitfalls.
Home, remote and lone workers are becoming increasingly commonplace. Key issues include communication and how to manage and motivate people remotely.
With information and sound advice, living up to your legal responsibilities to safeguard your employees, customers and visitors need not be difficult or costly.
The right approach to consulting with and providing information to your employees can improve employee motivation and performance.
As information technology continues to evolve, legislation must also change. It affects everything from data protection and online selling to internet policies for employees.
Disciplinary and grievance issues can be a major burden to employers. Putting in place and following the right procedures is essential.
Following the right dismissal and redundancy procedures helps protect your business and minimise the risk of a legal dispute at tribunal.
Intellectual property (IP) isn't solely relevant to larger businesses or those involved in developing innovative new products: all products have IP.
Employment tribunal claims are a worrying prospect for any employer. A tribunal case is a no-win situation – even if the claim is unjustified.
Knowing how and when you plan to sell or relinquish control of your business can help you to make better decisions and achieve the best possible outcome.
From bereavement, wills, inheritance, separation and divorce to selling a house, personal injury and traffic offences, learn more about your personal legal rights.
Whether you are married, living together or separated, relationship problems are inevitably difficult to deal with. Disputes over finances or children only add to your worries
Support and advice can help you make the best of a bad situation. The more you can co-operate with each other, the better - the right approach can help you reach a reasonable agreement with as little upset as possible.
In many cases, bringing a marriage to an end (or dissolving a civil partnership) is a relatively straightforward process.
The divorce process involves filing the appropriate forms with the court (along with court fees). Since 6 April 2022, divorce has been on a 'no-fault' basis, to encourage amicable proceedings.
Reaching agreement on finances and children can be much more difficult. Problems can arise not only in divorce but when unmarried couples separate - and often afterwards as well, when former partners fail to stick to their agreements or circumstances change.
Divorce or separation is likely to mean that you are both worse off as you face the increased costs of running two separate households. You will need to be ready to compromise so that you can reach a fair financial settlement.
If children are involved, you must try to work out a solution that is in their best interests. Whatever has happened to the relationship between the two of you, you are both likely to continue to be involved in your children's lives in the future.
You need to understand the legal position and whether you should use a family law lawyer. But you will also want emotional support - from your family and friends, and perhaps from a professional relationship counsellor.
The more you can do to get the right help and advice, the easier it will be to get through.
Reviewed by Stowe Family Law.