Small Business Legal Issues

Advice and guides to help you overcome common legal problems faced by many small business owners and directors.

News

Unfair dismissal laws reformed

British business could save £6 million a year from changes to unfair dismissal laws that will come into effect next year, the government claims.

News

FPB: Be wary of copyrighted images

Small business owners are being urged to check the images they are using on their websites in order to guard against costly copyright claims.

Accounting

Advice on an unpaid invoice

A customer has refused to pay my invoice in full and has offered a smaller amount for work already done. Is there any simple action I can take to get the rest of the money due?

Legal advice

Starting the small claims process

If you have a claim to make against another business or sole-trader, you may need to go through the small claims process. SmallBusiness.co.uk tells you how to start the process.

Blog

How to resolve business disputes and disagreements

Whether it's about late payments, pricing or quality of service, disagreements can quickly turn nasty in business. Mark Tudor, a principal at the law firm Matthew Arnold & Baldwin LLP, looks at how to resolve disputes between small businesses speedily and effectively.

Legal advice

Cut your legal bills with e-discovery

As your business grows, so will its chances of being caught in civil court proceedings. Here we show you one way to keep the lawyers at bay.

Legal advice

Dealing with a court battle as an SME

Mike Watson, MD of industrial cleaning company Tube Tech International, has fought three legal battles over 25 years.

News

Businesses ‘ignore government advice’

Small businesses do not find advice on legislation from the government useful and prefer to pay for someone else to provide this information, according to a new report.

News

Law service sympathises with businesses over compensation

Businesses 'don't stand a chance' against compensation claims unless they 'wrap their employees up in cotton wool', a legal service says.

News

Businesses ‘should get mediation sooner’

Employment relations service Acas is warning small businesses to seek advice about workplace disputes before they turn into costly lawsuits.

Legal advice

How to choose a small business solicitor

A solicitor can come in useful for many aspects of your business. But there are a range of different types of law and solicitors who specialise in certain areas, so finding the right one to meet your particular needs is important.

Accounting

Making directors liable

Most directors believe that a limited company does what it says on the tin: in other words, they do not expect to be held personally liable for the company's misdemeanours. That could be a false assumption, writes Kelly Tinkler of solicitors Rooks Rider.