For Freelancers & Self-Employed
Protect your intellectual property, enforce contracts, understand your employment status and rights as a self-employed worker.
Common Problems
Your Rights
Your Rights at Work
Essential workplace rights including breaks, pay, holiday, flexible working, and dismissal protections.
Your Rights When Dealing with HMRC
Your rights when HMRC investigates, assesses, or collects tax from you: fair treatment under HMRC's Charter, a statutory right of appeal within 30 days, an internal review before tribunal, and a route to the Adjudicator's Office if your complaint is not resolved.
Key Legal Topics
Employment Law
Rights and obligations of employers and employees, including dismissal, discrimination, pay, and TUPE.
Commercial Law
The legal framework governing commercial transactions — the sale of goods, agency relationships, exclusion clauses, and international trade.
Tax Law
Income tax, VAT, capital gains, corporation tax, HMRC powers, and the distinction between tax avoidance and evasion.
Intellectual Property Law
Patents, trademarks, copyright, design rights, passing off, and IP enforcement.
Contract Law
Formation, terms, breach, and remedies in agreements enforceable by law.
Useful Guides
Registering a UK Trademark
How to register and protect a trademark in the UK, including searches, classification, and enforcement.
Understanding Your Rights on a Zero Hours Contract
What rights zero hours workers have in England and Wales, including National Minimum Wage, holiday pay, and protection from detriment for refusing work.
Dealing with Debt (County Court Judgments)
What happens when a creditor takes you to court for debt, and your options for dealing with a CCJ.
Whistleblowing at Work
How to make a protected disclosure about wrongdoing at work and your legal protections.
Starting Arbitration or Mediation
How to resolve a dispute through arbitration or mediation instead of going to court. Explains the difference between a binding arbitration award, governed by the Arbitration Act 1996 as amended by the Arbitration Act 2025, and a mediated settlement that only binds the parties once they sign an agreement.
Letter Templates
Letter Before Action — Debt Recovery
Pre-action letter formally demanding payment of a debt within 14 days, complying with the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims.
Without Prejudice Settlement Offer (Employment)
Without prejudice letter offering to settle an employment dispute on agreed financial and non-financial terms, protected under section 111A of the Employment Rights Act 1996.
Legal Tools & Calculators
Small Claims Track Checker
Find out which court track your civil claim is likely to be allocated to — small claims, fast track, or multi-track — based on your claim type and value.
Court Fee Calculator
Instantly calculate the civil court issue fee for money claims in England & Wales based on the current fee scale, plus hearing fees and remission information.
Limitation Period Calculator
Calculate the deadline for bringing a civil claim in England & Wales. Covers personal injury, contract, negligence, judicial review, defamation, land, and more.
Common Scenarios
My Employer Keeps Cancelling My Shifts at Short Notice
You are on a zero hours contract and your employer repeatedly cancels or reduces shifts at the last minute, often with no compensation. You want to know your legal position.
What Happens If You Win a Small Claim but the Defendant Doesn't Pay?
Winning a small claims judgment is only the first step. If the defendant doesn't pay, you need to enforce the judgment — a separate legal process with several options.
My Employer Is Not Paying the National Minimum Wage
Your employer is paying you less than the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage. This is unlawful and you can recover back pay through HMRC, the Employment Tribunal, or by making a civil claim.
Frequently asked questions
- What can I do if a client disputes my fee or ownership of work?
- If a client disputes your fee or the ownership of the work product, a solicitor can advise on the strength of your contract claim or intellectual property rights. This professional guidance helps you understand your legal position regarding the unpaid invoice and potential next steps for enforcement.
- Who can help if I think I am misclassified as self-employed?
- Freelancers who believe they have been unlawfully treated as self-employed when they are actually workers or employees should seek advice promptly. This is because time limits apply to such claims. The IPSE (Association of Independent Professionals) and Citizens Advice can provide initial guidance on your employment status and rights.
- What main legal issues does this section cover for self-employed workers?
- The page covers key legal areas for independent professionals, including protecting intellectual property, enforcing contracts, and understanding employment status. It also addresses specific issues such as zero hours contract rights, whistleblowing protections, and whether minimum wage rules apply to your work as a self-employed individual.
- Does this information apply to freelancers across the UK?
- The content is relevant to UK-wide freelancers and self-employed individuals. It provides information on topics like intellectual property law, contract law, and employment law, helping independent professionals understand their rights and obligations in the UK legal framework.
When to Get Legal Advice
If a client disputes your fee or ownership of work product, a solicitor can advise on the strength of your contract claim or intellectual property rights. Freelancers who believe they have been unlawfully treated as self-employed when they are actually workers or employees should seek advice promptly, as time limits apply. The IPSE (Association of Independent Professionals) and Citizens Advice can provide initial guidance.