UK Legal & Compliance Tools
Nobody wants to deal with legal stuff. But if you are running a UK business or managing a team, it comes for you whether you are ready or not. Employment tribunals, IR35 determinations, supplier contracts with buried liability clauses, GDPR obligations you did not know you had -- getting any of these wrong can cost you thousands, and solicitors charge £200-500 an hour to tell you what you should have done six months ago. The problem is not that legal advice does not exist. It is that by the time most people seek it out, the damage is already done.
These tools give you a proper starting point before you spend a penny on legal fees. Estimate what an employment tribunal claim might actually be worth (the median unfair dismissal award is around £13k, but discrimination claims are uncapped). Get a plain English summary of a supplier contract so you know where the risks are before you sign. Generate an IR35 status determination letter. Check your redundancy rights in two minutes. None of this replaces a solicitor for the serious stuff -- but it means you walk into that meeting actually understanding your position, instead of paying someone to explain the basics.
All Legal & Compliance Tools (5 live)
Employment Tribunal Estimator
Estimate potential employment tribunal award ranges based on claim type, salary, and length of service.
Supplier Contract Summariser
Upload a supplier contract and get an AI-generated summary of key terms, risks, and obligations.
UK Redundancy Rights Guide
Know your statutory redundancy rights, consultation requirements, and unfair dismissal indicators.
IR35 Status Letter Generator
Generate an IR35 Status Determination Statement with AI-powered legal analysis.
Settlement Agreement Calculator
Calculate expected settlement agreement value including redundancy, notice, and ex-gratia.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can I claim at an employment tribunal in the UK?
Employment tribunal awards depend on the type of claim. For unfair dismissal, the basic award is calculated like statutory redundancy pay (up to £21,000), plus a compensatory award capped at £115,115 or one year’s gross pay, whichever is lower. Discrimination claims have no cap on compensation and can include injury to feelings (Vento bands: £1,200-£56,200 depending on severity). Whistleblowing claims are also uncapped. The median tribunal award for unfair dismissal is around £13,000, though high-value cases can reach six figures.
What should I look for when reviewing a supplier contract?
Key areas to review in a supplier contract include: payment terms and pricing (watch for automatic price escalation clauses), liability caps and indemnities, termination provisions (notice period, exit costs, data return), intellectual property ownership, confidentiality obligations, data processing terms (GDPR compliance), force majeure clauses, service levels and remedies for breach, auto-renewal terms, and governing law. Pay particular attention to limitation of liability clauses -- many contracts limit the supplier’s liability to the fees paid in the preceding 12 months.
What is IR35 and how does the status determination work?
IR35 determines whether a contractor working through a personal service company should be taxed as an employee. Since April 2021, medium and large private sector clients must issue a Status Determination Statement (SDS) for each engagement. The determination assesses factors including control, substitution rights, mutuality of obligation, financial risk, and whether the contractor is part and parcel of the organisation. Contractors can challenge determinations through the client’s status disagreement process. HMRC’s CEST tool provides guidance but is not definitive.
How much does it cost to take a case to employment tribunal?
Since 2017, there are no fees to bring a claim to an employment tribunal in the UK (fees were abolished after the Supreme Court ruled them unlawful). However, legal costs can be significant -- solicitor fees for tribunal representation typically range from £5,000 to £25,000 for a straightforward case, and £25,000-£100,000+ for complex discrimination or whistleblowing claims. Employment tribunals do not normally award costs against the losing party unless they have acted unreasonably or vexatiously.
What are my redundancy rights in the UK?
UK employees with two or more years of continuous service have the right to statutory redundancy pay, reasonable time off to look for work or arrange training, a fair selection process, consultation (individual for fewer than 20 redundancies, collective for 20 or more at one establishment), and the right to appeal. Employers must follow a fair procedure including a genuine business reason, a fair selection pool and criteria, individual consultation, and consideration of alternative employment. Failure to follow a fair process can result in an unfair dismissal claim.
How does GDPR enforcement work and what are the penalties?
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) enforces UK GDPR. Enforcement actions range from warnings and reprimands to enforcement notices and fines. The maximum fine is £17.5 million or 4% of annual worldwide turnover for the most serious infringements (such as breaching data processing principles or conditions for consent). Lower-level infringements (such as failure to maintain records) can attract fines up to £8.7 million or 2% of turnover. In practice, most ICO fines are significantly lower, but reputational damage and the cost of remediation can be substantial.