United Kingdom Laws
280 articles · page 1 of 5
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AccessNI Check Explained: Levels, Fees and Eligibility
AccessNI, not the DBS, runs Northern Ireland's criminal record checks. Compare Basic, Standard and Enhanced levels, fees, eligibility and filtering rules.
Adverse Possession UK: Squatters' Rights Explained
How adverse possession works in the UK: the 10-year notify-and-object rule for registered land, the 12-year rule for unregistered land, and Scotland's different system.
Age of Consent in the UK: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
The age of consent is 16 in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, each under its own statute. How the law treats under-13s and positions of trust.
Age of Criminal Responsibility in the UK: 10 in England, Wales and NI, 12 in Scotland
The age of criminal responsibility is 10 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 12 in Scotland since December 2021, the highest in the UK.
APP Fraud Reimbursement UK: Get Your Money Back From Your Bank
Scammed into a UK bank transfer? Under PSR rules from 7 October 2024, banks must usually refund APP fraud up to £85,000. Limits, time limits, how to claim.
Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST): What Changed in 2026
What an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) was, and how the Renters' Rights Act 2025 turned private ASTs in England into periodic assured tenancies on 1 May 2026.
Attachment of Earnings & Wage Arrestment UK Explained
Wage garnishment is a US term. UK equivalents: attachment of earnings orders (England & Wales), earnings arrestment (Scotland), and EJO orders (NI).
Attendance Allowance UK: Eligibility, Rates and How to Claim
Who can get Attendance Allowance, the two weekly rates, the 6 month qualifying rule, and how Scotland's Pension Age Disability Payment and Northern Ireland differ.
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Bailiffs' Rights: What They Can and Cannot Do (UK)
Bailiffs' rights explained per nation: England and Wales's new 14-day enforcement notice, Scotland's sheriff officers, and Northern Ireland's EJO.
Bankruptcy in the UK: How It Works and What It Costs
Bankruptcy in England and Wales costs £680 and usually ends after 12 months. How it works, what you keep, your home, and the rules in Scotland and NI.
Basic DBS Check: Cost, How to Apply & Turnaround (2026)
Basic DBS check explained: £20 from 5 October 2026 (£21.50 until then), self-apply vs employer routes, turnaround times, what it shows, and Scotland/NI equivalents.
BB Gun and Imitation Firearm Law in the UK
Owning an ordinary BB gun as an adult is lawful in the UK. What the law actually bans: realistic replicas, sales to under-18s, and carrying one in public.
Being Arrested in the UK: Your Rights in Police Custody
Your rights if arrested in the UK: free legal advice, having someone informed, and the detention time limits in England and Wales, Scotland, and NI.
Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates UK: How to Order a Copy
How to order a UK birth, marriage or death certificate from GRO, ScotlandsPeople or GRONI, the registration deadlines by nation, and the Tell Us Once gap in Northern Ireland.
Blue Badge UK: Eligibility, Fees by Nation and Misuse Rules
Who automatically qualifies for a Blue Badge, hidden-disability eligibility, fees in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the misuse offence.
Boundary Disputes UK: General and Determined Boundaries
Why your UK title plan is only a general boundary, how to apply for a determined boundary, and how the First-tier Tribunal resolves a genuine objection.
Breathing Space Scheme: 60-Day Debt Respite Explained
Breathing Space pauses creditor action and freezes interest for 60 days in England and Wales. Who can apply, what it covers, the mental health crisis version.
Building Regulations UK: Approval, Completion Certificates and Enforcement by Nation
Building regulations approval rules for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: when you need it, completion certificates, Scotland’s occupation offence, and enforcement time limits.
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Car Finance Compensation: The FCA Scheme, Its Current Status and Free Options
The FCA car finance redress scheme was partially suspended in June 2026 pending an Upper Tribunal challenge. What the scheme covers, what is on hold, and the free complaint routes available now.
Car Tax and SORN: Penalties for an Untaxed Vehicle in the UK
What DVLA can do if your car tax lapses or you skip a SORN: the criminal offence, the late licensing penalty, out-of-court settlements and clamping fees, explained with the actual figures.
Careless and Dangerous Driving UK: Penalties and Points
Careless and dangerous driving in the UK: legal tests, fines, points and bans, the £100 fixed penalty, death by dangerous driving, failing to stop and NI rules.
Carer's Allowance UK: Rates, Earnings Limit and the Overpayment Reassessment
Carer's Allowance eligibility, the £86.45 rate, the £204 earnings limit, the overpayment reassessment, and how Scotland's Carer Support Payment differs.
Carer's Leave UK: Your Right to a Week of Unpaid Leave to Care for a Dependant
Carer's leave gives you up to 1 week of unpaid leave a year to care for a dependant, from day one of employment. Who qualifies, notice rules, and why Northern Ireland is different.
CCJ Removal: How to Cancel or Set Aside a CCJ
How to remove a CCJ in England and Wales: pay within a month to cancel it, or apply to set it aside. Beware firms charging fees for guaranteed CCJ removal.
CCTV, Ring Doorbells & Your Neighbours: UK Law
When home CCTV or a Ring doorbell captures a neighbour's garden or the street, UK GDPR applies. What Fairhurst v Woodard decided and how to stay compliant.
Change Your Name on UK Documents: Passport, DVLA, HMRC
How to update your name on a UK passport, driving licence, HMRC record, electoral register, DWP benefits and DBS certificate after a deed poll, marriage or divorce.
Changing Your Name After Marriage or Divorce (UK)
Do you need a deed poll after marriage or divorce? What HMPO and DVLA actually ask for, passport fees, the PD2 post-dated passport, and the Scotland difference.
Chargeback: Getting Your Money Back on a Card Payment
Chargeback lets you ask your bank to reverse a card payment gone wrong, debit or credit. How it works, the 120-day limit, and how it differs from s.75.
Check Your Driving Licence Points: DVLA & DVA Guide
Check your driving licence points free via DVLA (Great Britain) or DVA/nidirect (Northern Ireland), and how to share a check code with someone else.
Child Arrangements Order Explained (England & Wales)
What a child arrangements order covers, the welfare checklist, the MIAM mediation requirement, and how Scotland's residence and contact orders differ.
Child Benefit 2026: Rates, Claims and the Tax Charge
Child Benefit from 6 April 2026: £27.05 a week for the eldest child, £17.90 for others. How to claim, 3-month backdating, and the £60,000 tax charge.
Child Car Seat Laws in the UK: Age, Height and Booster Seat Rules
UK child car seat law: use until 12 or 135cm tall, seat rules, exceptions and penalties: a £100 fixed penalty or up to £500 in Great Britain, £60 plus 3 points in Northern Ireland.
Child Maintenance UK: How Much You Pay and the CMS Rates
At the basic rate, child maintenance is 12% of gross weekly income for one child, 16% for two and 19% for three or more, less for shared care. Worked examples.
Citizen's Arrest in the UK: Powers, Limits and Real Risk
Citizen's arrest under PACE 1984, s.24A in England and Wales, Article 26A in Northern Ireland, and Scotland's common law rule, plus the risk of getting it wrong.
Civil Partnership UK: Who Can Form One and How Dissolution Differs From Divorce
Civil partnership is open to same-sex and opposite-sex couples across the UK, on three different dates by nation. Eligibility, formation, and how dissolution differs from divorce.
Cohabitation Agreements UK: Legal Status, TOLATA and Scotland
How UK cohabitation agreements work: England and Wales contract law and TOLATA s.14, the 2026 reform proposal, and Scotland's stricter statutory deadlines.
Cohabiting Couples' Rights in the UK
Cohabiting couples have very limited rights in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland is different. What unmarried partners can and cannot claim.
Common Assault, ABH and GBH: UK Sentences Explained
Common assault, ABH and GBH sentences explained: maximum penalties and how sentencing guidelines work in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Common Law Marriage in the UK: The Myth Explained
There is no such thing as common law marriage in the UK. Learn what rights unmarried partners actually have, and why Scotland is different.
Compassionate Leave and Bereavement Leave UK: What the Law Actually Requires
There is no general UK statutory right to compassionate leave. What the law does give you: time off for dependants, Parental Bereavement Leave and pay, and the coming general bereavement right.
Confirmation in Scotland: The Scottish Probate Process
How Confirmation works in Scotland: executor-nominate vs executor-dative, the £36,000 small estate procedure, and what it lets you do.
Constructive Dismissal: Fundamental Breach and Risks
Constructive dismissal explained: the fundamental breach test, resign-and-claim risks, qualifying period, and UK employment tribunal time limits.
Consumer Rights Act 2015: Your Rights Explained
Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015: satisfactory quality, the 30-day right to reject, repair or replace, and the 6-month proof rule explained.
Contesting a Will in England and Wales: Grounds and Limits
How to contest a will in England and Wales: validity grounds, the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, and the six-month time limit.
Council Housing Rules UK: How Allocation and Waiting Lists Work
How council housing allocation works in the UK as of 28 September 2026: the statutory reasonable preference categories, review rights, and how Scotland, Wales and NI differ.
Council Tax Bands: England, Wales and Scotland Explained
Council tax bands A to H in England and Scotland and A to I in Wales: valuation dates, how each band compares to Band D, and how to check or challenge yours.
Council Tax Liability: Who Actually Has to Pay (and NI Rates)
Who is legally liable for council tax under the statutory hierarchy (s.6 in England and Wales, s.75 in Scotland), joint liability, bands, and Northern Ireland domestic rates.
Council Tax Reduction UK: How the Scheme Differs by Nation
How Council Tax Reduction works in England, Scotland and Wales, how it differs from the single-person discount, and Northern Ireland’s rates-based equivalent.
Court of Appeal Reopens Laurence Fox Libel Fight, Reshaping the 'Serious Harm' Test in English Defamation Law
In Blake v Fox [2025] EWCA Civ 1321, England's Court of Appeal revived Laurence Fox's libel counterclaim, finding the trial judge misapplied the serious harm test.
Court Orders Indemnity Costs Against Prince Harry and Fellow Claimants in Associated Newspapers Privacy Case
England's High Court ordered indemnity costs against Prince Harry and six co-claimants who lost their Associated Newspapers case, plus a £9.5m interim payment.
Covert Recordings as Evidence in UK Courts: England and Wales
Making a private recording in the UK is usually lawful, but using it as evidence in England and Wales is at the court's discretion in family and civil cases.
Criminal Damage Law UK: Charges and Penalties Explained
How criminal damage is charged and sentenced in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including the £5,000 threshold and the Penalty Notice for Disorder route.
Criminal Legal Aid Eligibility: The Merits and Means Tests Explained
How the interests-of-justice (Widgery) test and the means test decide criminal legal aid eligibility in England and Wales, plus the separate Scotland and Northern Ireland systems.
Criminal Record Check UK: Which System Do You Need?
UK criminal record checks depend on nation: DBS (England & Wales), Disclosure Scotland/PVG, or AccessNI (Northern Ireland). Compare all three systems here.
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Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Explained: Banned Types, s.3 & Destruction Orders
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991: prohibited types, the dangerously-out-of-control offence, aggravated penalties, destruction orders, and the dog-on-dog route.
Dartford Crossing Fine: Dart Charge and PCN Rules Explained
How the Dart Charge works, what a car costs to cross the Dartford Crossing, and the PCN fines (£35 to £105) if you miss the payment deadline.
Dash Cam Laws UK: Are They Legal? Evidence & GDPR
Are dash cams legal in the UK? Yes. How footage becomes police evidence via Operation Snap, when UK GDPR applies, and the rules for mounting one.
Data Breach Compensation UK: What You Can Actually Claim
Data breach compensation in the UK is claimed through the courts under Article 82 UK GDPR, not paid by the ICO. What Lloyd v Google means for your claim.
DBS Check: Levels, Fees, Eligibility & Filtering (UK)
DBS check explained: Basic, Standard, Enhanced and barred-list levels, fees before and after the 5 October 2026 cut, who can apply, and what filtering means for your record.
DBS Update Service: £16 Fee, Join Deadlines and How It Works
The DBS Update Service costs £15 a year from 5 October 2026 (£16 until then), free for volunteers. Covers the two join deadlines, renewal rules, employer status checks and refunds.