UK Law Guides

A woman tips a shoebox of costs into a Y-shaped chute that sorts a laptop, a hard hat and a receipt into a crate marked business, and a shirt, a sandwich and a dumbbell into a crate marked personal.

What Can I Claim as Self-Employed? The UK Expenses List, and Which Box Each Cost Goes In

Filing your 2025-26 return? See which costs HMRC lets sole traders claim, which mileage rate applies to that year, and where each expense goes on the form.

November 10, 2026 · 16 min read

A woman in a sun hat walks away on a warm cream background, wheeling an orange suitcase whose tag reads Your Pick. On a pale blue background, a man holds out a sheet of paper beside a shop's closed double doors, which carry a sign reading Shutdown. A round yellow badge on the line between the two halves reads 5.6 weeks.

Holiday Entitlement in the UK: How Many Days You Get, Whether Bank Holidays Count, and Who Picks the Dates

Most workers get 5.6 weeks a year, capped at 28 days. Here's how part-time and zero-hours holiday works, whether bank holidays count, and who picks the dates.

November 6, 2026 · 18 min read

A woman holding an envelope marked resignation and a folder marked evidence stands on a floor that tilts towards an open doorway, raised at the far end by a pile of boxes topped by one marked last straw.

Constructive Dismissal in the UK: What Counts, When to Resign, and How to Prove It

Resigned, or about to, because your employer broke your contract? Here's the test a tribunal uses, how to resign without losing your claim, and your deadline.

November 3, 2026 · 15 min read

A baby asleep in a wooden cot under a mobile. A calendar block labelled Leave and a round coin labelled Pay hang from separate strings above the baby, and an envelope labelled Notice leans against a leg of the cot.

Paternity Leave in the UK: Who Can Take It, Who Gets Paid, and Why Northern Ireland Is Different

In Great Britain the leave starts on day one, but the pay has its own tests. How the two weeks work, what you'll be paid, and how Northern Ireland differs.

October 30, 2026 · 15 min read

A man sits on a park bench with a mug in his hand, holding a large teal umbrella that keeps off the rain falling on either side. Three tags hang from the umbrella's rim, labelled Dependants, Bereavement Leave and Your Contract.

Compassionate Leave in the UK: Who the Law Covers, What's Paid, and What Your Employer Decides

Who died decides what you're owed at work. The time off the law guarantees, when it's paid, how Northern Ireland differs, and what to say to your employer.

October 23, 2026 · 17 min read

A hand slides an envelope marked Notice across a desk towards a desk calendar headed Last Day, with one date marked in red. Above them hangs a round badge showing a sun lounger under a parasol, labelled Holiday Pay.

Resignation Letter: UK Templates, How Much Notice You Owe, and What You're Paid on the Way Out

Copy a UK resignation letter, then check what templates skip: how much notice you owe, when it starts, and the holiday and final pay you're still due.

October 20, 2026 · 17 min read

A woman holding a letter stands in an office corridor beside a measuring strip labelled service and a clock labelled deadline, under a sign reading unfair dismissal.

Unfair Dismissal in the UK: Can You Claim, How Long You Have, and What Changes in 2027

In England, Scotland and Wales you need two years' service, or six months if your job ends from 1 January 2027. Check your deadline and what a claim is worth.

October 16, 2026 · 18 min read

A person resting on a sofa under a blanket, holding a mug, below a row of seven blocks headed YOUR WEEK in which only the first block, labelled DAY ONE, is filled in, with a card reading SICK PAY propped against the sofa.

How Much Is Statutory Sick Pay? £123.25 a Week, or 80% of Your Pay, Whichever Is Lower

Statutory sick pay is £123.25 a week or 80% of your normal pay, whichever is lower. See what that is per day, and what to do if your employer will not pay.

October 13, 2026 · 16 min read

A desk with a packed cardboard box, a letter with three tabs labelled age, years and week's pay, and a calculator showing your figure.

How Is Redundancy Pay Calculated? The £751 Cap, the Age Bands, and How to Check Your Employer's Sums

It's up to a week and a half's pay for each year you've worked, capped at £751 a week (£783 in Northern Ireland). Here's how to check your employer's figure.

October 9, 2026 · 16 min read

Flat illustration of a person holding a small card labelled YOUR PAYSLIP beside a tall cabinet of twelve pigeonholes under a plaque reading WHICH ONE, with one compartment open and its door labelled 1257L.

Tax Code 1257L: What It Means, and What Changes If Yours Starts With S or C

1257L is the standard UK tax code for 2026 to 2027. Here is how the number, the letter, an S or C prefix and a W1 or M1 ending change your pay.

October 6, 2026 · 16 min read

Flat illustration of a client holding a folder marked YOUR CASE outside a law firm's building, which is cut away to show three floors with one person working on each, beside a wall clock over a plaque reading PER HOUR and a street-level plaque reading FEE EARNERS.

Solicitor Hourly Rates in the UK: The Official Figure for Your Area, and Why Your Bill Can Be Higher

The courts publish a guideline hourly rate for every part of England and Wales. Find yours, see what it means for your bill, and why a firm can charge more.

October 2, 2026 · 17 min read

A worker standing on a tall block passes a large card labelled SHARE CODE along a plank to an employer standing on a lower block beside a desk and screen. Plaques on the fronts of the two blocks read WORKER and EMPLOYER.

Right to Work Share Code: How to Get Yours, What Your Employer Sees, and What to Do If You Cannot Get One

Your share code stops working after 90 days. Here is how to get one, what your employer sees, and who can use the service.

September 29, 2026 · 14 min read