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"What if the service you offer is slightly different to the norm?"
What if you want to expand? What if the service you offer is slightly different to the norm? What are you allowed to do for a client and with their money? You may even have imitated what to do from other websites or found yourself in the unenviable position of providing the legal advice yourself. Would you stake your job and livelihood on that advice? Did you advise your team to take legal advice? Perhaps the advice was too expensive. Not any more.
"[it is] not just about (we'll say it here...) the 'boring' or necessary side of regulation"
If it’s not that expensive, why not ask a barrister? This is not just about (we’ll say it here…) the ‘boring’ or necessary side of regulation: if you are leading edge company you might need to really understand the law and how far you can push it, to define where your competitive advantage is. This advice should be, we say, available to all companies, not just the largest.
Lets take – for example – your cookie policy. You may think that you are doing nothing wrong or making so little use of them that it is not important to get it right. But what if for example, cookies are a useful or essential tool for your business? How far will the law allow you to go? A one-off piece of advice can be yours to rely upon to make the strategic decisions you need to give your business enough of an advantage over others to make a real difference. Even selling over the internet and the contract you agree with your clients can be tricky.
What if you deal with other countries? Outside the EU? How does the Sales of Goods Act 1979, the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, the Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994, the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations 1999 and the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling Regulations) 2000 apply to your business? (Pause for breath…) That’s not all!
There is the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002, the Companies (Trading Disclosure) Regulations 2008, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008, the Provision of Services Regulations 2009, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2011 …(pause again..) and the Financial Services (Distance Marketing) Regulations 2004 and the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
And then, to make it all the more difficult, a lot of these pieces of legislation have been amended…more than once. It may seem like a minefield, but your expert barrister will tell you detailed personal advice as to how the law applies to you - not generic, unhelpful stuff you could just get off the internet.
Do you need someone to draft a contract for you that you can rely upon and use with your clients? Once you know what the minimum standard required by law is, you might even get a competitive advantage by giving your client something else on top or by offering your service in a way which others don’t. What ever the exacting requirements of your business, we can help.
