Articles by Lorna Elliott on Understanding Contracts and Agreements
What if I Don't Have a Written Contract with My Employer?
You still have employment rights even without a written contract with your employer.
17th June 2026
Jurisdiction in Contracts
Jurisdiction clauses determine where disputes get resolved when contracts go wrong, and they matter more than you might think.
2nd April 2026
Policies and Contracts
Policies guide decision-making but aren't legally binding like contracts, though public bodies may be challenged if they ignore them.
2nd June 2010
Mediation and Arbitration
When a contract dispute happens, mediation or arbitration might help you avoid court and settle things faster.
2nd June 2010
Litigation: A Last Resort
Courts expect you to try settling disputes before filing a lawsuit, and skipping this step can cost you dearly.
2nd June 2010
What Is a Constructive Trust?
A constructive trust lets someone claim property rights when they've been wrongfully deprived or unfairly disadvantaged by another person's actions.
15th March 2010
HP Agreements Explained
With hire purchase, you don't own goods until you've paid all installments, and missing payments means the finance company can take them back.
15th March 2010
Do You Have to Know About a Breach to Be Liable?
You might not be liable for breach of contract if you genuinely didn't know you were breaking the rules.
15th March 2010
Breach of Contract Against Employer: A Case Study
How a female HR director's pay discrimination complaint led to wrongful dismissal and a breach of contract case.
15th March 2010
Breach of Contract: Supplying Food to Allergy Sufferer
A Sikh man dies after eating contaminated food at a wedding, raising questions about a caterer's duty of care to allergy sufferers.
15th March 2010
Smith vs Hughes: Offer and Acceptance
Smith v Hughes established that sellers aren't required to correct buyers' mistaken assumptions about what they're purchasing.
14th October 2009
Carlill V Carbolic Smoke Ball: A Case Study
How a woman won £100 from a company over a fake flu cure by turning their advertisement into a binding contract.
13th October 2009
Unfairness in Contracts
Contract fairness rules differ between business and consumer agreements, with courts checking if terms are reasonable under UK law.
12th October 2009
Giving an Undertaking
An undertaking is a legally binding promise you can give in court to act or not act a certain way, with serious consequences if you break it.
12th October 2009
Giving a Personal Guarantee
A personal guarantee puts your own finances at risk if someone else can't pay, here's what you need to know before signing.
12th October 2009
Remedies for Breach of Contract
When a contract gets broken, you can pursue damages or take other legal steps depending on how serious the breach is.
30th September 2009
Contracts and Risk
When goods move between buyers and sellers, someone bears the risk if they're lost or damaged, here's how to decide who in your contract.
30th September 2009
Name on Title Deeds: What Happens if I Move Out?
Your name on the deed protects your ownership stake whether you live there or not, but joint tenancy and tenancy in common work very differently when.
1st July 2009
Questionnaire: What to Do When a Contract Is Breached?
When someone breaks a contract, you can demand they fix it, claim damages, or take them to court depending on what your contract says.
30th March 2009
Invalid Contract Examples
See real examples of situations that aren't legally binding contracts, from unclear terms to missing acceptance.
30th March 2009
Contracts for Goods: Your Statutory Rights
When you buy goods as a consumer, the law gives you automatic rights that protect you from faulty or misdescribed products.
30th March 2009
What Are T.U.P.E Claims?
When your employer sells the business or gets taken over, TUPE rules protect your job, pay, holidays and any claims you've already made.
27th March 2009
Landlord Has Tampered with the Meter: What Can I Do?
Your landlord is responsible if the meter's been tampered with, and you can take them to court to recover what you've overpaid on electricity.
11th March 2009
Is There Any Way I Can Get the Title Deeds Back?
You'll need to repay your mother's loan before getting the house deeds back from the lender.
13th February 2009
International Agreements
International agreements are formal contracts between countries that govern everything from human rights to trade, and must be registered with the UN.
13th January 2009
How to Interpret a Contract
Break down the key elements that make a contract legally binding and how to read one properly.
13th January 2009
Intellectual Property Agreements
Understand how patents, licences, and ownership agreements protect your creative work from being copied or misused.
13th January 2009
Legal Terminology or Jargon in Contracts
Contract language can be confusing with legal jargon and Latin terms, so here's a plain-English breakdown of the most common phrases.
13th January 2009
Typical Franchise Agreements
How franchise agreements work and what rights franchisors retain over their franchisees' operations.
13th January 2009
Property Management Contracts
Understanding leasehold property costs, lease terms and what to check before buying a flat or maisonette.
13th January 2009
What Are Boilerplate Clauses?
Standard contract clauses explained: what amendment, assignment, arbitration and other boilerplate terms actually do.
13th January 2009
A Sample Confidentiality Agreement
Use a confidentiality agreement to protect your ideas and inventions from being copied or misused without permission.
12th January 2009