Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982: Primary legislation governing service contracts, including requirements for reasonable care, skill, time for performance, and charges. Essential for establishing basic service terms in retainer letters.
Consumer Rights Act 2015: Key legislation for consumer contracts covering transparency requirements, fairness of terms, service quality standards, and pricing clarity. Applicable when the client is a consumer rather than a business.
SRA Requirements: Regulatory framework including SRA Code of Conduct, price transparency rules, client care requirements, and complaints handling procedures. Essential for legal service retainers.
Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR: Data protection legislation requiring specific terms regarding data processing, privacy notices, security measures, and client data rights.
Money Laundering Regulations 2017: Regulatory requirements covering client due diligence, record keeping obligations, and reporting requirements for regulated sectors.
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999: Legislation governing third party rights in contracts, including considerations for exclusion clauses and third-party enforcement rights.
Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998: Legislation governing payment terms and interest provisions for commercial contracts, essential for fee payment terms in retainer letters.
Limitation Act 1980: Statute setting time limits for claims and record keeping periods, important for defining service duration and record retention.
Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977: Legislation controlling unfair terms, particularly regarding limitation of liability clauses and reasonableness requirements in contracts.
Professional Regulations: Industry-specific requirements, professional standards, and insurance requirements that vary by sector and must be reflected in retainer terms.
Common Law Principles: Fundamental contract formation principles established through case law, including offer, acceptance, consideration, and intention to create legal relations.
VAT Requirements: Tax implications and requirements for VAT charging and documentation in professional service contracts.
