Freelancing, on your terms.
IR35, client contracts, getting paid, your status and who owns your work — read and explained against the law of England & Wales, current to 2026. Legal information you can act on, not advice that replaces a solicitor.
Review a freelance document
Upload a client contract or engagement terms for a clause-by-clause read.
Run an IR35 status check
Test a contractor engagement against the status indicators that decide IR35.
Prepare a solicitor handoff
Package the facts and open questions for fast, focused regulated advice.
IR35 and off-payroll working explained (England & Wales)
A plain-English guide to IR35 for UK contractors: inside vs outside, who decides your status, and what the rules mean for your tax.
Reviewing a freelance contract (England & Wales)
The key clauses freelancers and contractors should check before signing a client contract: payment, scope, IP, liability, and termination.
Getting paid: late payment law for freelancers (England & Wales)
How the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act 1998 lets freelancers charge statutory interest and fixed compensation when business clients pay late.
Self-employed, worker, or employee? (England & Wales)
How the law decides whether you are genuinely self-employed, a worker, or an employee — and why the difference matters for your rights and tax.
Who owns the work you create? (England & Wales)
Under UK copyright law, freelancers own the work they create by default — unless they have signed it away. Here is what that means in practice.
Consultancy agreement
A services agreement with scope, fees, deliverables, substitution, IP, confidentiality, termination, and IR35-aware status indicators.
Contractor services agreement
A contractor engagement pack that separates employment-style controls from commercial delivery obligations and highlights IR35 pressure points.
Can The Counsel review my client contract?
Yes. The Counsel reads the contract, flags risky or unusual clauses — payment, IP, liability, restrictive covenants — and explains them in plain English against England & Wales law. It is a legal-information tool, not a solicitor, and does not represent you.
Does IR35 still apply in 2026?
Yes. The off-payroll rules remain in force; the main 2026 change is that the small-company thresholds were raised from 6 April 2026, moving some clients out of scope so determination shifts back to those contractors' own companies.
Do I own the work I create for clients?
By default, yes — under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 the creator is first owner unless you are an employee or have signed a written assignment. Many client contracts assign those rights on payment, so it is worth checking before you sign.
What can I do if a client pays late?
The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 gives you an automatic right to statutory interest and fixed compensation on overdue business-to-business invoices, with no clause needed. The Counsel can help you understand the position and draft a letter before action.
The Counsel is an AI tool for England & Wales. It provides legal information, not legal advice, and does not replace a regulated solicitor. For anything high-value or contested, prepare a solicitor handoff and take advice before you act.