Alison's Legal Plain-English legal help for everyday life

Alison's Legal

Plain-English legal help for everyday life

Latest Articles

A Stranger at the Door Over a Debt: Your Rights in 2026
Consumer & Money

A Stranger at the Door Over a Debt: Your Rights in 2026

A knock about an unpaid bill can feel intimidating, but a debt collector is not a bailiff and cannot simply invite themselves in. Here is how to check the debt, handle doorstep pressure and find free advice without panicking.

When Pay-in-Four Turns Into Pay-a-Fortune: Your BNPL Rights in 2026
Consumer & Money

When Pay-in-Four Turns Into Pay-a-Fortune: Your BNPL Rights in 2026

Buy now, pay later feels effortless until an instalment bounces or the sofa never arrives. Here’s what your rights actually look like in 2026 — and the practical moves to make before a small wobble becomes a default fee or a black mark on your credit file.

A Gift, Not a Deposit: Who Keeps the Engagement Ring When a Relationship Ends
Family & Relationships

A Gift, Not a Deposit: Who Keeps the Engagement Ring When a Relationship Ends

The wedding is off, the ring is in a box on the mantelpiece, and both sides have very firm views about who owns it. Here's the plain-English version of what the law in England and Wales actually says — plus a practical checklist for handling the hand-back without turning it into a saga.

When the School Gate Closes: Challenging a Suspension or Exclusion in England
Family & Relationships

When the School Gate Closes: Challenging a Suspension or Exclusion in England

A suspension or permanent exclusion letter can make your kitchen table feel very small. Here is a plain-English walk through the deadlines, the governors' review, the independent panel and the special educational needs angles that actually matter in England in 2026.

When a Parent Dies Intestate: The House, the Family and the Default Rules
Wills & Estate Planning

When a Parent Dies Intestate: The House, the Family and the Default Rules

No will does not mean no rules. When a parent dies intestate, the family home, savings and sentimental belongings are divided by a legal default system. Here is how it works in England and Wales, where Scotland and Northern Ireland differ, and when to call in a solicitor.

Before the Signature Slips Away: The Lasting Power of Attorney Chat Most Families Delay
Wills & Estate Planning

Before the Signature Slips Away: The Lasting Power of Attorney Chat Most Families Delay

A Lasting Power of Attorney is one of those jobs that feels morbid until the moment it becomes urgent. This plain-English guide explains what an LPA covers, why banks freeze accounts when someone loses capacity, and how to sort out property and finance versus health and welfare without turning a family chat into a legal argument.

When the Board Says ‘Cancelled’: A 2026 Passenger Playbook for Delays, Bumping and Refunds
Consumer & Money

When the Board Says ‘Cancelled’: A 2026 Passenger Playbook for Delays, Bumping and Refunds

Cancelled, delayed or bumped off an overbooked flight? Here’s a calm, plain-English walk through what UK passengers are actually owed in 2026 — refunds, rerouting, meals, hotels and cash compensation — plus the sensible steps to take while you’re still standing in the terminal.

Penalty or Parking Charge? Untangling That Slip of Paper Under Your Wiper
Consumer & Money

Penalty or Parking Charge? Untangling That Slip of Paper Under Your Wiper

That fluttering slip under your wiper is either a council penalty or a private firm's invoice — and the two follow completely different rulebooks. Here's how to work out which one you're dealing with, hit the right deadlines, and decide whether fighting it or paying it is the calmer path.

Your Money Just Left the Building: A 24-Hour Plan After a Bank Transfer Scam
Consumer & Money

Your Money Just Left the Building: A 24-Hour Plan After a Bank Transfer Scam

You authorised the transfer, but you were tricked. Here is a calm, hour-by-hour plan for the first day after a bank transfer scam – from freezing your account to making a reimbursement claim.

The Shutters Come Down: Getting Your Money Back When a Retailer Fails in 2026
Consumer & Money

The Shutters Come Down: Getting Your Money Back When a Retailer Fails in 2026

A retailer going bust is messy, but your money is not automatically gone. Here is how gift cards, pending refunds, deposits and undelivered orders are treated in 2026, plus the card protections and creditor claims worth trying first.

The 30-Day Countdown: When Your Tenancy Deposit Doesn't Get Protected
Neighbours & Property

The 30-Day Countdown: When Your Tenancy Deposit Doesn't Get Protected

Paid your deposit and heard nothing since? In England and Wales, landlords have a strict 30-day window to protect it and hand over the prescribed information. Here’s how to check, what to ask for, and how the county court claim works if they’ve dropped the ball.

Your Signature, Their Rent: A Parent's Guide to Guarantor Agreements
Neighbours & Property

Your Signature, Their Rent: A Parent's Guide to Guarantor Agreements

Being asked to guarantee your child's student flat can feel like a small favour with a very large price tag. Here's what joint and several liability really means, what a landlord can chase you for, and how to sign with your eyes open.

When the 'I Do' Falls Through: Getting Your Wedding Money Back After a Venue Cancellation
Consumer & Money

When the 'I Do' Falls Through: Getting Your Wedding Money Back After a Venue Cancellation

A venue cancelling your wedding is stressful enough without a fight over deposits. Here is how UK consumer law, card protections and insurance can help you get your money back, plus a checklist and letter template.

Back to the Desk? What to Do When Your Boss Wants You in the Office More
Work & Employment

Back to the Desk? What to Do When Your Boss Wants You in the Office More

Return-to-office demands can feel like a done deal, but your contract and flexible working rules still matter. Here is how to handle the conversation without torching your job, for employees and small employers.

Paws, Property and the Vet Bill: Who Really Owns the Pet After a Split?
Family & Relationships

Paws, Property and the Vet Bill: Who Really Owns the Pet After a Split?

When a relationship ends, the dog, cat or rabbit can become the most hotly disputed item in the house. UK law is less sentimental than you might hope: pets are treated as property, not children. Here’s what that means in practice, and how to build a sensible case for keeping your pet.

The £89 Surprise: How to Cancel a Free Trial That Turned Into a Subscription
Consumer & Money

The £89 Surprise: How to Cancel a Free Trial That Turned Into a Subscription

You signed up for a seven-day trial. You forgot to cancel. Now there’s an £89 charge on your card and a cancellation page that seems designed by a maze enthusiast. Here’s how UK consumer law helps, how to challenge the charge, and what to write.

Private Used Car Sales in 2026: Why 'Sold As Seen' Is Not a Get-Out-of-Jail Card
Consumer & Money

Private Used Car Sales in 2026: Why 'Sold As Seen' Is Not a Get-Out-of-Jail Card

Buying privately can save you money, but 'sold as seen' does not wipe out every right you have. Here's how to check a used car, spot the red flags, and what to do if it fails shortly after you get it home.

Family & Relationships

When a Favour Becomes a Loan: Keeping Money and Family on Speaking Terms

Lending money to someone you love can feel simple at the time and complicated six months later. Here's how to be clear about whether it's a gift or a loan, put the basics in writing, and deal with missed payments without turning Sunday lunch into a courtroom.

The Small Claims Track: How to Chase £10,000 Without a Solicitor (and When Not To)
Consumer & Money

The Small Claims Track: How to Chase £10,000 Without a Solicitor (and When Not To)

A used car that dies in a fortnight, an invoice that’s gone unpaid, a deposit that’s vanished — the small claims track is designed for exactly this. Here’s how the online process works in England and Wales in 2026, what it costs, and where DIY stops being a good idea.

Care Home Fees: What You’re Really Signing Up for When Mum Moves In
Wills & Estate Planning

Care Home Fees: What You’re Really Signing Up for When Mum Moves In

The bill lands on the doormat and everyone looks at you. Here’s the calm version: your mum’s care fees are usually hers before they’re anyone else’s, and a local authority means test is not a family invoice. This guide walks through contributions, top-ups and how to push back if the numbers look wrong.

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