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Setting up a business involves complying with a range of legal requirements. Find out which ones apply to you and your new enterprise.

What particular regulations do specific types of business (such as a hotel, or a printer, or a taxi firm) need to follow? We explain some of the key legal issues to consider for 200 types of business.

While poor governance can bring serious legal consequences, the law can also protect business owners and managers and help to prevent conflict.

Whether you want to raise finance, join forces with someone else, buy or sell a business, it pays to be aware of the legal implications.

From pay, hours and time off to discipline, grievance and hiring and firing employees, find out about your legal responsibilities as an employer.

Marketing matters. Marketing drives sales for businesses of all sizes by ensuring that customers think of their brand when they want to buy.

Commercial disputes can prove time-consuming, stressful and expensive, but having robust legal agreements can help to prevent them from occurring.

Whether your business owns or rents premises, your legal liabilities can be substantial. Commercial property law is complex, but you can avoid common pitfalls.

With information and sound advice, living up to your legal responsibilities to safeguard your employees, customers and visitors need not be difficult or costly.

As information technology continues to evolve, legislation must also change. It affects everything from data protection and online selling to internet policies for employees.

Intellectual property (IP) isn't solely relevant to larger businesses or those involved in developing innovative new products: all products have IP.

Knowing how and when you plan to sell or relinquish control of your business can help you to make better decisions and achieve the best possible outcome.

From bereavement, wills, inheritance, separation and divorce to selling a house, personal injury and traffic offences, learn more about your personal legal rights.

Parental leave

Any employee who has at least one year’s service with an employer is entitled to take up to 18 weeks’ unpaid parental leave per child for the purpose of caring for that child. Parental leave may be taken until the child’s 18th birthday. 

The parent must have parental responsibility for the child, and must give you 21 days’ notice, stating the dates the parental leave will begin and end.

The entitlement to unpaid leave is a total entitlement to leave, not an annual entitlement, and is therefore calculated by reference to all employment with all employers. So when you are taking on new employees, it is advisable to check with their previous employers as to how much parental leave, if any, they have taken.

Parental leave may be taken in blocks or multiples of a week, up to a maximum of four weeks per year, per child.

Read more about parental leave on the GOV.UK website.

If in doubt, take legal advice.

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