Legal Documents, Templates and 24/7 Advice

Essential legal resources for your small business

Still relying on search engines for legal answers? Whether it’s HR, tax, or health and safety, we’re here to support you to run your business smoothly.

Documents

Access a comprehensive and regularly updated online library of template policies, letters, factsheets, and guides, all included with FSB membership. Commercial law, tax, employment matters, data protection and more.

1m+ downloads

Thousands of small business owners and the self-employed just like you trust us to help them save time with compliance. Download what you need, when you need it, with an unlimited use library.*

50+ toolkits

Get legal support that fits your busy schedule. Hiring a new employee? Need a data compliance refresher? Find the templates and documents that you need.

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Legal compliance is just a click away

You didn’t go into business to be a legal expert, which is why we’ve made legal paperwork simple for small businesses across the UK. Find the templates you need to run your business smoothly all in one place, from supplier contracts to cyber security policies.

Customisable precedent documents written by a team of legal experts and checked regularly. Download the documents you need instantly, from employment contracts to health and safety policies.

Finding what you need is easy. Save time by bookmarking your favourite documents. View your legal check history, see booked call reminders, filter by document type and more.

Our monthly legal bulletin is delivered straight to your inbox with a round-up of the latest legal news. Stay up to date with the important legislative changes that matter to you.

Complying with business law shouldn’t break the bank

Get the documents you need to run your business, all in one place, without worrying about extra fees. Access contracts, agreements, individual clauses, policies, checklists, letters, notices and forms.

Got questions? With our free 24/7 legal and employment helpline, we’ll help you through it. You can also book a call at a time that suits you. Just let us know some information about your issue and we’ll get the right person to give you a call. .

Instruct one of our experienced solicitors to act on your behalf at a discounted rate exclusively for FSB members. You’ll have certainty of costs with fixed-fee packages available on certain common legal matters.

Make doing business day-to-day even easier

Our hub is home to more than just legal and HR templates for small businesses. You’ll also find handy documents and guides for other important areas like business planning, cyber security, tax and so much more.

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Frequently asked questions

What legal documentation do you need to start a small business in the UK?

Setting up your own small business is exciting, but organising the paperwork is a time-consuming job, especially when you’re a new business owner. After all, there are more exiting jobs to do, like designing products or making your first sales!

It’s best to start as you mean to go on and get it right from day one. There are many types of legal paperwork that you will encounter on your business journey, depending on your business structure or sector. This could be forms, contracts, agreements, letters, notices, policies and more. Key areas to consider include business law, tax, and health and safety.

It can seem overwhelming, but getting the basics in place will save you time and effort down the line. For example, think about:

Invoice templates to help you get paid on time
Terms and conditions of business if you’re working with clients
Privacy policies and website terms of use for your online store

Discover the legal documents every start-up needs for success >

How long do you have to keep paperwork for a small business?

It's important to keep good records for auditing and compliance purposes. You must keep records for at least 5 years after the 31 January submission deadline of the relevant tax year. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) may check your records to make sure you’re paying the right amount of tax.

Running a limited company: your responsibilities: Company and accounting records - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Business records if you're self-employed: How long to keep your records - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

What legal documents and templates are available?

You’ll find essential legal templates for small businesses on the hub. Our online legal library covers a range of topics, including:

✔ Contracts and trading
✔ Cyber security
✔ Data protection and GDPR
✔ Immigration guidance
✔ Property law
✔ Employment law
✔ Health and safety
️✔ Tax
✔ Debt recovery

*Please note, even though the number of documents you can download throughout your membership is unlimited, we do impose a daily limit of 95 documents to prevent abuse of this service and to protect the copyright of the content.