ContractStore is pleased to be a founding member of APOD – The Association of Publishers of Online Legal Documents (www.apod.co.uk) which has just been established.
APOD has been created to raise awareness of the supply of online legal documents, as an affordable and reliable alternative to costly high street professional legal services. The association will also serve as an education tool for businesses as to which legal documentation is required to protect their interests, in various matters from employment to trading agreements.
Acting as a digital forum between online publishers and businesses, the website will serve as a portal of information, offering an invaluable instant contract-supply service to visitors to the site.
Founding members include major online legal document publishers such as ContractStore, Lawpack, Net Lawman and Simply-Docs.
Giles Dixon, a founder member of APOD and MD of ContractStore, says: “In tough economic trading conditions it is vital to ‘batten down the hatches’ and leave no stone unturned when protecting your business – whether this is guarding against bad debtors or making sure you are limiting your risk to claims. Properly written Terms of Business are always important, but especially so when market conditions are more difficult and customers are more likely to default on their commitments.
“However, there is still very little awareness amongst businesses of the benefits that can be achieved by buying legal documents online, and APOD has come into being for this reason.”
For more information visit www.apod.co.uk

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If you want to use a photograph of someone in an advertisement, be sure to get their written consent or you could be in trouble.  The Advertising Standards Authority made this clear in a recent adjudication where an individual objected when his photo was used in an advert by a security firm without his consent. The company stated they had obtained his verbal consent but the ASA decreed that written consent must be obtained before using anyone’s image.

So, if you are going to feature individuals – maybe your own employees -in any advert or other promotional material, be sure to get their written consent.
ContractStore has a model release form that could be used for this purpose

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The final stage for implementing the 2006 Companies Act occurred on 1st October.

From that date new companies no longer have to state their objects in the Memorandum, and there will be a new model form of Articles of Association.

Company forms for filing at Companies House will also change.

To summarise, the changes will cover:

For full details of the changes, go to Companies House website

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Clean Coast Services (www.cleancoastservices.com) keep beaches, marinas, harbours and tidal rivers free from rubbish, cleaning up the coastline and collecting waste from land and sea.

The business began in Plymouth, but the idea had such a positive impact in the area that they soon found it expanding.

Rikkie Carette knew that getting their contracts in order was going to be critical in securing business from customers such as the government agencies and councils they now work for.

He told us: “Google searches showed lots of companies to choose from, but most legal document sites made it hard to understand what I would get for my money.

“ContractStore’s explanatory notes made it very easy to understand what I would be getting and I quickly found out that the Service Agreement was just the sort of thing I was looking for.

“The process was very easy with no problems at all and the file came in such a way that I could easy change or delete any parts I needed to suit my needs.”

“I am very pleased with the contract, it’s exactly what I was looking for and very easy to understand and amend where needed.”

With such clarity and ease of use, Clean Coast can handle their own contracts, thus avoiding heavy legal costs whilst expanding the business to major customers.

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The Department for Business has produced a new guide for employers on employment law.

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