Independent, practical help for litigants in person in England & Wales.
127 results
Written by John Barwell
A default judgment is not the end of a case. Part 13 of the Civil Procedure Rules builds in two routes back — one mandatory, one discretionary — and the route you take decides what you must prove. This guide sets out both routes, the promptness requirement the rule itself names, and the evidence an application has to carry.
Written by John Barwell
Complaining about a lawyer is a two-stage process governed by three clocks: the firm’s eight weeks, six months from the final response, and one year from the problem. This guide sets out the Legal Ombudsman route as it works in 2026 — the April 2023 scheme rules, the £50,000 compensation cap, the £400 case fee (paid by firms, not complainants), current timescales, and what complainants can realistically expect.
Written by John Barwell
Outcome is not explanation. Reasons matter because they make decisions intelligible, accountable and capable of proper scrutiny.
Written by John Barwell
The first battle in an Employment Tribunal claim may be procedural. The ET1, grounds of claim and particulars can decide whether the case is clear enough to survive early pressure.
Written by John Barwell
A Legal Lens article on ET3 responses, procedural fairness and why a bare denial may not define the dispute.
Written by John Barwell
Employment Tribunal procedure • Preliminary hearings • Case management A preliminary hearing can look less dramatic than a final hearing. But it is not just an administrative appointment. It can define the issues, set the timetable, expose weak allegations, impose conditions and create deadlines with serious consequences. Category Employment Tribunal guidance Jurisdiction Great Britain employment … Continue reading “Employment Tribunal preliminary hearings: why the first case-management hearing is not a formality”
Written by John Barwell
The respondent named on the ET1 is not a formatting detail. It can affect whether the claim is accepted, whether it matches the Acas certificate, whether it can be served, whether limitation is protected, and whether any judgment can be enforced.
Written by John Barwell
Interim relief is one of the most urgent Employment Tribunal remedies. In qualifying whistleblowing dismissal claims, a claimant may need to apply within seven days of the effective date of termination.
Written by John Barwell
Acas Early Conciliation is not just a pre-claim formality. It can pause time and produce the certificate needed for an ET1, but mistakes with certificate numbers, exemptions, respondent names or deadlines can still put a claim at risk.
Written by John Barwell
Terms & Licence Website Terms of Use & End User Licence The terms on which you may use legallens.org.uk and purchase any paid content offered through this site. Drafted under the law of England & Wales, with consumer protections preserved in full. Draft 0.1 · 24 May 2026 · for solicitor review Important Notices Please … Continue reading “End-User Licence Agreement”
