What’s a contract?

.We all make agreements with other people every day. But not all of those agreements are contracts. A contract is, very simply, a legally binding agreement.
It's important to know when you've got a contract because:

1. A contract will give you the right to take the other person or company to court if they don't carry out their side of the bargain (as well as giving them the right to do the same to you!).

2. Having a contract can also mean you get the protection of certain terms and conditions which the law says should be part of the contract whether they were agreed or not.

We take a magnifying glass to the small print and explain how you know if you've got a contract and what the terms and conditions actually mean.

We also look at how to end a contract, and what you can do when things go wrong.

Find out your rights! See the index on the right for more information....

Rachel Horton
February 2009