Status is decided by the reality of the arrangement, not by what the contract calls it.
Employee, worker and self-employed carry three different sets of rights and three different tax treatments, and the differences are expensive and can include holiday pay, sick pay, unfair dismissal rights, and PAYE and National Insurance going back years.
For contractors working through their own companies, IR35 adds another layer, and for medium and large businesses the responsibility for making that determination correctly sits with you as the client.
Status work establishes what an engagement really is, and how defensible your position would be.
We help with:
- status assessments for individual engagements;
- status determination statements and handling disagreements;
- workforce reviews where you use contractors at scale;
- agency and umbrella arrangements, and where liability sits in the chain;
- structuring engagements so the substance supports the label; and
- re-papering arrangements that will not survive scrutiny.
We look at how the engagement actually operates, not just what the document says. Where the honest answer is that an arrangement will not hold, we say so and help you fix it before HMRC or a tribunal does it for you. We do not provide tax advice, that is for your accountants.
Our Approach
Legal advice that makes running and growing your business easier.
We start with your business, not the law.
Before we open a document, we want to understand what you are trying to do commercially. The legal answer is only useful if it serves that.
We get to the point.
You get a clear view of what matters and what does not, in plain English, with the real risks separated from the noise.
We give you an answer.
Not a menu of options and a shrug. We tell you what we would do, why, and where there is a genuine judgment call for you to make.
We stay available.
Whether you work with us on a single project or on a subscription, we are here for the follow-up question. We would always rather you asked.
Ways of working together
Fixed-fee projects
A single, defined piece of work for an agreed fixed fee, communicated before we engage. Reviewing a contract, drafting your terms, handling a negotiation.
No surprises and no hidden fees
Flagship Subscription
Ares Access
Ongoing support on a fixed monthly subscription, for businesses that need commercial legal input regularly rather than as the occasional one-off.
- Dedicated lawyer
- Fixed monthly fees
- Commercial advice on demand
From £500 plus VAT per month
Legal Health Check
Fixed fee of £2,000 plus VAT
Any questions?
Phone: 02382 420035
