Breach of Contract
Has someone broken a formal agreement?
Contracts aren’t just for businesses – they’re part of everyday life. If you’ve paid for a service, entered a written or verbal agreement, or made a significant purchase and been let down, you may be entitled to compensation or other remedies. Complex Law provides clear advice and fast, practical action.
The Facts
What is a breach of contract?
A breach of contract happens when one party fails to do something that they agreed to, either in a written contract, terms and conditions, or a verbal agreement supported by evidence. Examples can include cancelled events, faulty goods, services not carried out properly or missed payments. Depending on the case, you may be able to claim a refund, compensation or termination of a contract.
The law
Under UK law, a valid contract requires an offer, acceptance, consideration and an intention to create legal relations. Many day-to-day agreements meet this standard, even if only verbal. Relevant legislation includes the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. The timeframe in which you can bring a claim for breaches of contract is typically six years from the date of the breach.
Your rights
Yes, depending on the facts of the case, you may be able to recover any costs incurred in putting things right, or secure a refund of money paid as part of the agreement. You may also be able to claim compensation for losses such as additional expenditure or wasted time. If a contract is still in force, you may also be able to seek termination or compel the other party to carry out the terms.
Next steps
Keep a timeline of events: what was agreed, when a breach was noticed, and the nature of the breach. Gather evidence of the contract – written terms, messages or emails, proof of any payments – and keep receipts for any reasonable additional expense you incur as a result. Contact Complex Law. We’ll review your evidence, assess if you have a claim, and advise you on the best course of action.
How Complex Law can help
We provide plain‑English advice with practical steps to resolve disputes. From letters of claim or negotiation to representation in court, we focus on fair outcomes without unnecessary complexity.
Common types of breaches
Common breaches we handle include poor quality building work, cancelled event services, faulty or mis-sold goods, breached service agreements, missed property purchase/sale obligations or failure to refund deposits.
Managing your claim
We review contracts and communications, assess prospects, draft pre‑action letters, negotiate robustly, and, if required, prepare and run court proceedings, either through the small claims or higher courts.
How we calculate losses
We take into account direct losses, remedial costs, and foreseeable future losses with expert input where needed – aiming to put you in the position you should have been in without the breach.
Clear and flexible fees
We can usually offer fixed‑fee options for small disputes, and for more complex matters, we offer a staged fee structure. We’ll explain costs upfront and keep the process proportionate to the sums at stake.
Do you have a claim?
If any of the points on our checklist apply to you, or you’re in a similar situation, it may be advisable to seek urgent legal advice.
You may be able to recover costs, enforce the contract terms and claim compensation for any additional losses. Speak to Complex Law to plan the next steps.
Claim checklist
A builder or tradesperson failed to complete work or did it to a poor standard.
A wedding or event supplier cancelled or delivered far below what was agreed.
You received faulty goods or items that were not as described.
A property transaction fell through due to the other party’s breach.
A deposit or prepayment was not refunded when it should have been.
Legal services tailored to your needs
Our practice is focused on three areas of law: Consumer Claims, Individuals, and Businesses (Complex 360), making it easy to match your legal issue with the right team and strategy.
Consumer Claims
If you’ve been missold a loan or targeted by fraudsters or scammers, you don’t have to face the fallout alone. We’ll represent you on a no-win, no-fee basis.
What Others Say
Hear from our past clients
We’re proud of our success rate. Over the last four decades, we’ve helped thousands of clients secure the judgments, compensation, settlements, or resolutions they were seeking.
Excellent rating
Paul W
Ridiculously easy to check and apply. All the searching is done for you in literally one minute. A soft credit check is required but doesn't impact your score. Go and claim what’s rightly owed!
Kathleen H
This is the first time I have contacted Complex Law. It was easy and I got a quick response. I was shocked how many finance companies they found within half an hour. There was no way I would have remembered these companies.
Sidali S
Really pleased with how easy it was to fill out the complaint form. The layout was clear, and the steps were simple to follow, which made the whole process quick and stress-free. It’s great to see such an efficient and user-friendly system in place.
Frequently asked questions
If you don’t find the answer to your question here, get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help.
Not necessarily. Verbal agreements can be enforceable if they include the key elements that define a contract: offer, acceptance, consideration, and intention to create legal relations. However, they can be difficult to prove in a dispute (which is why having a written agreement in place is always recommended). Evidence that can assist in proving the existence of a verbal contract includes notes of any relevant conversations with dates and times, emails or texts discussing the matter, or bank records that show payments made relating to the agreement.
Compensation for a breach of contract is typically based on the principle that you should be put in the position you would have been in if the breach had not occurred, i.e. the contract had been fulfilled. The most common type of compensation awarded covers direct financial losses, for example, costs incurred by you as a result of the breach, and foreseeable losses, for example, lost profits from future work or contracts you lost due to the breach.
Yes, in most cases, this is the best approach. You have a duty to mitigate your loss – that means taking reasonable steps to minimise any losses, not incurring unnecessary extra costs, and this can include allowing the other party to put matters right or refund a payment before taking legal action. Complex Law can help you draft a clear letter setting deadlines and conditions for remedial work or refunds.
Usually, the time limit on claims for breaches of contract is six years from the date of breach for simple contracts. However, it’s best to take legal advice as soon as you’re aware that a breach has occurred, as the process of gathering evidence is much more straightforward when the breach is still recent.
Yes, and this is often the preferred option for both parties, especially considering that the small claims court does not award legal fees, so any cases brought there will result in costs for each side. Many cases can be satisfactorily resolved after a strong pre-action letter and negotiation or mediation. At Complex Law, we prioritise this type of resolution wherever possible, seeing court action as a last resort to protect your rights if other routes have failed.
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