No England & Wales version yet
This guide currently contains general legal information. Jurisdiction-specific guidance for your location is coming soon. The Concaso assessment will still tailor its questions and analysis based on your jurisdiction.
Do I have a case?
Nobody can tell you online whether you have a case, and anyone who does should be treated with suspicion. What you can do is check whether the building blocks are there. Almost every civil claim needs the same four things — a recognised legal wrong, a link between that wrong and what happened to you, a real loss, and a deadline that has not expired.
- Unfair is not the same as unlawful. A lot of genuinely bad treatment is not something a court can fix.
- Even a strong claim can be a bad idea if the other side cannot pay, or the cost outruns the amount.
- Deadlines are the single most common reason a good claim disappears. Check yours early.
The four building blocks of almost every claim
Legal areas differ enormously in their detail, but civil claims tend to be assembled from the same four parts. If one of them is missing, the rest usually cannot carry the claim on its own.
| Building block | The question behind it | What it looks like in practice |
|---|---|---|
| A recognised wrong | Is what happened something the law actually regulates? | A contract term that was broken, a legal duty that was ignored, a statutory right that was denied |
| A connection | Did that wrong cause the situation you are in? | The unpaid invoice follows from the work done; the injury follows from the failure to make the site safe |
| A real loss | What are you actually worse off by? | Money not paid, money spent fixing something, income lost, property damaged, a right denied |
| Time remaining | Are you still inside the deadline? | A limitation period, a notice period in a contract, or a filing date set by a court or tribunal |
Unfair, and unlawful, are not the same thing
This is the hardest part for most people, and it is worth being honest about it early. The legal system does not police every kind of bad behaviour. It intervenes where a specific rule, duty or agreement has been breached.
- A manager who was rude, cold or unpleasant is usually not a legal problem. One who denied you something you were legally entitled to may be.
- A business that gave you poor service is usually not a legal problem. One that failed to deliver what the agreement promised may be.
- A neighbour whose behaviour is irritating is usually not a legal problem. One who causes damage or persistent interference may be.
The useful question is not "was this wrong of them?" but "what obligation did they have, and where did it come from?" Obligations usually come from a contract, a statute, a regulation, a professional standard, or a duty the law imposes on everyone in that position.
The deadline question, which comes firstGeneral guidance
Limitation periods end claims regardless of how strong they are. They vary by jurisdiction and by the type of claim, and some are far shorter than people expect — notice periods for claims against public bodies and appeal windows for tribunal decisions are often measured in weeks or months, not years.
- When did you first know something had gone wrong? Many clocks start at discovery, not at the event.
- Is there a contractual notice requirement that runs before any court deadline?
- Was there a decision, letter or order with its own appeal or response window?
What separates a strong situation from a weak one
Strength is mostly about evidence and clarity, not about how badly you were treated. Two people can be equally wronged and be in very different positions.
| Usually stronger | Usually weaker |
|---|---|
| The obligation is written down | The obligation was understood but never recorded |
| The sequence of events is documented in real time | The account is reconstructed from memory |
| The loss can be shown with invoices, statements or records | The loss is real but hard to quantify |
| The other side acknowledged the problem in writing | The other side has consistently denied it |
| The other side is solvent and identifiable | The other side is dissolved, untraceable or has no assets |
What to do in the next few days
- Write out what happened in order, with dates, before your memory smooths it over.
- Collect everything already in writing — agreements, emails, texts, invoices, letters, notices.
- Preserve anything that could be deleted or overwritten: account records, messaging apps, portal data, camera footage.
- Identify the exact legal entity on the other side, not just the trading name.
- Work out your earliest deadline, and diarise it.
- Avoid sending an angry message. Anything you write becomes part of the record.
Documents to gather first
- Any contract, engagement letter, terms of service or written agreement
- The full email and message thread, exported rather than screenshotted where possible
- Invoices, receipts, statements and proof of payment
- Letters, notices, decisions or claim documents you have received
- Photographs, recordings or files created at the time
- A dated timeline you write yourself, kept separately from the evidence
Evidence that tends to carry weight
- Contemporaneous records — anything created at the time rather than afterwards
- Written acknowledgements from the other side, however informal
- Independent third-party records: banks, couriers, platforms, inspectors, medical providers
- Documents showing the amount of your loss, not just its existence
- Evidence about the other side's ability to pay, if money is the point
Want both lists in one printable page?
Common mistakes
- Assuming there is plenty of time. Deadlines are the most common way a good claim is lost.
- Deleting messages, accounts or files that look unhelpful — this damages credibility far more than the content would have.
- Confusing how upsetting something was with how provable it is.
- Negotiating verbally and keeping no record of what was said or offered.
- Threatening steps you are not prepared to take, which weakens every later position.
- Signing a release or accepting a payment marked as final settlement without understanding its effect.
Frequently asked
Can you tell me whether I will win?
No, and it would be irresponsible to try. Outcomes depend on evidence, procedure, the other side's conduct and decisions made by people. What can be assessed is how the building blocks of a claim look in your situation, and what is missing.
Do I need something in writing to have a claim?
Not always. Many agreements are enforceable without being written down, and many legal duties exist regardless of any agreement. Writing makes a situation easier to prove, which is a different thing from making it valid.
What if I am the one being pursued?
The same building blocks apply, in reverse: what obligation are they saying you had, can they show the connection and the loss, and are they inside their deadline. Response deadlines are usually short, so the timing question matters even more.
Is a small amount worth doing anything about?
Sometimes. Smaller claims often have simpler, cheaper forums designed for them, and a well-documented demand letter resolves a fair number of disputes without any filing at all.
Assess my situation
Concaso turns what you already know into a structured, confidential report — strengths, weaknesses, missing evidence, and the deadlines that matter. We will start you in the right place based on this guide, in England & Wales.
Describe what happenedTopics in this guide
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This guide is general information, not legal advice, and Concaso is not a law firm. Reading it does not create a lawyer–client relationship. Deadlines and procedures differ by jurisdiction and change over time — confirm anything you intend to rely on.