Free Legal Information for Northern Ireland — Its Own Law, Any Hour.

Does UK law apply in Northern Ireland?

Only partly — and assuming it does is the classic mistake. NI has its own courts, procedure and much of its own statute book. Employment law diverges sharply (the 52-week unfair-dismissal threshold stays while GB cuts to six months in 2027; industrial tribunals via LRA conciliation). Divorce still runs on fact-based grounds — GB's no-fault reform never applied here. Criminal-records rules are harsher. Renting runs on NI's own notice table. Our NI guides state what's actually in force here, dated — and our line checks the NI position first on every call.

I've been arrested by the PSNI — what are my rights?

Free legal advice at the police station — ask for a solicitor immediately and wait for the advice before answering interview questions. You're entitled to have someone told where you are. NI's caution regime, like England's, means both silence and unguarded answers carry risk — which is exactly why the free solicitor in the room matters. Standard pre-charge detention runs 24 hours, extendable for serious offences. Afterwards, the Public Prosecution Service decides charges. Our NI criminal guide covers interview, bail, court and criminal records in depth.

Can my landlord evict me without a reason in Northern Ireland?

Yes — no-fault eviction survives in NI, unlike England — but only with a valid notice to quit whose length runs on NI's own table, rising with how long you've rented (longer tenancies command months, not weeks). The landlord must also be registered, and deposits protected in an approved scheme. If the notice expires and you stay, the landlord needs a court order — self-help eviction is unlawful. Have any notice checked against the current table before acting: staged commencements decide which lengths apply. Housing Rights and our NI housing guide carry the detail.

How is claiming against an employer different in NI?

Three ways that change outcomes. First, machinery: claims go to industrial tribunals (Fair Employment Tribunal for religious/political discrimination — unique to NI) after conciliation through the Labour Relations Agency, not ACAS. Second, thresholds: NI keeps the 52-week service requirement for unfair dismissal — GB's cut to six months in 2027 does not apply here. Third, holiday pay: the Agnew ruling — from Belfast — lets underpayment series reach back without GB's two-year cap. Time limits stay short (generally three months to start conciliation), so the deadline check comes first.

How long until a conviction is spent in Northern Ireland?

Longer than anywhere in Great Britain — and sometimes never. NI's rehabilitation regime was not liberalised as GB's was: custodial sentences over 30 months can never become spent here, and shorter sentences carry longer rehabilitation periods than their GB equivalents. AccessNI checks (basic, standard, enhanced) then govern what employers see. If you're job-hunting across the UK, the same conviction can be spent in Manchester and disclosable in Belfast — take advice before answering any criminal-record question on an application.

What's genuinely free before I pay for anything?

A lot: police-station advice on arrest, Labour Relations Agency conciliation, Housing Rights and Advice NI casework, industrial tribunals carry no issue fee, and this line — 24/7, unlimited questions, trained on NI law. Legal aid survives more broadly in NI than in England for civil cases, through the Legal Services Agency. Where costs start: court issue fees, and solicitors' time — which is why our £145 fixed-fee one-hour consultation exists: expert advice, priced before you commit, bookable on the call.