Business Legal Services
Consumer Credit & Hire
Our consumer credit lawyers are here to help your business navigate this evolving and complex regulatory environment.
Consumer credit legislation is designed to support access to credit, ensure fair treatment and prevent the acquisition of unsustainable levels of debt.
We can advise you on compliance and risk management along with dealing with the consumer credit regime under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
What we do
Consumer credit solicitors
Our consumer credit lawyers are able to provide you with expert advice on all matters affecting consumer credit and hire, making sure that your business is compliant and up-to-speed in all areas. We can assist you with your requirements, whether you are looking for discrete advice on compliance with specific regulations, drafting credit agreements or even buying or selling a regulated consumer credit business. Some of the typical areas we would help your business with include:
- Consumer credit agreement
- Consumer hire agreements
- Perimeter guidance (what is and is not regulated consumer credit/hire activity)
- FCA Consumer Credit sourcebook
- Compliance with FSMA and the Regulated Activities Order
- Advice on requirements under the Consumer Credit 1974 and related regulations
- Anti-Money Laundering (AML) , Proceeds of Crime Act, Anti-Bribery (regulatory, policies and procedures)
- Data protection legislation including the GDPR and DPA
- Complaints from customers including dealing with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)
We’re also able to assist with the following:
- FCA applications: authorisation, variation of permissions and Appointed Representatives
- Senior Managers and Certification Regime and Approved persons
- Supervision: notification and reporting obligations
- Financial promotions relating to consumer credit
Consumer credit is regulated by the FCA who take a proactive approach in identifying firms that carry out consumer credit activities without authorisation. Many firms that provide goods or services to consumers, including small businesses, may also be carrying out regulated consumer credit activities if they allow their customers to defer payment or hire goods to them. It is vital that you know whether or not you are providing consumer credit, or consumer hire, and ensure you are appropriately authorised and comply with consumer credit regulations.
If you are looking to buy or sell a consumer credit or hire business, our finance solicitors will also work closely with our corporate and commercial teams to cover all aspects of your deal, so the legal work is seamless whatever the transaction.
Who we help
Businesses offering consumer credit or leasing
Our consumer credit lawyers regularly advise many different businesses and organisations, such as:
- Banks
- Credit card issuers
- Buy now pay later credit providers
- Loan companies
- Retailers that hire goods to customers
- Fintech firms: both regulated and unregulated
- Retailers selling goods and service on credit
- Companies providing services to any of the above
We’ll explain how consumer credit regulation may affect you and your business, or if you’re new to financial services, we can discuss how you need to become regulated and the steps to maintain that regulation
Complete solutions
Experts in financial services regulation
In addition to supporting you across key areas of consumer credit and hire law, our team can assist with:
Finding the right legal partner
Why work with Harper James
Choose a legal partner you can trust: we’ll help protect your goals, your business and your people so you can move forward with confidence and focus on growing your business.
Affordable, transparent and predictable pricing
Clear itemised invoices, subscription plans with up to 50% discount, and fixed fee products help you plan and manage legal spend – with no nasty surprises.
Proven track record and measurable results
We’ve supported over 8,000 businesses since 2014, with an ‘Excellent’ rating on Trustpilot and a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 60+ from monthly client surveys.
Straight-talking, responsive advice
We’re here to make things easier, not add complexity. That means fast response times, practical expert legal advice delivered in plain English, and dedicated client service and account management support.
Risk and compliance assured
We’re an SRA regulated firm, but more importantly, we build quality, data, and compliance best practice into everything we do.
Appointing a legal partner is a big decision. That’s why we’re open about our values, culture and model, so you can see what makes us tick. And because a productive partnership starts with understanding, we always begin with a conversation – listening to your goals, pressures and plans, then tailoring our support to fit.
Testimonials
What our clients say
Meet our team
Why choose our consumer credit solicitors?
Our consumer credit solicitors have all been recruited from top 100 UK law firms, the FCA or from large international businesses. As problem solvers they deliver pragmatic, commercially focused advice, helping you move your business forward. Find out more about their expertise here:
Top ranked SME focused firm
"Harper James is a one-stop shop for anything legal. It has excellent breadth, with experience on a large number of deals and multiple departments for different legal areas."
Chambers and Partners 2026
Pricing and service plans
Legal support designed
to fit your business needs
Our three transparent service plans are designed to give you the widest possible access to high-quality legal advice, whatever the size and nature of your business:
Engage
Flexible access to senior solicitors at highly competitive rates
An alternative to our subscription plans, offering access to full service legal expertise on a project-by-project basis.
Enable
Purpose built legal support for start-ups and smaller businesses
Monthly subscription plan for £239 per month, with £159 monthly credit and access to all legal services at 50% discount on our Standard Rates.
Extend
Comprehensive legal partnership for established businesses
Fully account managed and scalable annual subscription plan with support from a curated team of partners and senior solicitors, with up to 33% discount on our Standard Rates.
