How we research, review, and update content.

1. Editorial independence

Legals.ie is an independent publisher. No solicitor, firm, advertiser, or sponsor has the ability to influence which questions we answer or what those answers say. Verified contributors pay an annual subscription for profile placement and editorial participation — they do not pay for favourable coverage or removal of corrections.

If we discover that a piece of content was influenced by commercial considerations rather than editorial judgement, we retract it publicly.

2. How content is created

Question selection

We prioritise questions based on three signals:

• Search volume. Questions Irish residents actually search for, sourced from search analytics and forum activity.
• Reader requests. Questions submitted via our Ask form or editorial contact.
• Editorial judgement. Questions our editors believe are under-explained in existing public resources (Citizens Information, government sites, etc.).

We do not prioritise topics because a solicitor contributor wants more visibility in that area. Contributor specialty areas inform who we assign for review, not what we publish.

Drafting

Initial drafts are written by our editorial team. Drafts must:

• Cite primary sources (Irish statutes, statutory instruments, regulator guidance, case law) where the law on a question is established.
• Note ambiguity or contested interpretations rather than presenting a single confident answer where multiple reasonable readings exist.
• Use plain English. We avoid legalese unless the legal term itself is the point of the question.
• Distinguish clearly between rules of general application and exceptions/edge cases.

Solicitor review

Every published answer is reviewed by a qualified Irish solicitor who specialises in the relevant area. Reviewers:

• Confirm legal accuracy of the answer as drafted.
• Flag missing nuance, exceptions, or recent legislative changes.
• Approve final language before publication.
• Are credited by name and credentials on the published page.

Reviewing solicitors cannot anonymously review their own firm’s work, content for which they have a conflict of interest, or content involving active litigation they’re involved in. They must declare conflicts before accepting an assignment.

3. Sources and citation

Where an answer rests on a specific legal provision, we cite the statute or instrument with a link to the official source (irishstatutebook.ie or equivalent). Where an answer relies on regulator guidance (e.g. RTB, WRC, Data Protection Commission), we cite and link the guidance.

Where an answer interprets a contested area of law, we name the interpretation and acknowledge alternatives. We do not invent or fabricate sources.

Citations appear at the foot of every answer.

4. Update cadence

Irish law changes. Our update process:

• Annual review. Every published answer is reviewed at least once a year for continued accuracy. The “Last reviewed” date on each page reflects this.
• Event-driven updates. When relevant legislation is amended (e.g. RPZ extensions, RTB rule changes, new statutory instruments), we update affected answers within 30 days.
• Reader-flagged corrections. Where readers or contributors flag an error, we respond within 5 business days and update or retract as appropriate.

5. Corrections policy

When we get something wrong, we correct it publicly and dated. We do not silently edit content to fix substantive errors.

Minor errors (typos, formatting) are corrected silently. Substantive errors (legal inaccuracy, missing exceptions, outdated provisions) are corrected with a dated note at the foot of the page describing what changed and why.

Retracted answers are removed entirely with a redirect to a notice explaining the retraction.

6. What Legals.ie is not

Not legal advice. Everything on Legals.ie is general information for educational purposes. Specific situations have specific facts that may change the answer. For legal advice, speak with a qualified solicitor.

Not a referral service. We list verified solicitors but do not refer specific matters or take fees per enquiry. Readers contact solicitors directly.

Not affiliated with the Law Society, Bar Council, Citizens Information Board, or any government body. We are an independent commercial publisher.

7. Conflicts of interest

Verified solicitor contributors pay subscriptions for profile placement. This is a commercial relationship and we disclose it. Contributors do not have editorial control over content other than approving accuracy of their own reviewed answers.

The Legals.ie editorial team does not accept gifts, hospitality, or payments from individual solicitors or firms beyond standard subscription fees. Where we accept editorial sponsorships or partnerships (e.g. newsletter sponsors), they are clearly disclosed as such.

8. How to report a problem

To report a factual error, suspected bias, or other editorial issue, contact our editorial team. We aim to acknowledge within 2 business days and respond substantively within 5 business days.

If you believe we have published content that violates Section 62 of the Solicitors Act 1954 (referral fees) or the LSRA’s advertising rules, we want to know — we take these obligations seriously.

9. Document history

These editorial standards are versioned and updated as our process evolves. Material changes are noted with a date.

• v1.0 — Initial publication, 2026.