The Charity Commission has a dual role as an advisory and as a regulatory body. The regulatory role is becoming increasingly emphasised, with the Commission taking more steps to ensure that charities are properly run and governed on a day-to-day basis and that they comply with charity law.

A charity will therefore often require advice on how to deal with the Charity Commission, advice which, with its extensive experience in this area, our Charity Law Team is well equipped to provide.

A charity's dealings with the Charity Commission start on registration. In some cases, it will not be immediately clear whether an organisation qualifies for charitable status, and it may be necessary to discuss proposed activities with the Commission before it is established. Following registration, charitable status may be reviewed and members of our team have experience of negotiating with the Charity Commission to help retain charitable registration.

If a charity wishes to undertake certain activities or to amend its constitution, it may require the Charity Commission's permission. We will be able to advise you whether consent is needed, or is possible to obtain, and we can also deal with all correspondence and negotiations on your behalf.

If things go wrong and the Charity Commission investigates activities which you have undertaken without permission, we can advise you on how best to deal with any problems, with the aim of minimising criticisms and liabilities.