Lawhive provides solicitor-drafted NDAs from £149 — a qualified specialist reviews your situation, gives you legal advice, and drafts a bespoke document, typically within a few business days. NDASafe provides specialist UK NDA templates from £29, downloadable instantly as an editable Word document with no consultation needed. For most standard UK business NDAs, a specialist template is sufficient. Lawhive makes sense when your situation is complex, unusual, or the stakes justify regulated legal advice.
| Lawhive (from £149) | NDASafe (from £29) | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of service | Solicitor-drafted bespoke NDA — a specialist solicitor writes your document to your brief | Self-help specialist templates — legally reviewed documents you adapt for your situation |
| Starting price | From £149 (fixed fee, solicitor-drafted, includes 30-minute consultation and advice) | From £29 (one template) or £79 (all eight); fixed price, no consultation, no variables |
| Turnaround | Typically a few business days after consultation; varies by solicitor workload | Instant — download your editable Word document in under 2 minutes |
| What's included | 30-minute consultation + legal advice on your situation + drafting by a specialist solicitor | Editable Microsoft Word (.docx) document with clause guidance; no consultation |
| Legal advice | Yes — regulated legal advice from a qualified solicitor on your specific situation | No — self-help templates reviewed against UK law. We are not solicitors and do not give legal advice |
| NDA format | Bespoke document drafted to your instructions; not a standard template shape | Eight specific UK variant shapes: mutual, one-way disclosing, one-way receiving, employee, freelancer, investor, NDA with IP assignment, M&A diligence |
| Trustpilot rating | Excellent — 4.4/5 on Trustpilot | 14-day money-back guarantee; self-help specialist |
| Jurisdiction | England and Wales; specialist solicitors available across practice areas | England and Wales (default); Scotland and Northern Ireland governing law selectable |
| Best for | Complex, unusual, or high-value NDA situations where legal advice is worth paying for | Standard UK business NDAs — partnerships, contractors, employees, investors — where a specialist reviewed template is sufficient |
| Document ownership | The drafted document is yours to keep | File is yours forever; lifetime re-download via your signed link; no account needed after purchase |
What you get from a £149 solicitor service vs a £29 template
Lawhive's NDA service from £149 includes something a template cannot provide: a 30-minute consultation with a qualified solicitor, tailored legal advice on your specific situation, and a document drafted to your instructions. This is regulated legal advice — the solicitor owes you a duty of care and is personally accountable for the advice given.
NDASafe's templates are self-help documents. They are reviewed against current England and Wales law, include all the clauses that make a standard UK NDA enforceable, and come with plain-English clause guidance. But there is no advice on your specific situation, no solicitor to call if you have questions, and no professional accountability. For most standard NDA situations — a mutual NDA before a partnership conversation, a contractor NDA, an employee confidentiality clause — that is sufficient. For unusual or high-value situations, it is not.
The template vs bespoke threshold for UK NDAs
English law has well-established requirements for NDA enforceability: the information must genuinely be confidential, the scope and duration must be reasonable, and mandatory carve-outs (whistleblowing, crime reporting) must not be excluded. A specialist template reviewed against these requirements covers the standard cases reliably.
Bespoke drafting adds clear value when your situation falls outside these standard shapes: disclosures involving sensitive IP with unusual exploitation risk, cross-border elements requiring multi-jurisdictional advice, NDAs as part of complex commercial transactions, or any situation where you genuinely need a solicitor's advice rather than a reviewed document.
If you can identify which of NDASafe's eight template shapes fits your situation (mutual, one-way, employee, freelancer, or investor) and your circumstances are standard, the £29 template is the practical choice. If you cannot, or if the stakes are high enough to justify professional advice, Lawhive is a credible option at a known fixed price.
UK-specific clauses in NDASafe templates
NDASafe's specialist focus means each template includes the clauses specific to its situation — not a generic document adapted for UK law:
- Whistleblowing carve-out (Employee + Freelancer NDAs) — preserves rights under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. Marked
[mandatory]; cannot lawfully be removed. - Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 carve-out (Employee NDA) — preserves the right to report harassment or crime despite an NDA.
- IR35-aware language (Freelancer NDA) — acknowledges Chapter 10 ITEPA 2003 to avoid undermining an outside-IR35 position.
- Non-circumvention clause (Investor NDA) — 12-month default, max 24, protecting against the investor approaching your team or clients directly.
- Employment Rights Act 2025 compliance — carve-outs already drafted to meet Section 202A once in force (expected late 2026 or 2027). See our Employment Rights Act 2025 guide.
When Lawhive is the right choice
- You want regulated legal advice from a qualified solicitor on your specific NDA situation.
- Your NDA involves cross-border elements or multiple jurisdictions.
- The deal is high-value and the cost of a solicitor is proportionate to the risk.
- The other party has legal representation and you need a solicitor on your side.
- Your situation is unusual enough that none of the eight standard NDA shapes fits cleanly.
When NDASafe is the better fit
- Your situation fits one of the eight standard UK NDA shapes — mutual, one-way, employee, freelancer, or investor.
- You need the document now — not in a few business days after a consultation.
- You want a fixed £29 price with no consultation, no quote, and no variables.
- You want an editable Word document you own outright with lifetime re-download rights.
- You want to see the actual clause language before buying — NDASafe's product pages show clause-level guidance.
Which NDA do you need?
Both parties share confidential information — partnerships, joint ventures, M&A.
You're sharing information and want it protected.
You've been handed a one-sided NDA and want a UK counter-proposal.
Staff who will handle confidential material, with the mandatory whistleblowing carve-out.
A contractor who'll see the inside of your business, with IR35-aware language.
Sharing your plans or financials with a potential investor, with non-circumvention.
UK NDA, drafted for England and Wales
Eight specific templates, fixed price, instant download. From £29.
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