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FAQ

  • Is LPC Buddy up to date? When was it written?
  • Is LPC Buddy any good?
  • Does LPC Buddy include workshop answers?
  • What electives do you cover?
  • Can I use LPC Buddy in an open book exam?
  • How do I get my order?
  • I have placed an order, but I haven't received an email. Can you help?
  • Can I buy a hard copy of LPC Buddy?
  • What payment methods do you offer?
  • Can I pay for LPC Buddy in instalments?
  • What discount codes do you have available?
  • I have placed an order but payment didn't go through.
  • Can I print my copy of LPC Buddy?
  • I am struggling to print my copy of LPC Buddy using HP Smart / HP ePrint.
  • I am trying to print on Windows but the guides are getting stuck in the print queue.
  • Can I return LPC Buddy?
  • How can I contact you?
  • Is LPC Buddy connected to, or affiliated with the University of Law?
  • I am doing the SQE, can I get notes for that course?
  • I am getting an error message "user does not have access privileges" on MacOS.
  • I am unable to download the guides on a mobile device.
  • I can't see the text on my guide because of the "LPC Buddy" logo.

About LPC Buddy

Is LPC Buddy up to date? When was it written?

LPC Buddy is updated every year based on the University of Law's course materials.

LPC Buddy Core Modules are updated each August / September, in line with LPC course materials that are updated each July.
LPC Buddy Elective Modules are updated each March / April, in line with LPC course materials that are updated each March.

Current version dates:

  • LPC Buddy 2023/24 Core Modules. These state the law as at 1 August 2023. They are written in accordance with LPC textbooks by CLP publishing dated 2023/24. This is the version that will remain in-force until August 2024.
  • LPC Buddy 2023 Electives. These state the law as at 1 April 2023, and are written in accordance with LPC textbooks by CLP publishing, and course materials and materials dated 2023. This is the version that will remain in-force until March 2024.

Is LPC Buddy any good?

We think it's pretty great! LPC Buddy has been purchased more than ten thousand times by LPC students, any of whom have achieved distinction, and we have received hundreds of positive reviews about how helpful our guides have been. Our guides don't just help you with revision, but throughout the course preparing for workshops, which can otherwise be extremely time consuming and tiring.

LPC Buddy is designed by former students, for current students. We understand that the LPC is stressful because there is just so much to learn in such a short space of time. LPC Buddy helps you with that, cutting out all of the unnecessary content of the textbooks.

You can check out a free preview PDF file of every module we sell - take a look! If you still have questions, just send us an email at support@lpcbuddy.com.

Does LPC Buddy include workshop answers?

LPC Buddy provides references, in the footnotes of each guide, to more than 90% of the workshop tasks for the University of Law's course. This makes preparing for and navigating through your workshops simple and easy!

You should not, however, expect to find "copy and paste" answers to workshop tasks. LPC Buddy is not designed as a workshop answer book because the key to doing well on the LPC is learning how to apply the law to the facts of a client's problem; you cannot learn this skill by copying and pasting someone else's work.

The key to doing well in your exams is to have notes available to you which help you apply the law to a factual scenario that you won't have seen before. The structure of LPC Buddy is designed to provide you with templates that can be applied not only to the scenarios that you are asked about in workshops, but also to different factual scenarios that could arise in an exam.

You can download free PDF samples from our product pages to see exactly how our guides are structured and styled!

What electives do you cover?

We cover all elective modules offered by the University of Law. These are:

  • Advanced Criminal Law
  • Advanced Real Estate
  • Banking & Debt Finance
  • Commercial Dispute Resolution
  • Commercial Law
  • Competition Law
  • Employment Law
  • Family Law
  • Immigration Law
  • Insurance Law
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
  • Private Client
  • Public Companies & Equity Finance

Other LPC providers may structure their elective topics slightly differently, in which case you should consult the contents page of the guide (available to view on the product page) to check that this includes the content that you need.

Can I use LPC Buddy in an open book exam?

We are unfortunately unable to offer any guarantees on how students may be permitted by their LPC provider to use our materials.

We do not set, and are not privy to, the rules for permitted materials for exams at any particular LPC provider, and these are subject to change.

Compliance with the rules of individual LPC providers is ultimately a matter for, and the responsibility of, individual students.

Ordering and delivery

How do I get my order?

If you buy the electronic version of LPC Buddy, your delivery will be instant!

As soon as you complete your purchase, you will receive a download link at checkout for your guides, which looks like this:

LPC Buddy Completed Order Page

You can access the portal to your guides by simply clicking the green button at the top!

Alternatively, you will also receive an auto-generated email with your download link, which will look like this:

LPC Buddy Download Email
Clicking on your download link will take you to the portal for your order. You may want to access this link by copying and pasting the link into an internet browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge. "In-app" browsers, such as using the Instagram or Outlook app to try to access the link, can sometimes be a bit buggy and may not open the link properly!

Opening the link will take you to a page which looks like this:

LPC Buddy Download Portal

As you can see, there are two separate links for each module; one takes you to your PDF eBook, and the other will download a Zip file with your Word documents.

The exceptions to this are (a) LPC Buddy Dispute Resolution, (which contains three download links because the Civil Litigation and Criminal Litigation eBooks are provided as separate links), and (b) the LPC Buddy Complete Core Module guide (which includes a large number of links due to the fact it is a bundle of 7 modules).

Please note that downloads are limited to three per customer, per file. It is best to save your file locally straight away in order to ensure your access to your downloads is not disrupted!

Download your PDF File(s)

Click the link in your portal to access your PDF file. This will download the file to your computer in the normal way. In Chrome on Desktop, this will appear at the bottom of the window like this:

Chrome Download Window

By default, downloads on Windows devices save to This PC\Downloads which you can access through Explorer.

On MacOS devices, files save by default to your Downloads folder which you can access through Finder.

If you are on a mobile device, the PDF may open in your browser window. If this is the case, you must save the PDF file locally. Persistent access via your browser using the link will cause your download limit to expire.

 

Download and Access your Word Documents 

Click the link in your portal to download your Word documents as above. This will then download a .zip file with your downloads to your default downloads folder.

LPC Buddy Word Documents come packaged in a Zip file. In order to ensure you can access the files without issue, it is best to extract these from the .zip file as follows:

 

On Windows:

1. Open the file location in Windows Explorer and right click on the file "LPC Buddy 2022-23 - [Module Name] (Word documents).zip".

2. Click Extract All.

Extract Zip File - Instructions (1)

3. Choose where you want to unzip the files and click on “Extract”

Extract Zip File - Instructions (2)
This will extract the files into a folder of your choosing.

 

On MacOS:

Just double click the .zip file!



If you are having problems extracting the files, try downloading 7Zip (Windows) or the Unarchiver (Mac) and using these to extract the documents.

If you have any problems accessing your download, please just email us at support@lpcbuddy.com.

I have placed an order, but I haven't received an email. Can you help?

If you have not received your order within 30 minutes, it is probably because our email has been snapped up by your pesky junk mail filter!

So, please just check this before contacting us. You should check your mail provider's spam folder (e.g. Gmail / Hotmail), as well as any junk email folder in the program you use to access your emails (e.g. Outlook).

If you still can't find your order, just let our customer support team know by sending us an email at support@lpcbuddy.com and we will help you out ASAP. We can normally get back to you same day!

Can I buy a hard copy of LPC Buddy?

At the moment hard copies of LPC Buddy are unavailable. All guides available on our website are currently electronic only.

We are keeping under review on the prospect of releasing hard copies for certain modules. Sign up to our mailing list in order to be notified further!

Payment

What payment methods do you offer?

You can pay for LPC Buddy by Debit or Credit Card.

You can use Apple Pay and G-Pay to make things easier if you are on mobile.

Alternatively, we also accept Paypal.

You can also split your purchase into three instalments using Buy Now Pay Later with Klarna!

Can I pay for LPC Buddy in instalments?

Yes! You can split your purchase into three equal payments and spread the cost of your purchase over time with Klarna.

When you have added your items to your cart and headed to the checkout, just select "Buy now pay later with Klarna" as a payment option. Enter the credit or debit card details of your choice and you will be set up, through Klarna, to make automatic payments.

Klarna provides options to pay the full sum in 30 days, or in three instalments. If you choose to pay by instalments, your first instalment will be collected when your order is confirmed and instalments 2 and 3 are scheduled 30 and 60 days later, respectively.

There is no interest or fees when you pay on time.

 

Please note that buy now pay later services are provided and managed by an external provider, Klarna. When you pay using Klarna, you become liable to Klarna for the amount of your purchase. We encourage you to read through Klarna's FAQs on Pay Later in 30 Days and Pay in 3 Instalments. Please note that Klarna may charge you late payment fees, and refer you to debt collection agencies, if you fail to pay on time.

What discount codes do you have available?

10% off when you purchase any 3 or more guides together. Code: BUNDLE10

15% off when you purchase Business Law and Practice + Dispute Resolution + Real Estate together. Code: CORE2024

I have placed an order but payment didn't go through.

Payment systems are provided to online stores by third parties (in our case, Stripe). This means that we are only given limited information on why payments do not complete successfully, so these can be a little tricky to diagnose!

If you have tried to put an order through but this has been unsuccessful, this can be for a number of different reasons. It may be due to a simple mistake when entering your payment details, a poor internet connection, or a failed third-party verification from your bank (known as 3D Secure).

Sometimes, where transactions fail, these may appear in your account marked as "pending".

If a transaction is marked on your banking app as “pending”, this means it has not completed and money has not yet been taken. The reason this appears on your account is that when you use a credit card to pay for a transaction, your issuing bank will place a hold on your account for the value of the payment before it is actually made.

This is done to enable your bank to check to make sure that you have enough funds to pay for the transaction you are entering into. When this happens, the authorisation hold will be marked as “pending”, and may (depending on your bank) display in your banking feed even if the purchase does not successfully complete. If the transaction does not complete then these are reversed in due course by your bank. This can, however, sometimes take some time (often these charges are reversed quickly but most major banks advise that it can take up to 5-7 business days).

It is standard policy for banks to place authorisation holds on a payment attempt to ensure the smooth flow of funds from bank account to merchant. You can read, for instance, Nationwide’s help page on this here: https://www.nationwide.co.uk/help/payments/pending-transactions/

Banks differ in terms of how these pending transactions are displayed, but they do commonly (and very unfortunately!) look like an actual charge.

If you have a pending charge on your account, you should find that this reverses itself within 7 business days. If there is any problem with this, we are happy to help but the likelihood is that you would need to contact your bank as, in this scenario, we will not normally have received your money.

If you wish to place an order you will need to try and put it through again separately. When we have had similar issues happen with customers previously, customers are generally able to successfully place their order by waiting a little while and trying again.

Printing

Can I print my copy of LPC Buddy?

Yes! Under our terms of service you can print off your LPC Buddy eBook providing that this is for personal use.

LPC Buddy eBooks are provided in single PDF files without DRM restrictions, meaning you can just click "print" in your PDF software of choice (e.g., Adobe Reader).

I am struggling to print my copy of LPC Buddy using HP Smart / HP ePrint.

There is currently a known issue with the HP Smart (formerly HP ePrint) app which means that PDFs which include a level of encryption are unable to be printed using the app.

LPC Buddy PDFs include some very low level encryption as a means of protecting our IP rights. Unfortunately we are unable to turn this off, however this should not normally affect your ability to read or use the document as you would any other PDF file. We do not restrict the ability to print our PDFs.

If you are struggling to print with HP Smart, the current known workaround is to print by bypassing this app. If you are on a computer, this will normally require you to download and install the full print driver for your printer available from here: https://support.hp.com/gb-en/drivers.

If you are on a mobile device, you will need to print your PDF using one of many available third party printing apps which you can download from the App Store / Play Store.

I am trying to print on Windows but the guides are getting stuck in the print queue.

If you are trying to print the guides on Windows, but they aren't printing and are getting stuck in your print queue, you may want to try the following.

Please note that the following steps are provided as a suggestion only; we do not provide a technical support service and any subsequent steps you take are at your own risk):

  1. Open Start, type in “Printers”. Open “Printers and Scanners”. Click on your printer and click “Open Queue”.
  2. In the top menu, click Printer >> Cancel all Documents. This should delete all documents in the window. Please be patient and wait for the print queue to completely clear as this can sometimes take a few seconds.
  3. Open Start >> type in “Command Prompt” >> Right click Command Prompt and Run As an Administrator.
  4. In the Command Prompt Window type in “net stop spooler” (without the quotation marks) and hit enter. This should then tell you that “The Print Spooler service was stopped successfully”.
  5. Copy and paste the following text into Command Prompt “del %systemroot%\System32\spool\printers\* /Q”. Hit enter.
  6. Close Command Prompt, open Start >> Type “Services” and open the Services app. Scroll down to “Print Spooler”, right click on it, then left click on “Properties”:
    1. Ensure the “Startup type” in the dropdown menu is set to “automatic”.
    2. The service status should say “Stopped”. Click on the “Start” box and wait for this to start-up.
  7. When that is done, close out of all windows and reboot your computer.
  8. Restart your printer. Do a hard reset by turning this off from the wall, waiting 30 seconds, and turning it back on
  9. Hopefully your problem has been resolved.

Returns and Contact

Can I return LPC Buddy?

We have a 30-day cancellation policy, which means you have 30 days after receiving your item to request a cancellation.

To start a return, contact us at support@lpcbuddy.com. We will ask you to briefly explain what the problem is with your guide and why you are asking for your money back. In circumstances where this problem cannot be resolved, we will require you to permanently delete your guide from any electronic devices it is stored on, and provide us with written confirmation that you have completed this step. We may, at our discretion, require you to provide a screenshot or other evidence to confirm that this step has been undertaken.

If your return is accepted, we will initiate a refund to your original method of payment. Please note that refunds take up to 10 business days to process, though this can vary depending on your card issuer's policies. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.

Please note that due to the digital nature of the products we sell, we cannot ordinarily accept cancellation requests in circumstances where there is not a specific technical or content-related issue with your guide. Returns where you have simply changed your mind about buying a product will only be accepted at our sole discretion. By accepting the Terms and Conditions at checkout, you confirm your consent to waiving the 14 day cooling-off period under Regulation 30 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

You can always contact us for any return question at support@lpcbuddy.com.

How can I contact you?

Just email support@lpcbuddy.com. We will usually be able to get back to you the same day.

Misc

Is LPC Buddy connected to, or affiliated with the University of Law?

No - but our notes have been written by solicitors who previously studied at the University of Law, so we know how to do well on the course! Our notes are updated every year based on the University of Law's study materials.

I am doing the SQE, can I get notes for that course?

Not yet, but help is on the way!

We are very excited to be working on a comprehensive e-learning platform for SQE candidates, which we are currently expecting to launch in 2024.

The platform will provide you with a one stop shop with everything you need to prepare for your SQE exams quickly, easily, and painlessly. This will include, but not be limited to, clear written guides in the style of our popular LPC Buddy packs! There is much more on its way on top of these, all designed tightly around the SQE syllabus, helping you learn, recall, and practice exam technique, whilst giving you only the information you need to fill your head with for the exams.

If you are interested, you can sign up to our specific SQE mailing list under the "Description" tab on this page, where we will be providing updates.

Troubleshooting

I am getting an error message "user does not have access privileges" on MacOS.

Occasionally, when trying to open a Word document on MacOS, users can receive an error message which states:

"Microsoft Word cannot open the document: user does not have access privileges".

This is a known bug with Office 2016 for Mac. It is normally very easily resolved by ensuring your Office for Mac is updated to the latest version (Open Word and click > Help > Check for Updates) and then rebooting your computer.

If this does not resolve the problem, an alternative cause of the bug can be third party font management software such as Suitcase Fusion conflicting with Office 2016. Again, the issue is normally resolved by ensuring that your Font Management software is updated to the latest version. You can read more details of this error and how to solve it here: https://appuals.com/office-2016-grant-access-error-on-macos/

 

I am unable to download the guides on a mobile device.

Please copy and paste your download URL into your browser (i.e., Safari, or Chrome, etc.). Do not try and open the link using your email app.

On clicking the link, PDF files should open by default in your browser. Please be patient; the security features included in the guides means that they can take a few seconds to prepare and download.

Zip files containing Word documents will be downloaded to your device. The save location on Android devices will vary. On IOS, guides will save by default to:

  • If using Chrome: Files App > On My iPhone > Chrome
  • If using Safari: Files App > iCloud Drive / On My iPhone (depending on whether or not you have iCloud enabled) > Downloads

I can't see the text on my guide because of the "LPC Buddy" logo.

There is a known issue with the most recent version of Microsoft Word's "Dark Mode" where this is also set up to have a black page background which causes page watermarks to fail to display properly. The watermark will appear to obstruct the text of the document, rather than appearing in a faded grey colour behind the text, as they are designed to be.

To fix this issue, you need to change the colour of the page background in your document by clicking View > Switch Modes. This will turn your page white and fix the readability issue.

Unfortunately until Microsoft fixes this bug, there is no means of resolving this whilst retaining the black page background. We are unable to turn the LPC Buddy logo off as this is part of the protection of our IP rights.