Ask an Expert Online: 25 Questions People Book Sessions For

When people ask an expert online, they rarely need a lecture. They need one experienced person to look at their specific situation and say what they would do. Below are 25 real examples of the questions that get booked as 15, 30 and 60-minute sessions, grouped by theme, with a note on who tends to answer each. Use the list to work out whether your question is a good fit and who to look for.

This is a companion to our hub on how to get expert advice online, which covers how to choose, book and prepare.

What makes a question worth booking

The best questions to ask an expert online share three features: they are specific to you, the answer depends on judgement rather than a rule you could look up, and getting it wrong would cost more than the session. Free sources tell you what the rules are. A paid session tells you what to do.

Work and career

1. "Is this settlement agreement reasonable, and what should I push back on?" An HR consultant or former HR director; signing off the agreement itself still needs a solicitor.
2. "My CV gets no responses. What is wrong with it?" A recruiter or hiring manager in your sector; see our guide to CV review online.
3. "I've been offered £42,000 and the advert said up to £48,000. How do I ask for more?" Someone who negotiates offers for a living, usually in a 30-minute session.
4. "I'm 38 in retail management and want to move into operations. Is that realistic?" Someone who made the same move, or who hires for operations roles.
5. "I have a final interview on Thursday. Can you run a mock?" An interview coach or a senior manager who interviews regularly.
6. "My manager keeps changing my hours at short notice. Can they do that?" Read the ACAS guidance first, then an HR consultant for what your contract actually allows.

Business and self-employment

7. "Should I register as a sole trader or a limited company?" An accountant; the general rules are on GOV.UK, the right answer depends on your numbers.
8. "Is £450 a day too much to charge as a freelance project manager?" A consultant in the same discipline who knows current rates.
9. "My first employee starts next month. What am I legally required to do?" An HR consultant or small-business adviser.
10. "I've had two refund requests in a week. Is my product the problem or my description?" An e-commerce consultant who can read your listing and your reviews.
11. "Here's my business plan. What would stop a bank lending against it?" A former commercial lender or business finance adviser.
12. "Do I need to charge VAT to customers in Ireland?" An accountant with cross-border experience.

Money and home

13. "Our landlord wants to increase the rent by 20%. What are our options?" Citizens Advice for your rights; a lettings professional for how to negotiate.
14. "Is it worth overpaying my mortgage or putting the money in my pension?" A consultant can explain the trade-offs in general terms; a personal recommendation must come from an FCA-authorised adviser.
15. "A builder has quoted £28,000 for a kitchen extension. Is that sane?" A quantity surveyor or experienced builder in your region.
16. "I've received a parking charge from a private company. Do I have to pay?" Citizens Advice first; a consumer rights specialist if it escalates.

Technology

17. "Which of these two CRM systems should a six-person agency choose?" An operations consultant who has implemented both.
18. "My WordPress site takes eight seconds to load. What's the quickest fix?" A web developer; often solved in a 15-minute screen-share.
19. "Is this email asking me to update my bank details genuine?" An IT security consultant; the FCA also publishes scam warnings worth checking.
20. "I've been asked to lead a data project and I don't know SQL. What should I learn first?" A data analyst or analytics manager.

Health, wellbeing and family

21. "My GP said my cholesterol is 'borderline'. What does that mean for what I eat?" A registered dietitian, as a complement to your GP rather than a replacement.
22. "How do I talk to my 14-year-old about screen time without a fight?" A parenting coach or family therapist.
23. "I've been offered CBT with a 12-week wait. What can I do in the meantime?" A counsellor or psychotherapist, for coping strategies rather than diagnosis.

Creative and learning

24. "I've written 30,000 words of a novel. Is it any good?" An editor or published author, usually a 60-minute session after reading a sample.
25. "I'm learning Spanish and have plateaued at B1. What should I change?" A language tutor who teaches adults.

How these sessions actually go

Most of the questions above fit a 30-minute session. The 15-minute ones (3, 18, 19) are single decisions with a clear answer. The 60-minute ones (1, 11, 24) need the expert to read something first, so send it when you book. When you ask an expert online through ConsultChat, you pay at booking, the platform holds the payment until the session is delivered, and the review you leave afterwards is tied to that completed session. If you prefer a written record, choose chat rather than video.

Before you book, read how to find an expert online for what to look for in a profile, and prepare three or four follow-up questions using our list of questions to ask a consultant.

Questions that do not fit

Some questions should go elsewhere. Anything that needs a regulated recommendation (which pension, which investment) must come from an FCA-authorised firm. Reserved legal work needs an authorised lawyer. Medical emergencies need a doctor now, not a booking. A good consultant will tell you this in the first two minutes and may still be useful for the general education around the decision.

Book yours

If your question looks like one of the 25 above, you are ready to ask an expert online. Write the question down in one sentence, gather the documents the expert will need, and choose a session length to match. For the full process, read our hub on how to get expert advice online, or create a free ConsultChat account and search by topic.