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Protecting the legacy, stability, and future of your family enterprise.
At Gorvins Solicitors, we understand that a family business is never just a business; it is a legacy, a livelihood, and often a complex web of personal relationships. Based in the heart of Stockport, our specialist Family Business team provides robust legal guidance tailored to the unique dynamics of family-run enterprises across Greater Manchester, the North West and beyond.
Balancing commercial necessity with family harmony requires a delicate touch. Whether you are an ambitious start-up, a multi-generational firm looking to expand or succeed to the next generation, or are preparing for exit, we help you navigate the legal complexities so your business, and family, can thrive for generations to come.
Family businesses face challenges that standard corporations do not. The intersection of the boardroom and the dining table requires a solicitor who understands both corporate law and private client needs.
Our multi-disciplinary team brings together experts from our Corporate, Commercial, Employment, and Private Client departments. We do not just draft documents; we create frameworks that allow your business—and your family—to function effectively.
We have expanded our service offering to ensure every angle of your family business is protected.
Passing the baton is the most critical moment in a company’s lifecycle. We help you design a clear roadmap to transfer ownership and management to the next generation. This includes structuring the transfer for tax efficiency, managing the gradual handover of control, or, where family succession isn’t possible, assisting with Management Buyouts (MBOs) or sales to third parties.
As families grow, informal understandings often fail. We assist in drafting Family Charters—a “rule book” for the family. This defines how family members interact with the business, setting out policies on employment entry criteria for children, conduct, conflict of interest, and the separation of ownership (shares) from directorship and management (daily control).
Standard Articles of Association are rarely sufficient for family firms. We draft robust Shareholders’ Agreements that clarify decision-making powers, dividend policies, and dispute resolution mechanisms. Crucially, we include “pre-emption rights” to ensure that if a family member wants to sell their shares, they must first offer them to existing family shareholders, preventing strangers from entering the business.
Your business is likely your most valuable asset. Working alongside our Wills, Trusts & Probate team, we help you structure your personal affairs to maximise Business Property Relief (BPR) and mitigate Inheritance Tax (IHT). We ensure your Will dovetails perfectly with your corporate documents so that the business can continue to operate smoothly should the worst happen. This often involves some potentially difficult conversations that we can help facilitate and we often find simply starting these discussions can be the hardest part of this process.
Employing relatives can be legally and emotionally complex. We provide guidance on creating fair employment contracts that treat family and non-family employees equitably. We also advise on sensitive issues such as disciplining underperforming family members, managing “nepotism” concerns, and ensuring compliance with UK employment legislation to prevent tribunal claims.
A marital breakdown can threaten the liquidity and ownership structure of a family business. We work with you to implement Pre-Nuptial or Post-Nuptial agreements, or provisions in the Articles of Association or a Shareholders’ Agreement, that ring-fence business assets. This aims to prevent shares from being split or sold during a divorce settlement, keeping the business intact.
Conflict is natural, but in a family business, it can be destructive. Our approach prioritises tactful, privacy-focused mediation to resolve internal disputes without resorting to the courts. We aim to find commercial solutions that preserve both the company’s brand and the family’s relationships.
We are proud to be a staple of the Stockport business community. Our approach is personal, pragmatic, and proactive.
Safeguard your family’s legacy with advice you can trust. Whether you need to draft a new shareholders’ agreement or discuss the future handover of your firm, our Stockport-based team is here to help.
Call us on: 0161 930 5151 Email us at: familybusinessteam@gorvins.com Visit us: Dale House, Tiviot Dale, Stockport, SK1 1TA
Wills, Trust & Probate
