Contract Dispute Solicitors Manchester

Resolve commercial disputes before they escalate. Our contract dispute solicitors advise businesses across the UK on dispute strategy, settlement, and pre-action correspondence, helping you protect your position without the cost and time of going to court.

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When a commercial dispute starts to escalate, the cost of getting it wrong rises quickly. Court fees, legal costs and time lost to litigation can dwarf the original disagreement, even when you are in the right. Our Manchester-based contract dispute solicitors advise businesses across the UK on commercial and contract disputes at the pre-litigation stage, working to resolve matters through dispute strategy, pre-action correspondence and settlement negotiation. The aim is to protect your commercial position and reach a sensible outcome before formal proceedings become necessary.

What This Means for You

A clear understanding of your legal and commercial position
A strategy to resolve the dispute efficiently
Reduced risk of escalation into costly proceedings
Stronger negotiating position from the outset
The opportunity to preserve commercial relationships where appropriate

How our Commercial dispute solicitors help businesses resolve disputes

From contract breaches to shareholder fallouts, the earlier the right advice is in place, the better the outcome.

Contract dispute advice

Where a customer, supplier or business partner has breached a contract. Position assessed, options explained, and the strongest commercial route forward identified before things escalate.

Pre-action correspondence

Letters before action and pre-action protocol correspondence drafted with care. Done properly, the right letter often resolves a matter without proceedings ever being issued.

Settlement negotiation

Strategic advice on settlement
terms, with input throughout to help reach a commercial outcome that protects your interests and avoids the cost of court.

Shareholder Dispute Resolution

Where co-founders, shareholders or business partners disagree on direction, exits or distributions. Our shareholder dispute resolution advice focuses on protecting your stake and keeping the business functioning.”

Supplier and customer disputes

Disagreements over scope,
payment, performance or
termination. Practical guidance on
rights, obligations and the most
effective way to bring the matter to a
close.

Dispute strategy and risk review

Early-stage strategic review of the
dispute, the relevant contracts, and
the commercial stakes. Useful
before any letters are sent or
positions are taken publicly.

Shareholder Mediation

Where a dispute between shareholders or directors has broken down the business relationship, mediation can offer a route to resolution that avoids the cost and exposure of formal proceedings.

Shareholder and Director Disputes

Most commercial disputes do not begin with a formal claim. They begin with an invoice that goes unpaid, a supplier that misses a deadline, or a contract term that each side reads differently. Where the unpaid invoice runs to £100,000 or more, see our guidance on high-value debt recovery. What decides the outcome is usually how the first few weeks are handled, before positions harden and correspondence starts becoming evidence.

Disputes inside a company follow a different pattern. Where the disagreement is between the people running the business rather than between the business and a third party, the commercial relationship and the legal position are tangled together. We advise on shareholder disputes ranging from disagreements over strategy and dividends through to a complete breakdown in the working relationship, and on director disputes where the conduct or removal of a board member is in question. Where one party is said to have acted against the company's interests, the issue is often whether there has been a breach of fiduciary duty.

The route out depends on what each side actually wants. In many cases the practical answer is buying out a shareholder on agreed terms, which keeps the business trading and avoids the cost and exposure of formal proceedings. Where no agreement can be reached and a minority shareholder has been unfairly prejudiced, just and equitable winding up may be the remaining option, though it is a last resort rather than a starting point.

When to seek advice

A supplier, client or business partner has failed to meet their contractual obligations
You have received a letter of claim or pre-action correspondence
A business relationship has broken down and you need to understand your legal position
You are considering whether to pursue or defend a commercial claim
You want to explore settlement or negotiation before the situation escalates to court

Why businesses choose MAR Legal for Commercial Dispute Advice

Solicitor led advice

Direct access to an experienced legal team from day one

No obligation consultation

Speak to our team before you commit, no-obligation.

Transparent Pricing

You know what to expect from the outset, no hidden costs or surprises

Manchester based, UK wide

20+ years of combined commercial dispute experience

Trusted by businesses across the UK for clear, commercial advice when disputes arise.

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 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Umar Razzaq at MAR Legal is sharp, honest and responsive, and excellent on the detail. Great outcome. Highly recommended.
  
 
        
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 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Really happy with the service from MAR Legal. They were very professional, helpful and efficient throughout the whole process. They handled all my documents quickly and carefully, and made everything simple and stress-free.

Would definitely recommend MAR Legal to anyone looking for a reliable and professional solicitor!
  
 
        
   Mrs Whitbread 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great service. Very responsive and great at explaining everything I needed. Thanks
  
 
        
   Rachel Marsden 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Very professional and clear advice. Easy to understand and handled with appropriate sensitivity and confidentiality.
  
 
        
   Gillian Fletcher 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Excellent Service, quick and efficient and clear communications throughout. Thank you.
  
 
        
   Faye McCarthy 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I used MAR Legal for a commercial lease on a property in Stockport. Had my initial consultation at their Spinningfields office, where I dealt directly with Marium, one of the directors. She walked me through the lease terms and the timeline upfront, so I knew what to expect at each stage. Would use them again for commercial property work in the Manchester area.
  
 
        
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 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. MAR legal helped with ILA which my mortgage lender required. They acted very quickly and at a good price. Great service.
  
 
        
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How our Commercial Dispute Resolution process works

Book a consultation

Tell us about your situation.

We assess your position

Contracts reviewed and the strength of your case considered.

We advise you

Clear strategy, settlement options, and pre-action correspondence guidance throughout.

Resolution or referral

Most matters settle. Where proceedings are needed. We refer to a regulated partner firm.

Meet the Founder

Marium brings 22 years of experience advising businesses on commercial disputes, pre-action correspondence and settlement negotiations across the UK and internationally. A Solicitor regulated by the SRA (ID: 277854) and MCIArb, she founded MAR Legal to give business owners direct access to senior legal advice on resolving disputes without the cost and delay of full litigation.

Marium Razzaq
Solicitor & Director Mar Legal
MCIArb

Visit our Manchester Commercial Dispute Lawyers

MAR Legal is based at Regus, 3 Hardman St, Manchester M3 3HF, in the heart of the city's business district.

The office is a short walk from Deansgate and Manchester Oxford Road stations, with St Peter's Square and Deansgate-Castlefield tram stops both within 10 minutes on foot. The nearest car park is on Quay Street, a couple of minutes away.

We advise businesses across Manchester and the wider North West, including Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Bolton and Bury, on contract and commercial disputes, as well as clients across the UK.

If you are dealing with a commercial dispute, the following services are commonly relevant:

Contract Dispute FAQs

A letter before action, sometimes called a letter before claim, is a formal letter sent to the other party setting out the dispute, what you want them to do, and the consequences if they don't respond. It is required under the pre-action protocol before most claims can be issued in court. At MAR Legal, our contract dispute solicitors draft these letters carefully, because done well, the right letter often resolves a matter without proceedings ever being issued.

Yes. The pre-action protocol sets out the steps parties are expected to take before issuing court proceedings, including exchanging information, attempting settlement, and giving the other side a fair chance to respond. Failing to follow it can result in cost penalties later. Our contract dispute solicitors advise on the protocol that applies to your dispute and handle the correspondence on your behalf.

In most cases, yes. The majority of commercial disputes settle before reaching court, often through negotiation, mediation, or alternative dispute resolution. Court is expensive, slow, and unpredictable. Our contract dispute solicitors focus on resolving disputes commercially at the pre-litigation stage, with referral to a regulated partner firm if formal proceedings become unavoidable.

Most commercial contract disputes have a limitation period of six years from the date of the breach, though some claims have shorter periods. The earlier you take advice; the more options remain open. Waiting can weaken your position and limit the routes available to resolve the matter.

A partnership dispute arises when business partners, co-founders or shareholders disagree on how the business should be run, how profits should be distributed, or how one party should exit. Common triggers include breaches of a partnership agreement, disagreements over business direction, or one partner acting outside their authority. Partnership disputes can escalate quickly and damage the business in the process, which is why early legal advice on strategy and options tends to produce better outcomes than waiting for the situation to deteriorate.

Most business partnership disputes are resolved without court proceedings, through negotiation, mediation, or a structured settlement between the parties. The starting point is usually a review of the partnership or shareholders' agreement, the conduct of each party, and the commercial stakes involved. Our contract dispute solicitors focus on pre-litigation advice: assessing your position, advising on your options, and handling correspondence to bring the matter to a close on the best available terms. Where formal proceedings become unavoidable, we refer to a regulated partner firm.

We provide pre-litigation legal, advisory and documentation support. Where formal proceedings are required, we work alongside appropriately regulated law firms.

Contract Dispute Lawyers Manchester

What This Means for You