Franchise Agreement Solicitors

Whether you are franchising your business or taking on a franchise, the agreement sets the terms for years to come. Our solicitors draft and review agreements franchise that protect your brand, your investment and your position on both sides of the relationship.

Book a consultation

Contemporary red and glass building on a quiet city street with historical architecture.

What a Franchise Agreement Needs to Cover

A franchise agreement is not just a licence to use a brand name. It sets out fees, territory, training, renewal rights and what happens if the relationship breaks down, and franchisors typically draft it around their own network rather than your specific business. If you are a franchisee, our solicitors review the agreement line by line and flag provisions that carry disproportionate risk before you sign or pay a deposit. If you are franchising your own business, we help you build an agreement that protects your brand while remaining workable for franchisees across Manchester and the rest of the UK. Where the other business simply buys and resells your products without operating under your brand system, a distribution agreement is usually the better fit.

How Our Franchise Agreement Solicitors Help Your Business

Whether you are franchising your business or reviewing an agreement before you sign, our solicitors work through the detail that matters most.

Franchise Agreement Drafting

We draft franchise agreements for franchisors, covering fees, territory, brand standards, renewal and termination, so your network grows on terms that protect your business as it scales.

Franchise Agreement Review

If you are considering a franchise, we review the agreement a franchisor has sent you and flag one-sided terms before you commit fees or sign a personal guarantee.

Territory and Fee Structuring

We advise on how territory rights, initial fees, ongoing royalties and marketing levies should be structured so they reflect what both sides are agreeing to.

Personal Guarantee Advice

Many franchise agreements ask a franchisee to sign a personal guarantee. We explain what that means for you personally and where the exposure can be reduced.

Renewal and Resale Advice

We advise franchisees and franchisors on renewing, varying or reselling a franchise, including what consent the franchisor’s approval process requires.

Franchise Dispute Advisory

Where a dispute arises between franchisor and franchisee, we advise on the options available and handle the pre-litigation stages of resolving it.

What This Means for You

A franchise agreement built around your actual business.
Clearer understanding of what a personal guarantee commits you to.
Fewer surprises on fees, territory rights and renewal terms.
Reduced risk of disputes over ambiguous brand or operations standards.
Advice from the same team throughout drafting, review and renewal.

Contact Us for Franchise Agreement Support

At MAR Legal, franchise agreements set the terms for years ahead, so getting the detail right before you sign protects both sides of the relationship. We work directly with you to resolve the legal side, so you can stay focused on growing the franchise.

Get in touch today for a consultation, and let us help you protect what you’ve built.

When To Seek Advice

Before signing a franchise agreement or paying any deposit.
Before agreeing to a personal guarantee within a franchise agreement.
If you are franchising your business for the first time.
When a franchise agreement is due for renewal or resale.
If a dispute arises with your franchisor or franchisee.

Meet the Founder

Marium brings 22 years of experience advising UK businesses on corporate, commercial, and dispute resolution matters. She founded MAR Legal to give businesses direct access to senior contract and commercial advice without the overhead of a traditional firm. Marium is an individually practicing Solicitor regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA ID: 277854). You can verify her active professional credentials on the official Law Society Find a Solicitor Index or review her industry record on the SRA Register.

Marium Razzaq
Solicitor & Director Mar Legal
MCIArb

Why Choose MAR Legal for Franchise Agreements

Solicitor Led Negotiation

Every agreement is drafted or reviewed by our solicitors, whichever side of the relationship you are on.

Clear Notice Explanations

Straightforward guidance on fees, territory and personal guarantees, without unnecessary complexity.

Fixed Fee Pricing

Clear, fixed fee pricing agreed upfront, including franchise agreement review packages.

Commercial Focus

Based in Manchester, we advise franchisors and franchisees on agreements across the UK.

Trusted by franchisors and franchisees across Manchester and the UK for clear, commercially minded franchise advice.

Book a consultation

How Our Franchise Agreement Process Works

Initial Consultation

We discuss your franchise agreement or franchising plans and agree a fixed fee for the work.

Review or Drafting

Our solicitors review the agreement you have been sent or draft new terms for your network.

Negotiation

We raise amendments with the franchisor or franchisee’s advisers where terms need to change.

Sign Off

You receive a final agreement ready to sign, with the key risks explained clearly.

What Our Clients Say

    
 
 
         
   Olamide Aribigbela 
 
 
 
 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.
  
 
        
   Chris Johnson 
 
 
 
 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.
  
 
        
   Arsa Syed 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Very professional and helpful. I would definitely recommend using them and will be back if I need any legal work done!!
  
 
        
   Amir Abbou 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. They provided professional, sharp, and responsive counsel.  their contractual analysis was strong, and their advice was genuinely practical and commercially minded.
  
 
        
   Marc Lawrenson 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Very helpful and competative prices
  
 
        
   Stephen Torpey 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I can't thank Umar and the team enough for the support they gave us. They went above and beyond to help us, acted with professionalism, care and kindness when we needed it. We will 100% be using the team at Marlegal again as they understand our needs and worked with such efficiency.
  
 
  
  
 
 
      Verified by Trustindex  Trustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more

Franchise Agreement Solicitors FAQs

Start with the financial obligations: the initial fee, ongoing royalties, marketing levy and any minimum purchase requirements. Then look at territory rights, whether they are truly exclusive, and the renewal and termination provisions, since franchisors typically retain wide discretion here. Check whether you are being asked to sign a personal guarantee, as this can extend liability well beyond the franchise business itself. A franchise agreement review before you sign is far cheaper than unwinding a bad decision later.

A personal guarantee means you, as an individual, agree to be personally liable for the franchisee company’s obligations under the agreement, typically its financial obligations and sometimes its performance obligations too. This means that if the franchisee company cannot pay what it owes, the franchisor can pursue you personally, including against personal assets in some cases. Franchisors commonly require this, particularly from newer franchisees, so understanding its scope before signing matters.

Generally, not without your agreement, once the franchise agreement is signed, since it is a binding contract. However, many agreements give the franchisor the right to update the Operations Manual, which governs day to day running of the franchise, and this can affect what you are required to do even if the core agreement stays the same. It is worth understanding at the outset how much discretion the franchisor retains through the manual.

Most franchise agreements grant a defined geographic territory, but the strength of that protection varies significantly between agreements. Some genuinely prevent the franchisor from placing another franchisee or a company-owned outlet nearby, while others reserve the right to operate through other channels, such as online sales, within the same territory. Reading the exact wording matters more than the word exclusive appearing in the agreement.

Franchise agreements typically require the franchisor’s consent before a resale can go ahead, and that consent usually comes with conditions, such as the buyer meeting the franchisor’s standards or completing training. Some agreements also give the franchisor a right of first refusal on any sale. Understanding these provisions before you try to sell avoids delays at a stage when you are relying on the sale completing.

The franchise agreement is the binding legal contract setting out fees, territory, term and termination rights. The Operations Manual sets out the day-to-day standards and processes a franchisee must follow, covering things like branding, supplier requirements and service standards. Breaching the Operations Manual can still put you in breach of the franchise agreement itself, even though the manual is a separate, often more easily updated document. Franchisors often ask prospective franchisees to sign an NDA before sharing the Operations Manual, so it is worth checking that document too.

Yes. We advise franchisors on drafting agreements that protect their brand and network as it grows, and franchisees on reviewing agreements before they commit to fees or a personal guarantee. Acting on both sides of franchise relationships means we understand the commercial pressure points from each perspective, which is useful when negotiating amendments to a franchisor’s standard agreement.

MAR Legal provides franchise agreement drafting, review and advisory support for franchisors and franchisees. Where a matter involves reserved legal activities or court proceedings, we work alongside appropriately regulated professionals to provide a compliant and joined up service.

Franchise Agreement Lawyers

What a Franchise Agreement Needs to Cover