Partnership Agreement Contract | Business Partnership Agreement UK

Going into business with a partner without a written agreement leaves your position governed by default rules that rarely suit anyone. Our partnership agreement solicitors draft and review partnership and LLP agreements that set out profit shares, decision making and exit terms clearly from the start.

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Why the Partnership Act Alone Is Not Enough

Without a written agreement, a partnership is governed by the Partnership Act 1890, a piece of legislation that predates modern business by well over a century. Under its default rules, profits are shared equally regardless of what each partner contributes, and the partnership can technically dissolve if one partner leaves or dies, whatever the others want to happen. Our solicitors replace these default terms with an agreement that reflects what your partnership intends, covering capital, decision making, and what happens when someone wants to leave. We advise partnerships and LLPs across Manchester and the wider UK, whether you are just starting out or formalising an arrangement that has been running informally for years.

How Our Partnership Agreement Solicitors Help Your Business

From new partnerships to LLPs that have traded for years without formal terms, our solicitors put the right agreement in place.

Partnership Agreement Drafting

We draft partnership agreements covering capital contributions, profit and loss sharing, decision making authority and what happens if a partner wants to leave or retire.

LLP Agreement Drafting

We draft LLP agreements setting out members’ capital, profit shares and management rights, giving you the liability protection of a company with partnership flexibility.

Partnership Agreement Review

If you are joining an existing partnership or reviewing terms you already have, we check the agreement for gaps and provisions that no longer reflect how the business runs.

Exit and Retirement Provisions

We draft the terms that apply when a partner leaves, retires or dies, so the remaining partners are not left negotiating from scratch during a difficult moment.

Partnership Dissolution Advice

Where a partnership is ending, we advise on winding up the business, dividing assets and settling each partner’s position in line with the agreement or, where none exists, the Partnership Act.

Partnership Dispute Advisory

Where partners disagree over profits, decisions or conduct, we advise on the options available and handle the pre-litigation stages of resolving the dispute.

What This Means for You

An agreement that reflects what you contribute, not a default rule.
Clarity on who decides what, and how disagreements get resolved.
A clear process if a partner leaves, retires or passes away.
Reduced risk of the partnership dissolving unexpectedly.
One set of terms both partners understand and rely on.

Contact Us for Partnership Agreement Support

At MAR Legal, partnership agreements need to cover what happens when things go well and when they don’t, so the terms hold up when it matters. We work directly with you to resolve the legal side, so you can stay focused on running the business.

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

When To Seek Advice

Before entering a business partnership with anyone.
If your partnership has been trading without a written agreement.
When a partner wants to leave, retire or bring in someone new.
Before converting a partnership into an LLP or company.
If a disagreement arises over profits, decisions or conduct.

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 Partnership Agreements

Solicitor Led Negotiation

Every agreement is drafted or reviewed by our solicitors, replacing default rules with terms you intend.

Clear Notice Explanations

Straightforward guidance on profit shares, exits and dissolution, without unnecessary complexity.

Fixed Fee Pricing

Clear, fixed fee pricing agreed upfront, so there are no surprises on cost.

Commercial Focus

Based in Manchester, we advise partnerships and LLPs on agreements across the UK.

Trusted by partnerships and LLPs across Manchester and the UK for clear, commercially minded agreement advice.

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How Our Partnership Agreement Process Works

Initial Consultation

We discuss your partnership or LLP and agree a fixed fee for the work.

Drafting or Review

Our solicitors draft new terms or review the agreement you already have in place.

Partner Discussion

We help you work through points partners disagree on before anything is finalised.

Sign Off

You receive a final agreement ready to sign, with the key terms 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.
  
 
  
  
 
 
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Partnership Agreement Solicitors FAQs

Your partnership is governed by the Partnership Act 1890, which applies a set of default rules regardless of what you intended. Under the Act, profits and losses are shared equally between partners no matter what each person contributed, any partner can potentially dissolve the partnership, and there is no built-in mechanism for buying out a partner who wants to leave. These default terms rarely reflect how a real partnership operates.

In an ordinary partnership, each partner is personally liable for the partnership’s debts, including debts run up by another partner without your knowledge. In a Limited Liability Partnership, members’ liability is generally limited to what they have invested, like shareholders in a company, while the business still operates with partnership style flexibility around profit sharing and management. The right structure depends on the risk profile of the business and how partners want to be protected.

There is no single correct approach. Some partnerships split profits equally regardless of contribution, while others weight shares according to capital invested, time committed or client relationships each partner brings in. What matters is that the method is written down and both sides genuinely agree with it, since disputes over profit sharing are one of the most common sources of partnership breakdown.

Yes, provided all partners agree to the change, or the agreement itself sets out a process for varying its terms with less than unanimous consent. It is common for partnerships to update their agreement as the business grows, a new partner joins, or circumstances change in a way the original agreement did not anticipate. Any variation should be recorded in writing and signed by the partners affected.

This depends entirely on what your partnership agreement says. A well drafted agreement sets out notice periods, how the departing partner’s share is valued, and the payment terms for buying them out. Without an agreement covering this, a partner leaving can technically trigger dissolution of the whole partnership under the Partnership Act, which is rarely what anyone wants or expects.

Only if the partnership agreement includes an expulsion clause setting out the grounds and process for doing so, since there is no general right to expel a partner without one. Expulsion clauses need to be drafted carefully and followed precisely, as a defective expulsion can itself give rise to a claim by the partner who was removed.

If two or more people are running a business together and sharing profits, a partnership may exist in law even without any paperwork or formal decision to form one. This means a partnership agreement is worth having as soon as more than one person is involved in running and profiting from the business, regardless of how small or informal the arrangement currently feels.

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

Partnership Agreements

Why the Partnership Act Alone Is Not Enough