Selling Your Business

Selling a business is one of the biggest decisions an owner will make. Our business sale solicitors advise founders and directors across Manchester and the UK, managing negotiations, contracts and completion so you can exit on the right terms. This sits alongside our wider mergers and acquisitions support for the whole transaction.

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How a Business Sale Actually Works

The business sale process usually moves through the same stages: heads of terms, due diligence, drafting the sale agreement, then completion. Each stage carries risk, from unclear warranties to disputes over price after the deal closes. Our business sale solicitors in Manchester work alongside your accountant and broker, checking the numbers behind the deal and drafting terms that hold up once the business changes hands. Whether a share sale or an asset sale suits you better depends on tax position, existing contracts and what the buyer wants to take on. Costs vary with the complexity of the deal rather than the price of the business, and we quote a fixed fee once the structure is known.

How Our Business Sale Solicitors Help Business Owners

From first enquiry to signing, our team handles the legal side of your sale so you can focus on the business itself.

Heads of Terms & Negotiation

We draft and negotiate heads of terms early in the process, setting out price, structure and key conditions before legal costs increase. This gives both sides a clear framework to work from and reduces the risk of disagreements later in the transaction.

Sale Agreement Drafting

Our business sale solicitors draft the sale agreement itself, covering price, warranties, restrictive covenants and what happens if something goes wrong after completion. We negotiate directly with the buyer’s solicitors to protect your position throughout.

Due Diligence Checklist & Support

We manage the due diligence process on your side, working from a clear checklist covering contracts, accounts, employees and company records, so the buyer’s questions are answered accurately and on time, without slowing down the sale.

Structuring the Deal

We advise on whether a share sale or an asset sale suits your situation, taking into account tax position, existing contracts, employees and any assets you want to keep out of the sale.

Completion & Post-Sale Matters

We manage signing and completion, including payment mechanics, deferred consideration or earn-outs where relevant, and any obligations that continue after the sale such as restrictive covenants or warranty claims.

What This Means for You

  • A sale agreement that protects your position after completion.
  • Clear heads of terms before costs increase.
  • One point of contact managing legal work throughout.
  • Fixed fee pricing agreed before work begins.
  • A structure suited to your tax and business circumstances.

When To Seek Advice

  • Before agreeing heads of terms with a prospective buyer.
  • As soon as a buyer requests due diligence information.
  • If a buyer proposes deferred consideration or an earn-out.
  • Before signing any exclusivity or lock-out agreement.
  • If you are unsure whether to structure the sale as shares or assets.

Meet the Founder

Marium brings 22 years of experience advising business owners on sales, acquisitions and corporate transactions across the UK and internationally. A Solicitor regulated by the SRA (ID: 277854), MCIArb, and DIFC Courts mediator, she founded MAR Legal to give business owners direct access to senior transactional legal advice without the overhead of a traditional firm.

Marium Razzaq - Solicitors in Manchester
Marium Razzaq
Solicitor & Director Mar Legal
MCIArb

Why Business Owners Choose MAR Legal for Selling a Business

Fixed Fee Pricing

You know the cost of your sale before any work begins, with no hidden charges.

Solicitor Led Advice

Every stage of your sale is handled by our qualified business sale solicitors.

Direct Access

You deal directly with an experienced solicitor.

Practical, Commercial Advice

Advice focused on getting your sale done, not unnecessary legal complexity.

Trusted by business owners across the UK for clear, commercial advice on selling their business.

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How Our Business Sale Process Works

01

Initial Consultation

We review your business, your goals and the proposed buyer before any documents are drafted.

02

Heads of Terms

We negotiate and agree the key commercial terms before legal costs increase.

03

Due Diligence & Drafting

Our business sale solicitors manage disclosure and draft the sale agreement alongside your accountant and broker.

04

Completion

We finalise signing, manage payment and deal with any obligations that continue after the sale.

What Our Clients Say

You may also need help with:

Selling a business often runs alongside other legal needs. You may also want advice on the share purchase agreement itself, a non-disclosure agreement to protect sensitive information shared during negotiations, or wider mergers and acquisitions support if the deal is more complex.

FAQs: Common Questions About Selling Your Business

A business disposal is the sale of all or part of a business, either through a sale of shares in the company or a sale of specific assets. The right approach depends on tax position, existing contracts and what the buyer wants to take on. Both routes achieve the same commercial outcome, an exit for the seller, but carry different legal and tax consequences that need working through before terms are agreed.

A trade sale is when a business is sold to another company, often a competitor, supplier or larger business in the same sector, rather than to a private individual or investment fund. It is one of the most common ways for owners to exit a business, and usually moves faster than a sale to private equity because there is less financing to arrange. The buyer is often looking for customers, contracts or technology it can absorb directly.

It depends on the size and complexity of the sale. A straightforward asset sale for a small business costs less than a share sale involving warranties, disclosure and earn-out provisions. Some firms price a business sale by the hour, which makes costs hard to predict as negotiations run on. Our business sale solicitors quote a fixed fee once we have seen the structure of your deal, so you know the legal cost before instructing us.

Buyers typically ask for company accounts, material contracts, details of employees, property leases, outstanding disputes and intellectual property records. Sellers should also expect questions about historic tax filings and any warranties given in previous transactions. Preparing this information before a buyer asks speeds up the process considerably and avoids delays once heads of terms are signed. Gaps or inconsistencies at this stage are one of the most common causes of price renegotiation later in a sale.

In a share sale, the buyer acquires the company itself, including its assets, liabilities and contracts, and the business continues trading under the same legal entity. In an asset sale, the buyer picks specific assets, such as equipment, stock or customer contracts, leaving other liabilities behind with the seller. Share sales are usually quicker to complete but expose the buyer to more risk, which is why warranties and disclosure matter more in this structure.

Most business sales take between four and nine months from agreeing heads of terms to completion, though this varies with the complexity of the deal and how prepared the seller is. Due diligence is usually the longest stage, particularly where financial records are incomplete, or contracts need updating before sale. A well-prepared seller, with accounts, contracts and company records organised in advance, can move through the process considerably faster than one starting from scratch.

You are not legally required to use a solicitor, but most sales involve a sale agreement, warranties, disclosure and often a buyer represented by their own legal team and getting these wrong can be costly after completion. A business sale solicitor drafts and negotiates the agreement, manages disclosure and makes sure the deal reflects what was actually agreed at heads of terms stage, rather than leaving gaps a buyer could later rely on to bring a claim.

MAR Legal provides advisory and documentation support for business sales. Where a matter involves reserved legal activities, we work alongside appropriately regulated professionals to make sure your position is fully protected.