Outsourced General Counsel | Manchester & UK Lawyers

Most growing businesses reach a point where legal questions come up regularly but hiring a full time in-house lawyer does not make commercial sense. Our solicitors in Manchester provide outsourced general counsel services for businesses across the UK, giving you direct access to experienced legal support on a retained or on demand basis without the cost of a permanent hire.

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Without proper legal support, businesses make significant decisions without understanding the risk attached to them. Contracts get signed without being reviewed. Employment decisions get made without advice. Commercial relationships are entered into without anyone checking what has actually been agreed. The cost of fixing legal problems is almost always higher than the cost of avoiding them. Growing businesses that treat legal support as an afterthought tend to find out why that is a mistake at the worst possible moment. Our outsourced general counsel service puts experienced legal support in your corner before problems arise, not after.

What This Means for You

Senior legal support without the cost of a full time hire
Contracts and agreements reviewed before you sign anything
Legal risk identified and addressed before it becomes a problem
On demand access to a commercial legal advisor when you need it
A legal team that works as an extension of your business

How Our Outsourced General Counsel Solicitors Help Businesses

Flexible legal support that works like an in-house team, helping growing businesses manage contracts, risk and commercial decisions with confidence.

Ongoing Legal Retainer

We act as your outsourced legal team on a fixed monthly retainer, giving you consistent access to legal support and small business legal advice without unpredictable costs or hourly billing.

Contract Review and Advice

Our solicitors review commercial contracts before you sign, identifying risks, flagging unclear terms and making sure you understand exactly what you are committing to before the agreement is in place.

Employment Law Support

We provide day to day employment law advice covering contracts, policies, disciplinary matters and workforce decisions, keeping your business legally protected as your team grows and changes.

Commercial Legal Advice

Our outsourced general counsel covers the full range of commercial legal questions, from supplier and client agreements to partnerships, new business structures and day to day legal risk management.

On Demand Legal Support

For businesses that do not need an ongoing retainer, our Manchester based solicitors provide on demand legal services for specific transactions, agreements or legal questions as they arise, with no long term commitment required.

Virtual General Counsel

We work as your virtual general counsel, available by phone, video or email, giving you responsive legal support without the need for an in-house appointment or office-based legal team.

When to seek advice

You are making commercial decisions regularly but have no legal support in place
You are signing contracts without anyone reviewing them on your behalf
Legal questions are coming up more frequently as your business grows
You need small business legal advice but cannot justify the cost of a full time lawyer
You want a commercial legal advisor who knows your business and is available when needed

retained compliance advisory services and ongoing compliance support for companies in the UK

Why Businesses Choose MAR Legal for Outsourced General Counsel

Solicitor-Led Support

Every matter is handled by solicitors at MAR Legal, giving you senior legal input from day one.

Flexible Arrangements

We work on retainer or on demand, so the level of support fits your business and your budget.

Commercial Focus

Our solicitors give advice that is practical and commercially grounded, not just legally correct.

Transparent Pricing

You know what you are paying before we start, with no unexpected fees or hourly rate surprises.

Trusted by businesses across the UK for clear, accessible Outsourced General Counsel

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   KOTA 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. They handled it wonderfully.
  
 
        
   George Alexopoulos 
 
 
 
 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.
  
 
        
   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.
  
 
  
  
 
 
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How Our Outsourced General Counsel Process Works

Initial consultation

Tell us about your business, your legal needs and how frequently support is likely to be required.

Agreeing the arrangement

We agree whether a legal retainer or on demand model works best and confirm the fixed fee before starting.

Ongoing support

Our solicitors work alongside your business, reviewing contracts, advising on decisions and managing legal risk as it arises.

Regular review

We check in to make sure the level of support still fits your needs as your business grows.

Meet the Founder

Marium brings 22 years of experience advising businesses on commercial contracts, corporate structuring, employment and day to day legal risk across the UK and internationally. A Solicitor regulated by the SRA (ID: 277854) and MCIArb, she founded MAR Legal to give growing businesses direct access to senior legal support, without the overhead of a full time hire.

Marium Razzaq
Solicitor & Director Mar Legal
MCIArb

Businesses using our General Counsel service often need support across a range of areas, including:

Outsourced General Counsel FAQs

Outsourced general counsel means bringing in an external legal team to manage the legal function of your business rather than hiring a full time in house lawyer. Our solicitors act as your legal department, advising on contracts, commercial decisions, employment matters and legal risk across the business. You get senior legal support at a fraction of the cost of a permanent hire, with the flexibility to scale up or down as your needs change. We work with businesses in Manchester and across the UK.

A general counsel manages the legal affairs of a business. That includes reviewing and negotiating contracts, advising on employment matters, managing legal risk, supporting commercial decisions and making sure the business operates within the law. As your outsourced general counsel, our solicitors handle these functions on your behalf, working as part of your team rather than sitting at a distance waiting to be instructed on individual matters.

Most businesses reach a point where legal questions arise regularly but not frequently enough to justify a full time hire. If you are signing contracts without proper review, making employment decisions without advice or finding that legal issues are slowing down commercial decisions, it is time to put proper support in place. Our outsourced general counsel service is designed for businesses at exactly this stage, giving you the cover you need without the overhead of a permanent appointment.

The cost depends on the level of support your business needs. We offer fixed monthly retainer arrangements for businesses that want ongoing access to legal advice and on demand arrangements for specific pieces of work. We agree the fee before any work begins so there are no surprises. For most growing businesses, an outsourced legal team costs significantly less than a single month of a full time in-house legal hire.

A legal retainer is an ongoing arrangement where you pay a fixed monthly fee in return for an agreed level of legal support and access. Rather than instructing solicitors on an ad hoc basis and receiving unpredictable bills, a retainer gives you consistent access to legal advice within a clear and agreed budget. Our retainer arrangements are fixed fee, clearly scoped and reviewed regularly to make sure the support still matches your needs as your business develops.

Yes. Small businesses often benefit most from this type of arrangement. Without an outsourced legal department, small business owners regularly make significant commercial decisions without legal input simply because they do not have easy access to advice. Our outsourced general counsel service gives small businesses access to the same quality of legal support that larger companies have in-house, at a cost that is proportionate to their size and stage of growth.

Most day to day business legal work can be handled through an outsourced general counsel arrangement. That includes commercial contracts, supplier and client agreements, employment contracts and policies, terms and conditions, shareholder agreements and general commercial legal advice. Where a matter involves reserved legal activities, we work alongside appropriately regulated professionals to make sure your position is fully covered at every stage of the process.

MAR Legal provides outsourced legal advisory, contract support and commercial legal services for businesses across the UK. Where a matter involves reserved legal activities, we work alongside appropriately regulated professionals to make sure your position is fully protected.

Outsourced General Counsel Manchester Lawyers

What This Means for You