BUSINESS SALE SOLICITORS

Sell the business. Protect the value.

Sell a UK business with transparent fixed-fee legal support that prepares you for due diligence, strengthens the terms and limits your liability.

No hourly billing icon No hourly billing SRA-regulated solicitors icon SRA-regulated solicitors Fast, responsive support icon Fast, responsive support

Our business sale support

Give buyers fewer reasons to renegotiate

A buyer will test the business before committing to the price and terms. Gaps in contracts, ownership, records or liabilities can give them reasons to renegotiate or ask for stronger protection.

Our business sale solicitors prepare the legal side for scrutiny, manage due diligence and disclosure, and negotiate the sale agreement to protect the terms and limit your liability after the business changes hands.

Prepare the business for scrutiny

We get the corporate records, contracts, ownership and key documents in order before a buyer looks at them, so avoidable gaps do not hold up the sale or give the buyer a reason to renegotiate.

Manage due diligence and disclosure

We prepare the data room, handle the buyer's enquiries and make the right disclosures, so issues are dealt with on your terms rather than becoming a reason to lower the price or ask for stronger protection.

Negotiate terms that limit your liability

We negotiate the sale agreement around what due diligence has shown: the payment terms, warranties, indemnities and caps on claims, so your exposure after completion stays within clear, sensible limits.

choosing the sale structure

Choose the structure that fits your exit

A share sale and an asset sale give you different levels of control over what is sold, what you retain and how you exit. Our solicitors explain the trade-offs and agree the best approach before the heads of terms are signed.

  • Share sale

    You sell your shares in the company. Its contracts, employees, property and assets generally stay in place, together with its history and liabilities. This can offer a cleaner exit, but buyers will usually expect broader due diligence, warranties and disclosure.

  • Asset sale

    You sell selected parts of the business, such as its equipment, stock, contracts, goodwill or intellectual property. This gives more control over what is included, but contracts, leases, licences, employees and individual assets may need to be transferred separately.

How we approach the sale

Four phases, each priced before it begins

After a free first conversation, your sale moves through up to four phases. You approve the scope and the fee before each one begins, and you may stop after any phase.
  1. Start

    Deal clarity

    Get the early terms right before they become difficult to change.

    • An initial call with solicitor
    • Confidentiality agreement
    • Heads of terms
    • Advice on deal structure
    • Price, payment and exclusivity terms
    • Timetable, conditions and next steps
    • Coordination with your accountant, tax adviser or corporate finance adviser
    Included in our subscription
    Fixed fee of £950
    No obligation
  2. Review

    Sale-readiness

    Prepare the business for buyer scrutiny and due-diligence.

    • Reviewing the business’s legal-readiness for sale
    • Preparing the due diligence checklist & data room
    • Review of company records, contracts, IP, employees and property
    • Identifying red flags and advising on what to fix
    • Managing the buyer’s due diligence enquiries
    • Coordinating with your accountant, tax adviser and other advisers
    From £3,000 £3,000 to £6,000
    stop or continue
  3. transact

    Deal execution

    Negotiate the sale agreement & limit your liability.

    • Share or asset sale agreement
    • Price, payment structure and completion terms
    • Warranties, indemnities, disclosures & liability caps
    • Structuring earn-outs, deferred payments & retentions
    • Restrictive covenants & handover arrangements
    • Negotiation with the buyer’s solicitors
    • Coordination with your accountant and advisers
    From £3,000 £3,000 to £8,000
    stop or continue
  4. finalise

    Closing the deal

    Manage the final legal steps to transfer ownership and complete the sale.

    • Final review of the documents & completion requirements
    • Preparing board, shareholder and transfer documents
    • Signing support & coordination between the parties
    • Coordination of funds, documents & releases
    • Completion call
    Included in our subscription
    From £1,000 £1,000 to £2,000
    Deal completed

Every phase is scoped and quoted before it begins, so you are never committed beyond the next step, and if you stop after any phase you owe nothing for work that has not started. Selling a business is one of our fixed-fee services. See how fixed-fee pricing works.

Our business sale solicitors

A senior solicitor on your sale from first consultation to completion

Drawing on experience from leading law firms and international businesses, our M&A solicitors support founders, shareholders and management teams selling UK businesses.

Patricia Tinn

Legal Service Director

James Conning

Commercial Solicitor

Ashrelle Parker-Belgrave

Commercial Solicitor

Dr Jackie Nagtegaal

Co-Founder & Director

Willem van der Merwe

Co-Founder

Jan Nagtegaal

Director

Knowledge hub

Frequently asked questions

Our business sale solicitors support you from getting the business ready for sale through to completion. We start by helping you get the corporate records, contracts and key documents in order, so avoidable gaps do not hold things up or give the buyer reasons to renegotiate later. Once a buyer is in place, we help agree the deal structure and heads of terms, manage due diligence and disclosure, and negotiate the sale agreement. That includes the warranties and indemnities you are being asked to give, as well as the limits on any claims after the sale. We then handle the legal process through to completion. The same solicitor stays with you throughout, so you have one point of contact who understands the business, the deal and what matters to you.

Buyer due diligence often raises questions or brings issues to the surface. When that happens, we help you understand how significant the issue really is, what information needs to be provided and whether anything can be resolved before it affects the deal. We also help you respond clearly, make the right disclosures and push back where the buyer’s concerns or requests go too far. Where an issue does need to be dealt with, we work to find a practical solution.

The headline price is only part of the deal. The legal terms decide when and how you are paid, what you remain responsible for after completion and how easily the buyer can bring a claim later. We help you choose between a share sale and an asset sale based on what you want to sell, retain and step away from. We then negotiate the payment terms, warranties, indemnities and limits on claims, as well as any retention, deferred payment or earn-out. The aim is to protect the value of the sale and keep your exposure after completion within clear, sensible limits.

Most business sales take around three to six months from signed heads of terms to completion. The timing depends on how prepared the business is, how smoothly the buyer’s due diligence progresses and how quickly both sides and any third parties respond. Getting the business and its records ready early can make a real difference. Once we understand the shape of the sale, we will give you a realistic view of the likely timeline and keep you updated as the deal moves forward.

You can book a no-cost, no-obligation consultation online at any stage, whether you are only considering a sale, already speaking to a buyer or have terms on the table. We will use the call to understand the business, where the sale stands and what you want from the deal, then explain how we would approach it and whether Lawyerly is the right fit. If you decide to move forward, we will send you a fixed-fee proposal setting out the scope, cost and next steps for the first phase. Once you approve and pay, we will introduce the solicitor handling the sale and get started.

Client stories

What our clients say

Real outcomes from the businesses we act for, in their words.

A fresh approach. Exceptional value.

A fresh approach to legal services. They've guided us through multiple planned and reactive cases for our business. Exceptional turnaround times and great value for money.

Kerry Power Client Relations, Pantheon Property Services
contact us

Thinking about selling your business?

Tell us about the business you are planning to sell and where you are in the process. Our business sale solicitors will explain the legal support you need, what is included and the fixed fee before work starts.

Willem van der Merwe

Co-Founder