Preparing for a dispute with a UK company co-owner

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

Identify your legal capacity

A business “partner” may be a shareholder, director, employee or creditor. One person can hold several roles, with different rights and duties. Define whether the dispute concerns shares, banking access, payment, management, profits or an exit.

Director responsibilities ↗ continue during a conflict. Do not stop reporting or treat company funds as personal compensation because you believe the other owner has behaved unfairly.

Assemble evidence and a chronology

Collect articles, any shareholders’ agreement, ownership records, resolutions, contracts, statements, director loans and relevant correspondence. Prepare a short table of dates, actions, supporting documents, disputed amounts and desired outcomes.

Preserve material you can lawfully access. Do not enter someone else’s personal accounts or delete records. Separately list imminent payments, tax deadlines, wages and customer commitments so temporary operating arrangements can be discussed.

Find a company-disputes specialist

Look for corporate or shareholder-dispute experience rather than only family or general consumer work. Check the firm and solicitor in the SRA register ↗ for England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulators.

Before sending a large archive, request a conflict check, initial-consultation price, document list and written-output format. Ask about rights, risks, negotiation, mediation, litigation and urgent steps. Limitation periods depend on the claim; do not infer them from another person’s experience.

Set an objective and interim arrangements

Objectives might include restored access, agreed decisions, an accounting, selling shares or closing the venture. A valuation approach and documented information exchange can help negotiations. Even a small dispute benefits from specific figures and a proposal.

Do not sign a resignation, share transfer, release or personal guarantee without understanding the consequences. Resigning as director does not automatically sell your shares or release debts. Tell the adviser immediately if insolvency may be involved. Keep communications professional and avoid public accusations as a pressure tactic.