Farming partnerships solicitors
Explore how our farming solicitors can help businesses with structuring and managing farming partnerships.
Contact our teamStructuring your farming business so it is tailored to your business needs.
- A legal team that understands all aspects of farming business structures can help your business run efficiently and ensure it passes securely to the next generation.
- As well as providing all these services to exceptionally high standards, we can also introduce you to other specialists who can provide expert support for your business.
Farming partnerships are at the heart of various agricultural businesses, often passing through generations while retaining considerable land and property. At Moore Barlow, our expert farming partnerships solicitors offer sound and practical advice on every area of partnership law in a rural context, ensuring your business is well organised and shielded from future challenges. We will assist you with every legal complication from succession planning, onboarding new partners, to handling an existing partner’s retirement or death confidently and smoothly.
What is a farming partnership?
A farming partnership is a type of business entity where two or more individuals or entities jointly own and operate a farming business. Partners share ownership of assets and profits according to a partnership agreement, outlining their rights and responsibilities, and the procedures for making important business decisions.
How Moore Barlow can help
When following complicated legislation surrounding farming you may need a bit of a helping hand, as no matter how much experience you have in the industry there may be legal jargon and confusing aspects of paperwork that become a stumbling block when trying to grow your business with farming partnerships.
At Moore Barlow we are able to provide a catered approach, with years of experience covering a variety of cases, so that we can find the best solution that works for you. We have members of our legal team that are not only experts in their sector, but who understand all aspects of farming partnerships and the business structures that can help your business.
Our team at Moore Barlow will be able to come up with the best farming partnerships strategy for your farming business, one that will allow you to run it as efficiently as possible, as well as ensure it flourishes and passes securely onto the next generation. Every service we provide you with will be delivered to an exceptionally high standard, as well as also introducing you to skilled specialists who can provide expert support for your business. We can also supply you with the careful planning and strategy that is needed when dealing with the farming partnership structures commonly found in rural businesses, ensuring that whatever plan we draw up is tailored to your unique business needs.
Our team of rural solicitors
Charlotte Brackley
Partner | Real estate, Landed estates and farming, Residential property
Julian Parkes
Partner | Commercial property, Real estate, Landed estates and farming
Nellie van der Lande
Senior associate | Commercial property, Real estate finance, Rural services
Louise Williams
Associate and notary public | Landed estates and farming, Notarial services
Your local legal experts
Farming partnerships are more complicated than they first appear; it is quite often the case that they hold valuable assets such as farm entitlements, land, machinery and livestock. Therefore, it is important to get the right legal service from experiences professionals who understand the issues you face.
We advise on all aspects of farming business structures including partnerships, sole traders, companies and limited liability partnerships (LLP).
With our expert team working across our offices in London, Guildford, Richmond, Southampton, Lymington and Woking, we’re ideally placed to offer specialist advice and support both locally and nationally.
Contact our property and land team
Farming partnerships – frequently asked questions
How do farming partnerships work?
Partners contribute to the partnership as agreed, share profits and losses according to their arrangement, and are jointly responsible for any debts. As a partnership has unlimited liability, it is not required to publish public accounts.
How do I set up a farm partnership?
To set up a farm partnership, you need to agree on key terms, including contributions, profit sharing, and decision-making. A written partnership agreement is essential to outline roles, responsibilities, and succession planning. Legal and financial advice is recommended to ensure the structure suits your business and protects all parties involved.
Why have a farming partnership agreement?
A well-structured farming partnership agreement provides clarity and security, reducing the risk of disputes by clearly defining ownership, asset distribution, and profit-sharing arrangements. Should disagreements arise, the agreement sets out a resolution process, ensuring fairness for all partners.
Many lenders now require a formal partnership agreement as a condition for loan approval, offering added financial security. Most importantly, without a tailored agreement, partners may be subject to outdated laws, such as the Partnership Act 1890, which may not reflect modern farming operations and could lead to unintended legal consequences.
Types of farming partnerships
There are three primary types of farming partnerships:
- General Partnership – All partners share equal rights and responsibilities, with profits and losses distributed according to the partnership agreement.
- Limited Partnership – Includes general partners who manage the farm and limited partners who invest capital but have minimal involvement in decision-making.
- Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) – Provides partners with limited liability, protecting personal assets from business debts while allowing flexibility in management.
How do you dissolve a farm partnership?
A common method of dissolving a farming partnership is for the remaining partners to purchase the departing partner’s share. Following dissolution, the remaining assets are then distributed in line with the terms set out in the partnership agreement.
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