Forming a charity for any cause is an undisputedly noble act. However there are many detailed procedures you must follow before you can begin to fundraise. To begin with you must be able to demonstrate that your charity will have ‘a charitable purpose for the public benefit’ for example assisting with the prevention of animal cruelty or relieving homelessness in a certain area. You will also need assistance in determining the stricture, trustees and governing documents or constitutions for your charity.
There will be a lot of work to be completed regarding your charity finances as well; for tax purposes with HMRC and the Charities Commission. All of these and many more steps will need the expert guidance of a charity law solicitor to ensure all elements are in place and recognised legally as there are significant fines and penalties in place if not.
Our charity law advisors provide guidance and support to a range of charities seeking to promote a plethora of good causes.
They can help with:
- forming a new charity;
- restructuring an existing charity;
- charity mergers or acquisitions;
- registering a charity with the Charity Commission;
- obtaining recognised charitable status from HMRC;
- creating corporate governance documents;
- advising charity trustees;
- drafting contracts of employment and service agreements;
- dealing with disciplinary and grievance matters concerning employees;
- taking a lease of commercial premises;
- buying or selling commercial property;
- commercial contracts;
- funding arrangements; and
- dissolving a charity where it is no longer viable.
We can also help with civil disputes concerning charitable legacies and the lawyers in our wills, trusts and probate team can assist with the formation and administration of charitable trusts.
Advising charities throughout Tenterden, Kent and beyond
We have offices in Tenterden, Maidstone, Tonbridge, Gravesend and Chatham where we can meet you to discuss your requirements.
We can also offer meetings at your place of business or via skype conference call if appropriate.
Funding
An initial appointment to discuss your requirements can be arranged from £220 – £375 plus VAT depending on your solicitor’s experience. After that we can facilitate flexible payment terms, including monthly billing to help you budget.
Get in touch with our charity law solicitors in Tenterden, Kent
Call us on 01580 762248 if you need our help. Alternatively please complete our Contact Us form and we will be in touch with you as soon as possible.