Earlier this month we launched exciting improvements to the Sparqa Legal website, making it even easier for you to autogenerate and customise the legal documents you need. We’ve created a new and improved interface for generating documents, which includes:
- real-time integration with Companies House, allowing for instant auto-filling of your company details;
- a document preview pane that updates as you go, showing you exactly how your inputs are affecting the document you’re creating;
- a smart system that guides you to the document you need based on the data you input (e.g. the consultancy agreement that suits your situation); and
- the ability to create an entire toolkit of documents by only entering your details once (eg you can generate a privacy policy, cookie policy, terms and conditions, and more all in one go!).
If you purchased documents from us using the previous system, you should have received an email with instructions on how to download and save those legacy documents offline (you’ll need to do this before 12 July 2023).
As part of our launch, we’ve also published three new toolkits containing all the documents you need to deal with a recruitment process, business collaboration and/or shareholders’ agreement. Find out more about these toolkits below.
Recruitment toolkit
This toolkit covers everything you need to recruit permanent or fixed-term employees. It takes you from creating a job and person description to find your ideal candidate, to making an offer and generating a bespoke employment contract. You’ll also find a staff recruitment privacy notice, letters to help you deal with obtaining medical reports about candidates, and letters dealing with all possible outcomes of probation periods.
The toolkit includes a how-to guide which explains how to make sure your recruitment process is legally compliant. Not only does complying with the law mean you’ll avoid fines, penalties and potential employment claims against you by your staff or job applicants, but it also helps you to maintain good employment relationships, build staff morale, and ensure you and your staff are on the same page about your rights and expectations.
Business collaborations toolkit
This toolkit takes you through the process of working with another business on a commercial project. It includes a letter of intent, a business collaboration agreement and a non-disclosure agreement, as well as guidance and checklists to help protect you at all stages of the process.
When you are collaborating with another business, proper legal contracts will ensure you are both clear about what has been agreed and help to protect your business. Having the right documents in place will help to make sure your project runs smoothly and reduce the risk of disputes. The toolkit will help you protect your confidential information at all stages of the collaboration process, from first negotiations to entering a formal agreement. It will also protect you from entering into an unlimited partnership, which could have significant legal implications for you.
Shareholders’ agreement toolkit
This toolkit contains all the legal documentation and guidance you need to enter a shareholders’ agreement. It is suitable for existing shareholders entering a shareholders’ agreement, or where a new investor is entering the company and a shareholders’ agreement is needed. Without a shareholders’ agreement in place, you may face disagreements between your shareholders on matters such as:
- when your board should get shareholders’ approval;
- how important decisions should be made; and
- what happens when your business is sold.
The toolkit includes a how-to guide explaining how to use and execute the documents in the toolkit, as well as a template shareholders’ agreement, articles of association, and board and shareholder resolutions to obtain approval of the agreement and new articles.
Marion joined Sparqa Legal as a Senior Legal Editor in 2018. She previously worked as a corporate/commercial lawyer for five years at one of New Zealand’s leading law firms, Kensington Swan (now Dentons Kensington Swan), and as an in-house legal consultant for a UK tech company. Marion regularly writes for Sparqa’s blog, contributing across its commercial, IP and health and safety law content.