Business Owners: When You Die or Lose Capacity

You have a plan for losing a big customer. What's the plan if you die on Tuesday, or can't sign anything for six months?

This guide explains what actually happens to a sole trader, partnership or limited company when the owner dies or loses capacity — including the sole-director paralysis trap — and the small set of documents that change the outcome: a business-aware will, a business LPA, cross-option agreements funded by life insurance, and a business relief review under the post-2026 rules. It ends with a nine-point succession checklist.

• What happens to your business, structure by structure
• Cross-option agreements — how co-owners buy out your family fairly
• Business LPAs: the document most often missing
• Business relief, and how not to lose it

Instant PDF download. England & Wales only. Information, not legal advice — and if your situation needs a real conversation, every download includes an invitation to book a free chat with a Squiggle specialist.