For Franchisees
Know exactly what you are signing
The average franchise agreement runs 80 to 120 pages, was written by the franchisor’s lawyers, and protects the franchisor. You are usually asked to sign it under time pressure. A review before you sign changes that.
Since 2013 · Minerva Law
2,880
Franchise agreements reviewed
584
Lease matters negotiated
162
Disputes resolved at mediation
What we do
Entry, renewal and exit
Most franchisees come to us at one of three moments. Each needs a different kind of help.
01
Before you sign
Agreement and disclosure review
We read the franchise agreement, the disclosure document and the Key Facts Sheet against each other, check the territory and the financial claims, and give you a plain-English risk memo ranked by what actually matters commercially.
- What the agreement obliges you to do, in plain terms
- Territory: what you actually get, and what the franchisor keeps
- Fees, marketing fund contributions and supply arrangements
- Personal guarantees and what they put at risk
- Fit-out, refurbishment and end-of-term obligations
- Restraint of trade after you leave
02
The lease
Usually the bigger commitment
The franchise term and the lease term rarely match, and the lease is often the larger personal exposure. We review the lease, the licence to occupy or the assignment alongside the franchise agreement rather than in isolation.
03
Renewal and transfer
Getting out, or staying in on better terms
Renewal is the one moment your bargaining position improves. Transfers need franchisor consent and usually a fee, and end-of-term obligations are where franchisees are most often caught.
04
When it goes wrong
Breach, termination and disputes
Breach notices, threatened termination, supply and territory disputes, and restraint claims after exit. Most franchising disputes must go to mediation before court.
How we work
Three steps, no mystery
01
Send us the documents
The franchise agreement, the disclosure document and your deadline. We tell you within a day whether this is a review or a dispute.
02
Fixed scope and fee
You get both in writing before work starts. A review is not an open-ended hourly matter.
03
A memo and a conversation
The written risk memo, then a call to talk through what to push back on and what to accept.
Client feedback
Voices of excellence
Live rating and reviews from the firm’s Google Business Profile.
Common questions
Franchisee questions, answered
I have 14 days to cool off. Do I still need a review before signing?
The cooling-off period runs after you sign, and unwinding a signed agreement means you have already committed time, deposits and often a lease. A review before signing is the cheaper moment to find the problems.
Can I negotiate a franchise agreement?
More often than franchisors suggest. Territory, renewal rights, personal guarantees, fit-out obligations, transfer fees and restraint periods commonly move. What rarely moves is anything the franchisor must keep identical across every franchisee.
What is the biggest risk franchisees miss?
The personal guarantee combined with the lease. The franchise fee is visible; the exposure across a five or seven year lease with a personal guarantee behind it usually is not.
What does a franchise agreement review cost?
It is quoted as a fixed fee on a defined scope before we start. Send the documents and you will have the figure before you commit.
What happens at the end of the term?
That depends entirely on the agreement. Renewal may be a right, an option on conditions, or nothing at all. End-of-term refurbishment, de-identification and restraint clauses are the ones worth reading before you sign, not after.
Also relevant
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Related reading
Reading for franchisees
Articles and briefings from the firm on this area. Plain English, no lecture.
Next step
Have a franchise agreement in front of you?
Send it over with your deadline. We’ll tell you what it actually means for the business, clearly and in commercial terms.