Sole trader to company restructure with the key steps mapped out

That usually happens when an existing business is already operating and has assets, branding, customer contracts, supplier arrangements or intellectual property that need to sit with the new company instead of the individual owner. In those cases, the legal work is not only about incorporation. It can also involve transfer documents, governance records and checking whether third-party consents are needed. This service is built for that transition stage, rather than a simple new company registration where no existing trading business needs to be moved across.

We usually need a practical picture of the current sole trader business and what will move into the company. That can include business name use, key assets, intellectual property, customer or supplier contracts, and whether there are leases, licences or finance arrangements in place. We also need details of the proposed directors and shareholders, and how ownership will be split. The more clearly those moving parts are identified early, the easier it is to prepare the constitution, governance records and transfer paperwork in the right order.

A common sequence is to confirm the intended company structure first, then prepare the setup documents for the new entity, followed by the documents needed to move business assets or rights into that company. After that, there are usually practical implementation steps such as updating counterparties, changing invoicing details and checking whether any existing agreements need assignment or replacement. The exact order can vary depending on what the sole trader business owns and how it operates, but the key point is that incorporation is only one part of the overall restructure.

No. A new company is a separate legal person, so business assets and rights do not simply transfer across because the owner has incorporated. For example, intellectual property may need a written assignment, and some customer or supplier contracts may need to be assigned, novated or replaced. If a landlord, lender or other counterparty is involved, their approval may also be required. We can prepare the legal documents for those transfers, but third-party decisions and any external approval process sit outside Sprintlaw's control.

A basic registration service is usually suitable where you are starting fresh with a new company. This restructure service is for situations where a sole trader business already exists and needs to be moved into a company structure properly. That means the work often includes transfer documents, governance records and sequencing advice about when each step should happen. It is therefore more process-driven than a standard incorporation matter, because the legal objective is not only to create a company but to transition an operating business into it.

Just submit an enquiry via this page or click the 'get started' button on our website to submit an enquiry. After you've submitted an enquiry, one of our legal consultants will review your enquiry within 1 business day and get in touch to get a better idea of exactly what you are looking for.

Then your legal consultant will send through an email with a bit more information about the services you need, along with a fixed fee quote setting out costs, scope of the service and timing. Have a read through it, and if you're happy with the scope, you can accept and sign our engagement letter online - easy!

Once you've formally accepted, we'll connect you with a specialist lawyer and they will work with you to complete your project. They will contact you by email or phone if they need to get in touch.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Sole Trader To Company Restructure service, pricing starts from $900.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We operate completely online, which means we can help you wherever you are in New Zealand. We have office spaces in Sydney, and in Melbourne, but our use of technology allows our team members to work remotely from around the world. Our legal team are mostly based in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. We also have a London office for Sprintlaw UK.

Our legal team is made up of experienced lawyers, who are specialists in various areas of law and hold an Australian legal practising certificate. None of our Sprintlaw lawyers are New Zealand qualified lawyers and they do not currently hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

They provide legal services working remotely from Australia via our 'legal consultancy' model, through which (under section 6 and section 35 of the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006) our Australian legal team are permitted to provide legal services to New Zealand businesses provided they do not provide services in certain 'reserved' areas of law. You can read our FAQ page to learn a bit more about our 'legal consultancy' model.

Given the strong similarities between Australian and New Zealand law, and the areas of law in which we practice (being small business and startup law), we do not view the fact that our lawyers have not qualified in New Zealand as having any substantive impact on the quality of our service. We are committed to ensuring that we provide high quality, affordable legal services to all our New Zealand clients.

Our legal team have all trained at leading firms, but have left the traditional corporate law world to join us on our mission to create a new and better way of delivering legal services. They have specialist expertise in technology law, intellectual property law, contract drafting and review, corporate law and commercial law.