{"id":6300,"date":"2019-08-07T08:29:06","date_gmt":"2019-08-07T07:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qualitycompanyformations.co.uk\/blog\/?p=6300"},"modified":"2024-05-01T01:10:13","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T00:10:13","slug":"what-are-articles-of-association","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qualitycompanyformations.co.uk\/blog\/what-are-articles-of-association\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the articles of association?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The articles of association is a document that governs how a company is run. Containing a multitude of provisions, each of which is known as an ‘article’, this document serves as a \u2018rule book\u2019 that all company officers (directors and secretaries) and company members (shareholders or guarantors) must observe. Along with the memorandum of association, the articles forms the constitution of a UK limited company.<\/p>\n

The memorandum of association is a document created by Companies House during the incorporation process. The memorandum and articles of association are the two of the principal company formation documents<\/a>.\u00a0Companies can choose to adopt ‘Model’ articles of association<\/a> prescribed by the Companies Act 2006<\/a>, or they can draft their own articles, provided all provisions are in accordance with UK company law.<\/p>\n

\u2018Model\u2019 articles of association are the standard default articles used by most companies in the UK. There are three different versions available: one for private companies limited by shares; one for private companies limited by guarantee; and one for public limited companies (PLCs).<\/p>\n Our Fully Inclusive Package - the perfect way to form a company<\/span><\/a>\n \n

However, these articles are not right for everyone, so some companies choose to alter certain parts of the Model articles to better suit their individual needs. It is also possible to create completely bespoke articles from scratch, usually with professional advice and guidance from a company formation agent or solicitor.<\/p>\n

What information can be found in the articles of association?<\/h3>\n

In general terms, articles of association govern how a company should be run. Examples of the provisions (i.e. clauses\/terms) included in the model articles for private companies limited by shares are as follows:<\/p>\n