Insolvency Solutions

Option one

Defend your company and remove the threat

Sometimes the company does not need closing. It needs the pressure taken off it, quickly and in the right order. That is where most of our cases start.

Call 0345 017 9773

Short answer

Defending your company means dealing with the immediate threat before it forces a decision on you: negotiating with HMRC, answering creditor action, responding to a statutory demand or a petition, and buying the company time to trade. Michael reviews your position first, in confidence, and tells you plainly whether the company can be defended.

Ask Michael a question

Free, confidential and informal. No obligation.

Optional. A sentence is plenty.

Confidential. Your details are used only to reply to you and are never sold or shared. No insolvency process is triggered by contacting us.

Received a winding-up petition? You may have as little as 7 days before it is advertised. Call today.

Call now
R3 memberIPA memberFSB member25+ years experienceFree first conversationFace-to-face or Zoom

Is this right for you?

  • The business is fundamentally viable, but cash is tight right now.
  • HMRC arrears are building and you want a payment arrangement.
  • A creditor is threatening action, or has sent a statutory demand.
  • A winding-up petition has been issued or advertised.
  • You would rather keep the company than close it, if that is realistic.

What it means for you personally

  • Talking to us does not put you personally at risk and does not start any process.
  • If you have given personal guarantees, or there is a director's loan account, we look at those as part of the picture rather than leaving them to surprise you later.
  • If the company cannot be defended, we tell you, and we tell you early.

How it works, step by step

  1. 1

    A free, confidential conversation

    You tell Michael what is happening. Nothing formal starts. No insolvency process is triggered by the call.

  2. 2

    We look at the real position

    Cash in, cash out, who is owed what, and which deadlines actually bite. Usually this is quicker than directors expect.

  3. 3

    We deal with the loudest threat first

    Time to pay with HMRC, a reply to a statutory demand, or a response to creditor action, so the company is not forced into a decision.

  4. 4

    We stabilise and plan

    Once the threat is contained you get your options in writing, including what happens if the position worsens.

Who does what

  • Michael O'Connor advises you, handles the negotiation and stays with the case throughout.
  • Tony Sampson, MIPA, FABRP, Insolvency Solicitor, advises on statutory demands, petitions and creditor litigation.
  • Mark Bassford, FCA, Licensed Insolvency Practitioner, is there if a formal process becomes the right answer. He carries out any formal appointment.

Fees and what they cover

  • The first conversation is free, confidential and informal, with no obligation.
  • If you want us to act, we agree the work and the fee in writing before anything starts.
  • Costs depend on your situation and are explained in writing before anything starts. The first conversation is free.

Common questions

Will talking to you start a formal insolvency process?

No. An initial conversation is advice only. Nothing is filed, no creditor is notified and no process begins. A formal process only ever starts if you instruct it.

Can HMRC arrears be spread over time?

Often, yes. HMRC can agree a time-to-pay arrangement where the company can show the payments are realistic. The earlier you ask, the better the reception.

A creditor has sent a statutory demand. How long do I have?

A statutory demand normally gives 21 days before the creditor can petition to wind the company up. Treat the date on the demand as the deadline and get advice immediately.

A winding-up petition has been issued. Is it too late?

Not necessarily, but time is short. Once a petition is advertised the company's bank account is usually frozen, which is why the first seven days matter so much. Call the same day you receive it.

Will my staff or customers find out?

Not from us. Our advice is confidential. Some formal steps become public, and we tell you in advance which ones do before you decide anything.

What if the company cannot be saved?

Then you still have choices: closing the company properly through a Creditors' Voluntary Liquidation, or continuing the business through a new company while the old one is closed. We would walk you through both.

Michael O'Connor

Reviewed by Michael O'Connor, M.A. (Cantab), MABRP

Director and lead adviser. Last reviewed September 2026.

The other options

Close your company safelyA trouble-free Creditors' Voluntary Liquidation, with you in control of the timing.See how this works Continue your businessKeep trading through a new company while the old one is closed properly.See how this works Protect yourself as a directorPersonal guarantees, loan accounts, wrongful trading and disqualification risk.See how this works

Talk it through before you decide anything.

Free, confidential and informal. Michael replies personally, usually the same day.

Call 0345 017 9773Email us

Clear options for directors under pressure. One adviser, from the first call to the finish.

Ask Michael a question

Free, confidential and informal. No obligation.

Optional. A sentence is plenty.

Confidential. Your details are used only to reply to you and are never sold or shared. No insolvency process is triggered by contacting us.

This page is general information, not legal or financial advice.

Call nowEmail