RAETZER / READINESS

Ready to Part Ways?

Evaluate the ownership, economic, governance and transition issues that affect business separations.

~5 MINUTES · 25 QUESTIONS

Before the next conversation

A Focused Screen for a Consequential Decision

A business separation is both an ownership event and an operating business transition. This assessment helps identify the issues that affect the structure, negotiation, documentation and timing of a separation. It focuses on seven practical assessment issues:

→ Ownership and governance documents

→ Valuation and economic terms

→ Control and decision authority

→ Separation and transition terms

→ Release and risk allocation

→ Business continuity

→ Urgency and execution authority

BUSINESS DIVORCE & OWNER SEPARATION PACKAGE ESTIMATES

Assess Ownership & Exit Rights → Negotiate Valuation & Buyout Terms → Allocate Assets & Obligations → Document Transfers & Releases → Close → Transition

A business divorce or owner separation is a negotiated restructuring of legal and economic relationships, not merely a document project. These packages cover defined legal work for qualifying owner disputes and separation transactions.

All matters are billed on an hourly basis (estimate is not paid upfront).

RAETZER does not guarantee that the parties will reach acceptable terms, that litigation or business disruption will be avoided, or that any proposed separation will be completed, and does not provide valuation, accounting, tax, financial advisory, brokerage, financing, or business management services. Eligibility, scope and estimate are confirmed after readiness assessment, conflicts review, attorney consultation and execution of an engagement agreement.

Package 1

AGREED BUSINESS SEPARATION

$14,500

Starting at; Final fee ESTIMATE confirmed after attorney review.

Best for

Best for 2 principal owner groups that have substantially agreed on the material terms of 1 owner’s exit and need the arrangement properly documented and closed.

Principal inclusions

  • Review of governing and ownership documents

  • Confirmation and documentation of agreed separation terms

  • One ownership transfer, redemption, or repurchase agreement

  • One separation and mutual-release agreement

  • Standard resignations, approvals, and closing documents

  • One closing and post-closing obligations checklist

VIEW SCOPE AND ASSUMPTIONS

RAETZER represents one owner/owner group/company; one principal business entity; two principal owner groups; material terms substantially agreed; no unresolved valuation/accounting dispute; no filed litigation/arbitration; no emergency/injunctive proceeding; no contested access to records/funds/assets; one ownership transfer/redemption; one closing; up to two consolidated revision rounds; ordinary commercially reasonable counterparty review.

May include standard confidentiality/proprietary information, transfer/return of ordinary company property and credentials, standard non-disparagement, simple payment schedule or unsecured installment obligation.

Excludes independent valuation, forensic accounting, tax advice, employment litigation, bankruptcy, court filings, discovery, mediation, arbitration, and litigation. If material terms are not agreed, Package 2 or custom scope may be required. Eligibility, scope and estimate are confirmed after readiness assessment, conflicts review, attorney consultation and execution of an engagement agreement.

Package 2

NEGOTIATED OWNER BUYOUT & SEPARATION

$29,500

Starting at; Final fee ESTIMATE confirmed after attorney review.

Best for

Best for an owner, company, or ownership group that needs counsel to negotiate and document an unresolved buyout, founder exit, member withdrawal, shareholder separation, or management transition before litigation begins.

Principal inclusions

  • Governing document and ownership rights review

  • Separation strategy and material-issues analysis

  • Negotiation of one term sheet or separation proposal

  • Ownership purchase, redemption, or transfer agreement

  • Separation, release, resignation, and transition documents

  • One transaction closing

VIEW SCOPE AND ASSUMPTIONS

May include buyout formula/valuation, price/payment/closing, one installment agreement or promissory note, management/access transition, confidentiality/IP/customer/vendor/employee/digital assets, restrictive covenants where appropriate, mutual releases/indemnification/dispute resolution, approvals/records, up to three substantive negotiation conferences, and up to three consolidated principal-document revision rounds.

Assumptions and exclusions: one entity; two owner groups; no filed litigation/arbitration; no emergency injunction/TRO; no extensive forensic accounting; no fraud investigation; no bankruptcy/insolvency; ordinary access to records. Extended negotiations, formal mediation, multiple entities, contested control, substantial forensic accounting, fraud allegations, third-party lender issues, or material litigation threats may require Package 3 or supplemental scope. Eligibility, scope and estimate are confirmed after readiness assessment, conflicts review, attorney consultation and execution of an engagement agreement.

Package 3

COMPLEX BUSINESS DIVORCE

$49,500

Starting at; Final fee ESTIMATE confirmed after attorney review.

Best for

Best for complex, high value, multi entity, or highly contested ownership separations involving unresolved control, valuation, accounting, financing, intellectual-property, customer, or transition issues.

Principal inclusions

  • Comprehensive ownership/governance/ contractual review

  • Buyout, separation, dissolution, or restructuring strategy

  • Negotiated interim governance or standstill arrangements

  • Coordination with valuation, accounting, tax, or litigation advisers

  • Complex definitive and ancillary separation documents

  • Multi-stage closing, transition, and enforcement architecture

VIEW SCOPE AND ASSUMPTIONS

Custom-scope topics may include multiple entities/groups; contested control; deadlock/forced sale; buy-sell/call/put/redemption; disputed valuation/formulas; valuation/forensic coordination; seller-financed buyout; security/guarantee/escrow/holdback; IP/licensing/customer/employee/referral/digital allocation; interim operating/access/standstill; dissolution/wind-down/asset allocation/business sale; transition services/management; and negotiation or mediation preparation where expressly included.

Excludes filing/defending litigation or arbitration, discovery, depositions, emergency injunctions, court appearances, trial/appeal, bankruptcy/receivership, independent valuation, forensic accounting, tax opinions, and employment/IP litigation. Where contested proceedings are pending or expected, RAETZER may coordinate with appropriate litigation/local counsel under a separate engagement. Eligibility, scope and estimate are confirmed after readiness assessment, conflicts review, attorney consultation and execution of an engagement agreement.

Business Separation Readiness Assessment

Start Your Assessment



This assessment takes about five minutes. Answer honestly — there are no wrong answers, and nothing here is reviewed in real time. When you're done, you'll get a readiness score across four areas: business foundation, offering architecture, investor strategy, and execution readiness, along with a recommended next step.

25 questions · ~5 minutes · instant results

This assessment is for general educational and screening purposes only. It does not determine the legal or regulatory compliance of a proposed separation, the viability of a specific divestiture structure, or your legal capacity to execute the split. Please don't include any confidential information in your answers.

RAETZER PLLC

Led by a corporate and securities lawyer with more than 20 years of transactional experience across $100+ billion in transactions, we bring institutional deal discipline to businesses that want sophisticated counsel without building an in-house legal department. Sophisticated counsel for the decisions that move a business forward — from first formation through its next chapter.

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