Company Secretarial Services in the UK

Keeping up with UK legal obligations can be complex – from filing requirements and statutory records to board procedures, it’s easy for things to be missed.

With 25+ years supporting businesses expanding to the UK, Goodwille provides expert company secretarial services that keep deadlines on track, records accurate, and your UK operations running smoothly.

Get in touch to see how we can simplify your company governance.

Back to Governance

Corporate Governance Services by Goodwille

What is a Company Secretary?

A Company Secretary is the person who keeps a company legally compliant and well-organised, acting as the bridge between directors, shareholders, and regulatory requirements.

While UK private limited companies are not legally required to appoint a company secretary, many overseas businesses choose to appoint one to reduce risk and ensure best practice. Public limited companies (PLC’s) are legally required to have a named Company Secretary.

What Does a Company Secretary Do?

The role of a company secretary goes beyond administration. It involves:

Advising directors on their duties
Ensuring regulatory obligations are met
Maintaining accurate company records
Supporting the board in decision making

Learn more about the role of a Company Secretary.

Corporate Governance Support

Corporate governance is the system that keeps your company organised and compliant.

It covers how decisions are made, how boards operate, and how risks are managed – helping you protect shareholders, employees, and your business reputation.

Goodwille provides a full corporate governance service for both UK companies, and international businesses expanding into the UK. We offer:

Comprehensive support with statutory forms and obligations
Provision of a named Company Secretary
Maintenance of company records and registers
Filing with Companies House on your behalf

Why Outsource Company Secretarial Services?

Setting up in the UK comes with a host of compliance and governance responsibilities – and appointing an in-house company secretary can be expensive and time-consuming, especially for overseas businesses.

Outsourcing gives you instant access to experienced professionals, removes the burden of ongoing employment costs, and ensures you’re not reliant on a single person. You get flexible, cost-effective support tailored to your business.

Client Testimonial

“Goodwille were very transparent on what services they were offering and at what cost, so we decided to partner with them. We have not had to second-guess our choice; they have been very helpful and reliable since the beginning. The best thing is that we don’t have to be up to date on the local legislation and regulations as we can count on Goodwille to inform us when needed. This saves us time and nerves, and therefore we can fully focus on our product and customers.”

Sami Kallio, HappySignals

Our Company Secretarial Services

Take the stress out of UK compliance. When you partner with Goodwille for company secretarial services, your UK compliance, board processes, and corporate records are handled by specialists.

Clients benefit from:

A dedicated account manager
Access to a corporate team with extensive knowledge
Transparent pricing with no hidden costs
Ongoing support with key dates and filings

Explore our comprehensive range of company secretarial services below.

New Company Incorporations

When setting up a limited company in the UK, incorporation documents must be filed with Companies House. Goodwille assists with:

Preparation of incorporation documents
Filing on behalf of clients
Advising on articles of association and share capital structure

We ensure the incorporation process is completed accurately and efficiently, enabling you to start operating quickly.

Company Registers

Every UK company is legally required to maintain statutory registers. These include:

Failure to keep company registers up to date can lead to penalties. Goodwille manages this process on your behalf, ensuring records are accurate and compliant.

Annual General Meeting Support

While not all companies are required to hold annual general meetings (AGM), many choose to do so as a matter of best practice. Our team supports:

Preparation of board minutes
Drafting shareholder resolutions
Attending and minuting the meeting
Ensuring compliance with articles of association

This helps directors maintain good corporate records and avoid future disputes.

Annual Compliance

Annual compliance is an essential part of running a UK company. Our services include:

Filing the annual confirmation statement with Companies House
Managing dormant company accounts if required
Monitoring your accounting reference date and filing deadlines
Liaising with the relevant authorities on specific matters

Confirmation Statements

Every UK company must file an annual confirmation statement, confirming details such as share capital, shareholders, and directors. Goodwille prepares and submits this on your behalf, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.

Articles of Association

Articles of association set out the rules governing how your company is run. We can:

Review and update model articles
Draft bespoke articles to reflect your business needs
Ensure compliance with UK law

Strong articles of association help prevent disputes between shareholders and directors.

Board Support and Minutes

Board meetings are an essential part of corporate governance. Our team assists with:

Preparing agendas
Drafting board minutes
Recording decisions in accordance with legal requirements

This ensures directors’ duties are met and company decisions are properly documented.

Director Appointments and Share Transfers

Changes to directors or share capital must be filed with Companies House. We provide support with:

Director appointments and resignations
Share allotments and transfers
Updating company records accordingly

By managing these processes, we ensure filings are completed in accordance with statutory obligations.

Registered Office and Service Address

Every UK company must have a registered office address. Goodwille provides:

A professional registered office address in the UK (Warwick or London)
Service address for directors if required
Mail handling and forwarding services

This helps international businesses establish a professional UK presence without the need for costly office space. Find out more about this here: Virtual Office & Meeting Rooms

Supporting Dormant Companies

Some overseas businesses register a UK company but do not trade immediately. For these cases, Goodwille offers a dormant company service, ensuring statutory obligations are still met, including filing dormant company accounts.

Interim Company Secretary Support

Interim co sec support gives you a flexible way to keep your governance workload moving during periods of change. You get temporary, on demand cover that slots into your existing processes and keeps filings, board work and statutory tasks on track.

You can use interim support to:

Bridge gaps during recruitment or team changes
Cover parental leave or long-term absence
Manage peak periods like year end or major transactions

You get a Co Sec professional who picks things up quickly, works with your preferred tools and keeps your company records accurate and up to date.

It’s a practical option when you need continuity without committing to a long hire.

Client Testimonial

“We are a clean energy company operating in the Nordics, Europe and the UK. Being one of the cleanest energy producers in Europe, ensuring we remain compliant from a regulatory and governance perspective is key.”
“Goodwille have taken the time to understand our business and work pro-actively with us to ensure we are kept up to date with any relevant legislative changes, whilst providing high quality, pragmatic advice. All of this gives us the confidence that our regulatory compliance runs smoothly, enabling us to continue to move forward and focus on building on our vision and purpose – to power a world where people, businesses and nature thrive.”

Akber Kirefu, UK Country Controller Fortum

Best Practice in Company Secretarial Services

At Goodwille, best practice is about making governance straightforward, and something you don’t have to second guess. It’s the difference between reacting to issues and knowing everything is already organised.

You can expect:

Clear processes and documentation
Up to date corporate records
Support for company directors in fulfilling their duties. We offer Directors Training to ensure you are doing the best job as a UK Director.
Peace of mind for stakeholders

Strategic Growth and Governance

Growing a business in the UK comes with new opportunities – and new responsibilities. We help you stay ahead by putting governance in place that supports your decisions and manages risk.

Whether you’re setting up your UK entity, guiding your board through key decisions, or managing complex shareholder arrangements, Goodwille ensures your governance works for your growth, not against it.

Company Incorporations

When setting up a limited company in the UK, incorporation documents must be filed with Companies House. Goodwille assists with:

Preparation of incorporation documents
Filing on behalf of clients
Advising on articles of association and share capital structure

We ensure the incorporation process is completed accurately and efficiently, enabling you to start operating quickly.

Company Registers

Every UK company is legally required to maintain statutory registers. These include:

Failure to keep company registers up to date can lead to penalties. Goodwille manages this process on your behalf, ensuring records are accurate and compliant.

Annual General Meeting Support

While not all companies are required to hold annual general meetings (AGM), many choose to do so as a matter of best practice. Our team supports:

Preparation of board minutes
Drafting shareholder resolutions
Ensuring compliance with articles of association

This helps directors maintain good corporate records and avoid future disputes.

Annual Compliance

Annual compliance is an essential part of running a UK company. Our services include:

Filing the annual confirmation statement with Companies House
Managing dormant company accounts if required
Monitoring your accounting reference date and filing deadlines

Confirmation Statements

Articles of Association

Articles of association set out the rules governing how your company is run. We can:

Review and update model articles
Draft bespoke articles to reflect your business needs
Ensure compliance with UK law

Strong articles of association help prevent disputes between shareholders and directors.

Board Support and Minutes

Board meetings are an essential part of corporate governance. Our team assists with:

Preparing agendas
Drafting board minutes
Recording decisions in accordance with legal requirements

This ensures directors’ duties are met and company decisions are properly documented.

Director Appointments and Share Transfers

Changes to directors or share capital must be filed with Companies House. We provide support with:

Director appointments and resignations
Share allotments and transfers
Updating company records accordingly

By managing these processes, we ensure filings are completed in accordance with statutory obligations.

Registered Office and Service Address

Every UK company must have a registered office address. Goodwille provides:

A professional registered office address in the UK
Service address for directors if required
Mail handling and forwarding services

This helps international businesses establish a professional UK presence without the need for costly office space. Find out more about this here: Virtual Office & Meeting Rooms

Virtual Office & Meeting Rooms

Supporting Dormant Companies

Client Testimonial

“We are a clean energy company operating in the Nordics, Europe and the UK. Being one of the cleanest energy producers in Europe, ensuring we remain compliant from a regulatory and governance perspective is key.”
“Goodwille have taken the time to understand our business and work pro-actively with us to ensure we are kept up to date with any relevant legislative changes, whilst providing high quality, pragmatic advice. All of this gives us the confidence that our regulatory compliance runs smoothly, enabling us to continue to move forward and focus on building on our vision and purpose – to power a world where people, businesses and nature thrive.”

Akber Kirefu, UK Country Controller Fortum

Get in Touch

Compliance Requirements for Private Limited Companies

Private limited companies in the UK must meet a number of compliance requirements, including:

Filing accounts annually
Filing a confirmation statement
Maintaining statutory registers
Notifying Companies House and HMRC of changes

Outsourcing to Goodwille with the set up of your UK company ensures these obligations are met in a cost effective way.

Best Practice in Company Secretarial Services

Best practice means more than compliance. It involves:

Clear processes and documentation
Maintaining up to date corporate records
Supporting directors in fulfilling their duties. We offer Directors Training to ensure you are doing the best job as a UK Director.
Providing peace of mind for stakeholders

Goodwille follows best practice standards in corporate governance, helping clients reduce risks and focus on business objectives.

Meet our Head of Corporate Governance

Sarah Scott

Sarah is part of our Governance Team providing additional support and advice including regulatory compliance matters. A qualified lawyer with many years of experience working both in private practice and in-house, Sarah has a wealth of knowledge with a full and balanced understanding of client needs. She is also our data protection specialist and is on hand to advise on client data protection obligations from assisting with registrations at the ICO to more complex data protection issues.