Clarify how your board should operate with a board charter shaped to your organisation

It is often worth doing when the formal governing document exists, but the board still lacks a clear shared framework for how it should operate in practice. Common triggers include growth, changes in board composition, new committees, uncertainty around delegations or recurring confusion about who is expected to do what between meetings. A board charter can help record expectations around board conduct, chair responsibilities, meeting processes and oversight. That is different from rewriting the whole constitution, which is a separate exercise if the core governing rules also need changing.

A board charter can help where responsibilities are blurred, meetings are inconsistent or the board and management are not working from the same assumptions. Typical issues include uncertainty about the board's role versus operational management, unclear committee reporting lines, inconsistent meeting procedures, weak delegation wording or no agreed expectations for board conduct. The charter can also help explain how the board is meant to function alongside the constitution and any committee terms. It is most useful when it reflects real practice rather than copying generic governance language that sounds good but is hard to apply.

The service usually includes a lawyer consultation, review of any current charter or related governance documents you want us to consider, and drafting of a board charter that reflects your organisation's structure. We can address matters such as board purpose, chair and director or trustee responsibilities, meeting procedures, delegations and practical governance expectations. If your organisation also needs constitutional amendments, membership rule changes or a wider suite of governance documents, that work would normally be scoped separately rather than folded into this fixed-fee.

A constitution usually contains the formal legal rules of the organisation, such as objects, powers, membership provisions and voting mechanics. A board charter is more operational and board-facing. It commonly explains how the board will carry out its role within that framework, including expectations around oversight, meetings, conduct, delegations and interaction with management or committees. A charity charter may be broader again, sometimes speaking to organisational purpose and governance at a higher level. Part of the legal work is checking which document is actually needed and how they should fit together.

Yes. Many organisations already have a constitution, committee terms, an older charter or internal governance notes. Those documents can be a useful starting point, especially where the organisation has evolved and the paperwork has not kept pace. We can use them to shape the board charter and check for practical inconsistencies, such as delegated authority that is described differently across documents or meeting language that no longer reflects current practice. If the review suggests another governance document also needs updating, we can flag that and discuss separate next steps.

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At Sprintlaw, our pricing is transparent and designed for startups and small businesses. Many one-off legal services, including document drafting and reviews, are provided for a fixed fee with an upfront quote before you proceed.

Prices typically range from £100 to £1,500 depending on the complexity and scope of the work. For ongoing support, Sprintlaw Memberships include options such as legal templates, consultations, a legal helpline and credits for services.

If your project is larger or more complex, we will provide a tailored quote after understanding what you need.

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