We understand that when you lead a membership organisation - such as a trade association, professional or self-regulatory body, membership charity or club - your members are integral to you and what you do. Be it providing extensive guidance and standards for members to follow, championing key issues and interests on their behalf, promoting quality in service and training or providing strong networking opportunities, your responsibilities and activities are extensive and paramount.
However, no organisation can be immune from internal challenges from time to time, and sometimes members will no longer share your goals or abide by your rules or standards. We regularly assist a wide range of member organisations to resolve any problems, challenges or disputes involving or regarding their members.
More specifically, we can help with:
- Responding to and dealing with general complaints by members
- Investigating complaints made against your members
- Managing and resolving disputes between your own members
- Suspending, or where necessary, removing members
- Conducting appeals or other internal resolution mechanisms regarding membership
- Introducing and managing changes to your membership fees and terms of membership
- Securing payment of late membership fees
- Protecting your IP from any misuse by non-members
Our team has years of experience managing matters robustly and effectively. We will help you navigate through the process as painlessly as possible. Please get in touch to find out more about how we can help you. We are pleased to offer an initial 30 minute call free of charge.
Relevant work
Membership fees
Advising a national trade association on the procedure for granting members a temporary suspension of membership fee payments in light of COVID-19
Member disputes
Assisting a trade associate to handle and resolve an acrimonious dispute between its own members in accordance with its internal rules and regulations
Members' debts
Helping a members’ organisation to obtain payment of members’ fees quickly and cost effectively where payment deadlines have been missed
Member suspension
Advising a member organisation on the grounds for suspending and removing members in accordance with the organisation’s rules and regulations, and carrying out an appeal against a decision to remove a member
Membership terms
We advised a national youth charity on how to update its membership terms and conditions to ensure that its code of conduct was properly incorporated and linked to a clear process for managing members and, if appropriate, applying sanctions in the event of breach of the code.
Our Member disputes Team
