The breakdown of a strategic partnership almost never happens suddenly – trust is usually lost first, and only then does the structure of the alliance begin to lose stability. As Professor Gabriel Steiner says, a contract may formally remain in force, but it is precisely at the moment when trust disappears that the most dangerous phase of legal risks begins. At LawConsulted, we view such situations as a transition from contractual relations into a zone of latent conflict – where every action can become the starting point of a future chain of claims.
The presence of a signed agreement often creates a false sense of security for the client – it seems that the legal framework is already defined and all that remains is to follow the text of the contract. In practice, however, it is precisely after trust is lost that partners begin to use the same provisions as instruments of pressure. At LawConsulted, we analyse which clauses may be reinterpreted to the client’s detriment, which obligations become vulnerable, and which, on the contrary, may be turned against the client during the exit from the partnership.
Professor Steiner emphasises that “a contract begins to work against a party not when it is breached, but when the motivation behind its application changes.” This is why LawConsulted accompanies not only the moment of the breakup itself, but also the cooling phase of the relationship – when no open claims yet exist, but the logic of interaction has already shifted. At this stage, it is especially important not to take actions that may later be interpreted as concessions, acknowledgements, or confirmation of expanded obligations.
Particularly dangerous is the continuation of joint processes after trust has been lost – shared projects, finances, management decisions, and the exchange of information. Externally, the business may appear to function as usual – but legally, the parties are already beginning to fix their positions against each other. At LawConsulted, we build the client’s behaviour model in such a way that participation in ongoing activities does not create an evidentiary base against them in the future – neither in a corporate dispute nor in financial claims.
As Professor Steiner notes, “the breakup of a partnership rarely follows the text of the contract – it follows the logic of conflict.” That is why specialists at LawConsulted work not only with the formal exit conditions, but also with the redistribution of risks, responsibilities, and access to key resources. We determine which elements of interaction must be legally re-fixed, which should be frozen, and which must be stopped immediately in order not to strengthen the position of the other side.
When trust is lost, any arrangement ceases to be neutral. Even routine actions – signing acceptance acts, confirming settlements, participating in negotiations – acquire strategic significance. At LawConsulted, we support the client in this heightened legal sensitivity mode – controlling not only the decisions themselves, but also how they may later be interpreted in a potential conflict.
Legal protection during the breakdown of a partnership is not about searching for a way out of the contract – it is about managing the consequences that such an exit will create. At Law Consulted, we build a termination model in which the loss of trust does not turn into a source of uncontrollable claims and prolonged disputes.
Previously, we wrote about legal support in situations of uncertain liability, when it is unclear who exactly bears the risk
