Partnership Dispute Attorney in Miami-Dade

Partnership Dispute Attorney Serving Doral | KEW Legal

A partnership dispute is a disagreement between co-owners over control, money, duties, or how an owner leaves the business. If you need a partnership dispute attorney for a matter in Doral, KEW Legal, which has offices in Coral Gables and Sunny Isles Beach, represents business owners, co-founders, and investors in these matters under Florida partnership law and the partners’ written agreement. This page explains what the work covers, which warning signs matter, and what happens after you reach out.

What a Partnership Dispute Involves and Who This Page Is For

A partnership dispute is a conflict between owners about how the business runs, how money moves, or how an owner exits. It often starts small, such as a missed report or a disputed expense, and grows when owners stop talking.

This page is for Doral and Miami-Dade owners, co-founders, and investors whose disagreement already affects operations or money. It is also for owners who see a dispute coming and want to act early.

The written partnership agreement is usually the first document that governs a partnership dispute, and in the same way an LLC’s operating agreement governs relations among its members, with the Florida Revised LLC Act (ch. 605) filling gaps where the agreement is silent and supplying the provisions the agreement cannot vary (Fla. Stat. § 605.0105). Florida law says relations among partners are governed by the partnership agreement, and the statute applies where the agreement does not provide otherwise, except for certain rules the agreement cannot change (Fla. Stat. § 620.8103).

Long friendships don’t settle the legal question. Partners who have worked together for years can still disagree about what the agreement allows.

What Our Partnership Dispute Work Covers

We handle co-owner disputes over control, money, records, and exits. The work can start with a demand letter and move to mediation or court if talks fail.

• Management and deadlock: disagreements over who decides what, and what happens when owners cannot agree.
• Money issues: capital contributions, capital calls, distributions, and how profits and losses are split.
• Records and information: demands for financial statements, bank records, and access to company books. Partners have a right to inspect and copy records during business hours (Fla. Stat. § 620.8403).
• Duty claims: breach of the partnership agreement and claims that a partner breached the duty of loyalty or the duty of care. The duties are limited, and a partner who engages in grossly negligent or reckless conduct, intentional misconduct, or a knowing violation of law can be liable (Fla. Stat. § 620.8404).
• Buyouts and exits: how a departing owner’s interest is valued and paid (Fla. Stat. § 620.8701).
• Buy-sell terms: enforcing or defending buy-sell and operating agreement terms.
• Dissolution: winding up a partnership when it must end (Fla. Stat. § 620.8801).

Warning Signs That a Partner Dispute Needs Legal Review Now

Get a legal review soon if a co-owner cuts off records, moves money without approval, or sets a short buyout deadline. Waiting can narrow your options.

• A co-owner stops providing financial statements, bank access, or company records.
• Funds move or are withdrawn without the approval the agreement requires.
• Owners are deadlocked on a major decision, such as a lease renewal, a new contract, or a sale.
• A partner contacts clients, vendors, or employees about the dispute or a planned exit.
• A buyout notice arrives with unclear terms or a deadline you cannot meet.
• A notice or deadline in the agreement may be about to pass.

Under section 620.8601(1), Florida Statutes, a partner is dissociated from the partnership once the partnership has notice of that partner’s express will to withdraw, either immediately or on a later date the partner specifies. Leaving in breach of the agreement can make the departing partner liable for resulting damages (Fla. Stat. § 620.8602).

How the Process Works, Step by Step

The process moves from a first consultation to a document review, a choice of path, action, and resolution. Each step builds on the one before it.

1. Initial consultation. You describe the dispute, the business, and the deadlines you already know about. We identify the most urgent risks.
2. Document review. We read the partnership or operating agreement, any amendments, financial records, and key emails or letters. We also calendar the deadlines.
3. Options review. We lay out negotiation, a demand letter, mediation, or litigation, and the tradeoffs of each.
4. Action on your chosen path. You make the decisions with us, and we update you at each step.
5. Resolution. The matter ends in a negotiated agreement, a buyout or dissolution plan, or a court process.

Some deadlines are firm. For example, if no buyout agreement is reached within 120 days after a written demand for payment, the partnership generally must pay its estimated buyout price, plus accrued interest and reduced by offsets, though the statute allows certain exceptions and deferred payment (Fla. Stat. § 620.8701). Timing otherwise depends on the documents and on whether the other owner responds, so we give a realistic estimate after the review.

Serving Doral and Miami-Dade From Our Coral Gables and Sunny Isles Beach Offices

KEW Legal has offices in Coral Gables and Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. KEW Legal serves clients across Miami-Dade and South Florida, including Doral.

We also represent clients across Miami-Dade and South Florida, including Aventura and Broward County and Fort Lauderdale. Co-owners in different parts of the region can contact KEW Legal to discuss their situation.

Why Owners Work With KEW Legal on Partnership Disputes

KEW Legal works as outside general counsel for business owners and investors. That means a partner dispute can be handled alongside contracts, leases, employment questions, and succession planning.

• Lawyer responsible: Kristina E. Wilson is the lawyer responsible for this practice and this page.
• Support staff: our team includes assistants and office staff who keep documents, deadlines, and communication organized.
• Focus: the practice focuses on business and investment matters across Miami-Dade and South Florida.

Questions Owners Ask Before Calling

Do I still need a lawyer if we have a written partnership agreement? Whether to involve a lawyer depends on the facts, since the agreement must be read against those facts and Florida’s partnership statute.

Can the business keep running during the dispute? Often it can. Under default rules, ordinary business decisions can be made by a majority of partners, while acts outside the ordinary course and amendments generally need all partners’ consent (Fla. Stat. § 620.8401), and the partnership agreement can change these default rules.

What should I bring to the first meeting? Bring the partnership or operating agreement, any amendments, recent financial statements, and emails or letters about the dispute.

Will a partner dispute always end up in court? No. Disputes can resolve through negotiation. Certain filed civil actions for monetary damages must be referred to mediation when a party asks, unless an exception applies. The requesting party must be willing and able to pay the mediation costs, or the costs must be divided equitably between the parties (Fla. Stat. § 44.102).

Is the first meeting free? Yes. The first consultation is free, confidential, and without obligation.

Talk With KEW Legal About Your Partner Dispute

If your co-owner has cut off the books, moved money, or sent a buyout notice with a short fuse, the next few days can matter. Don’t wait for the deadline to pass before you talk it through. Schedule a consultation, call 305-990-2300, or send us a message, and we’ll start with your agreement and your dates.