Company Secretary – Appointment, Termination & Role

Below are templates relating to the appointment, termination, role and duties of a Company Secretary. 

It includes a Guidance Note, The Company Secretary in a Private Company, which is a practical ‘how to’ guide for private companies covering whether a Company Secretary is required, the procedural steps involved in how to appoint a Company Secretary as well as detailing the role & duties of a Company Secretary. This has been updated to incorporate changes introduced by the Economic Crime & Corporate Transparency Act 2023.

There is also a Company Secretarial Services Agreement for customers wishing to formalise in writing the appointment of a company secretary who is not an employee, but nonetheless will carry out the role of a company secretary according to the terms of a services agreement. 

The other documents are the shareholders’ resolutions, board minutes and Companies House forms that are required in the process of appointing (and removing) a Company Secretary and are discussed in the Guidance Note.

Note that a company secretary who is neither an officer nor an employee of a company, i.e. a third-party provider, who will be carrying out identity checks on behalf of clients for Companies House, will first need to register as an ACSP.  

In the future, businesses will also need to register as an ACSP to be able to file on behalf of clients. More information is available here.

From Spring 2026, a company secretary who is an officer or employee of a company will need to be identity verified in order to file documents at Companies House on their company's behalf.

The templates below (other than the Company Secretarial Services Agreement) assume that the company secretary is either an officer or an employee of a SME private company.

• Guidance Note: Company Secretary in a Private Company
• Company Secretarial Services Agreement
• Shareholders’ Special Resolution - Amendment to Articles of Association (deletion of provisions requiring a company secretary)
• Written Resolution – Amendment to Articles of Association (deletion of provision(s) requiring a company secretary)
• Board Minutes – Appointment of Secretary
• Consent to Act (Confirmation from Company Secretary)
• Board Minutes to Approve Company Secretary Filing on Company’s Behalf at Companies House
• Request Letter of Authority for Co Sec to File on Director/PSC’s Behalf at Companies House
• Confirmation from Director/PSC for Co Sec to File on Their Behalf at Companies House
• Letter of Resignation - Secretary
• CHF - AP03 - Appointment Of Secretary
• CHF - AP04 - Appointment Of Corporate Secretary
• CHF - TM02 - Termination Of Appointment Of Secretary
• CHF - CH03 - Change Of Secretary's Details
• CHF - CH04 - Change Of Corporate Secretary's Details

Company Secretary – Appointment, Termination & Role is part of Corporate. Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Corporate for 1 year.