Updated November 25, 2020:

An assignment of interest form allows a limited liability company (LLC) member to assign their interest or ownership stake in the company to another person. The information that you will need to include in this form depends on the laws governing LLCs in your state.

Assigning LLC Interest

LLCs are a popular business structure that offers certain features of both corporations and partnerships. Owners of a limited liability company are members, and each member's stake in the company is their interest. LLC members have the ability to transfer their interest by making an assignment of interest.

An LLC's operating agreement describes how the company will be run and dictates the requirements and limitations of members' interests in the company. If this agreement allows members to transfer their company interests, they can do so with an assignment of interest form. Every state will have specific rules for what you must include in this form before a member's interest can be assigned.

In most cases, an assignment of interest does not constitute a sale of a member's LLC interest. In many states, an assignment of interest only transfers the financial advantage of the stake or share, so the member who initially possessed the interest still retains his or her voting and managerial rights in the company while the assignee will not. Assignments of interest are commonly used as loan collateral, and once the loan is paid off, the assignment ends.

Furthermore, an assignment will only transfer a percentage of an LLC member's interest. You are not required to assign all of your stakes' financial benefits. Having the ability to transfer a portion of interest allows members of an LLC to use their ownership stake very flexibly. However, partial assignments can only be made if the LLC's operating agreement allows them.

Assignments and Partnerships

An assignment of partnership interest is similar to an assignment of LLC interest. Assigning a partnership interest involves a business partner assigning their right to financially benefit from the partnership to a new partner.

When writing an assignment of partnership interest form, you should be sure to include the correct information:

  • Details about the partnership, including the business's legal name and its formation date.
  • Contact information of the new partner who is receiving the partnership interest.
  • Contact information of the old partner who is assigning their interest.
  • Contact information of the other business partners.
  • The monetary amount being exchanged for the partnership interest.
  • The date where the assignment will be revoked.
  • Signatures of all parties, including the assignor, assignee, and remaining partners.

The main purpose of this legal document is to record the assignment of the partnership interest.

Without a valid assignment of interest form, the new partner would have no way to force the old partner to fulfill the terms of the assignment. In addition to making sure that the assignment is enforceable, this document outlines what role the new partner will play in the business. For instance, the assignment of partnership interest form can dictate if the new partner will have any management or financial responsibilities in the business. Full partners, for instance, can usually make decisions for the business and will also have access to the business's financial records.

There are countless reasons that a business partner may wish to assign their partnership interest to a new partner:

  • The business's needed cash flow has changed.
  • A change has occurred in how the business allocates its assets.
  • Implementation of a new partnership strategy.
  • New regulations pose challenges for the business.

When assigning a partnership interest, there are several issues you must address:

  • Which partner will assign their interest and who will receive the assignment.
  • The rights of the assignee to participate in managing or operating the business.
  • The location of the business partnership.
  • The establishment date of the partnership.
  • What the assigning partner will receive in exchange for assigning their partnership interest.

Whether you are a partner in a business or a member of an LLC, your ownership stake in the business entity likely provides you with a variety of rights. For instance, you may have the right to receive profits from the business and the right to receive business assets after the company dissolves. Depending on your operating or partnership agreement, you may be able to transfer these rights to another party in exchange for consideration.

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