Glossary — Amicable liquidation
What is an amicable liquidation?
Non-contentious procedure that follows the voluntary dissolution of a company decided by its shareholders. An amicable liquidator is appointed to realise the assets, pay the debts and distribute any liquidation surplus. It closes with removal from the Trade and Companies Register, which extinguishes the legal entity.
What it is
Amicable liquidation, sometimes called conventional liquidation, is the natural continuation of a voluntary dissolution. It is decided by the shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting when no insolvency proceedings are needed — the company is solvent, but the decision is to stop.
The amicable liquidator, appointed by the shareholders (the former director or a third party), is mandated to realise the assets, pay creditors, collect receivables, and prepare the closing accounts. Once operations are complete, they convene a closing meeting which approves the accounts, releases them from their duties, and declares the liquidation closed. Removal from the Trade and Companies Register is then requested.
Why it matters
An amicable liquidation can last several months, even several years. During this period the company still exists legally and remains responsible for its data. The liquidator often needs to access correspondence, contracts or databases to conduct their mission. Once removal is pronounced, the legal entity is extinguished — but the preservation obligations, especially tax and social-security ones, persist in the personal sphere of the former directors or shareholders.
How Archivum approaches it
For an amicable liquidation, Archivum ideally steps in before removal from the register. The departing company deposits its digital assets, names the authorised parties (former shareholders, accountant, partial buyer where applicable), and sets the conservation duration. This avoids the dispersion that inevitably occurs when the entity disappears before the data governance questions have been settled.