Important notice: A call for IPs willing to act as another IP’s “alternate”

IPA Insolvency Practitioner newsletter, July 2025

The Insolvency Guidance Paper on Succession Planning reminds IPs that they have an obligation to ensure that cases are properly managed at all times, and to have appropriate contingency plans in place to cover a change in their circumstances. Arrangements should be put in place with an “alternate” to ensure continuity of case management in the event of incapacity.
 
From time to time, the IPA is asked to assist IPs whose existing alternate is no longer able to perform that role and where the IP has not been able to find a replacement. Often, the IPs concerned are sole practitioners, who don’t have any colleagues who can act as alternate and where none of their IP contacts have been willing to agree to do so.
 
We have decided to establish a register of members who are willing to act as an alternate. To join the register, please enter your details here.

When a need arises, the Secretariat will forward the details of all members on the register to the IP seeking an alternate. Therefore, potential alternates should only join the register if they are agreeable to the Secretariat forwarding their contact details to enable the IP to get in touch with them directly.
 
The alternate register is separate from the existing register of successor IPs (A call for successor IPs | Insolvency Practitioners Association). Members who are already on the Successor IP register will not be automatically added to the alternate register and vice versa.