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Floating charge (or Bond and Floating Charge) meaning

What does Floating charge (or Bond and Floating Charge) mean?
A floating charge is a security interest over a company’s circulating assets that the company may continue to use in the ordinary course until crystallisation, when it attaches to the assets and becomes enforceable. It is recognised by statute (e.g., Insolvency Act 1986 and Companies Act 2006 for the UK; Companies Act 2014 in Ireland) and must be registered (UK: Companies House; Ireland: CRO) to protect priority. In England & Wales and Northern Ireland, floating charges are typically contained in a debenture. In Scotland, practice is to grant a stand‑alone floating charge. The “bond” is the personal debt obligation it secures; if the floating charge instrument does not include that obligation, a separate personal bond is required. Where combined, the document is styled a bond and floating charge. Key features include crystallisation on agreed events (e.g., default, insolvency or notice), ranking behind fixed charges and subject to preferential creditors and any statutory ring‑fencing (e.g., the UK prescribed part). In Scotland, a floating charge can subsist over assets also subject to fixed security (such as a standard security), with priority determined by law. If a borrower grants an English‑law debenture but holds Scottish assets, ensure the floating charge wording is Scots‑law compliant.
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View the related Practice Notes about Floating charge (or Bond and Floating Charge)

PRACTICE NOTES
Glossary of Scottish Insolvency Law Terms with England and Wales Equivalents

This is a glossary of common words and expressions used in Scottish insolvency law with the nearest England and Wales insolvency law equivalent (where relevant) Absolute insolvency Meaning: When a person’s liabilities are greater than the overall worth of their assets. Nearest English equivalent: Balance sheet insolvency. Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) Meaning: A Scottish Government agency overseeing the regulation of personal bankruptcy (sequestration and Protected Trust Deeds) in Scotland, and able to serve as trustee in sequestrations where no insolvency practitioner is appointed. It also maintains records of corporate insolvencies in Scotland (receivership and liquidations only) but does not perform the role of Official Receiver. See Practice Note: Scotland: the Accountant in Bankruptcy. Nearest English equivalent: N/A. Accountant of Court Meaning: A court-appointed officer within Scottish Courts and Tribunals who administers funds consigned to the Accountant of Court pursuant to a Court of Session interlocutor or during liquidation proceedings. They oversee Judicial Factors or Administrators appointed by the Court to manage estates...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Comprehensive glossary of UK restructuring and insolvency terms, covering Companies Act schemes, Part 26A plans, IA 1986 processes, and cross‑border concepts including COMI, UNCITRAL and assimilated EU rules.

This glossary sets out numerous expressions regularly encountered in the restructuring & insolvency sphere. Words shown in bold within definitions are themselves explained in other entries in this glossary as well. A Article X The MLIJ contains a single provision named Article X, aimed at jurisdictions that have already implemented the MLCBI, like England, or are weighing its adoption. Article X states: ‘Not withstanding any prior interpretation to the contrary, the relief available under [insert a cross-reference to the legislation of this State enacting Article 21 of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency] includes recognition and enforcement of a judgment’ (see Practice Note: UNCITRAL model law on recognition and enforcement of insolvency-related judgments (MLIJ): Article X). Asset-backed security (ABS) A form of security anchored by asset pools, for example loans, leases, and credit card receivables. Assimilated law From 1 January 2024, ‘retained law’ has been retitled ‘assimilated law’. The body of domestic law originally arising from EU obligations, created by the European...

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK Banking, Finance, Capital Markets, Derivatives and Insolvency Law Glossary including Islamic finance

Banking & Finance glossary A Auditing and Accounting Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) The foremost Islamic, international, autonomous, independent, not-for-profit corporate body that develops and issues accounting, auditing, governance, ethics and Shari’ah benchmarks and standards for Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs) and the wider Islamic finance sector. Founded in Bahrain in 1991, it is backed by a number of institutional members across more than 45 countries, including central banks and regulatory authorities, financial institutions, accounting and auditing practices, and legal firms. Its pronouncements are currently applied by leading Islamic financial institutions across the world and have advanced a progressive and gradual harmonisation of global Islamic finance practice. It also delivers professional qualification programmes—notably Certified Islamic Professional Accountant (CIPA), Certified Shari’ah Adviser and Auditor (CSAA), and the corporate compliance programme—in efforts to strengthen the industry’s human capital and governance frameworks. For further details, see Practice Note: Key participants in the Islamic finance industry—Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI). Acceleration Acceleration is the formal action...

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View the related Precedents about Floating charge (or Bond and Floating Charge)

PRECEDENTS
Precedent Scots law deed of discharge and full release of floating charge (single Scottish company chargor)

For the purposes of the Legal Writings (Counterparts and Delivery) (Scotland) Act 2015, this discharge is executed and delivered on [ insert date ] 20[ insert year ] DISCHARGE by Parties 1 [ insert name of Lender/Security Agent ], a company incorporated in [ Scotland OR England and Wales ] under the Companies Acts, with registered number [ insert company number ] and having its registered office at [ insert address ] [ [ [ acting in its capacity as [ security trustee/agent ] for the Secured Parties pursuant to [ describe facility agreement or include definition ] ] ] ] (the Lender/Security Agent); in favour of 2 [ insert name of Chargor ], a company incorporated in [ Scotland OR England and Wales ] with registered number [ insert company number ], whose registered office is at [ insert address ] (the Chargor). Recitals (A) Pursuant to a [ bond and ] floating charge dated [ insert date ] (the...

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