The director has had other companies that went bust. Is that a red flag?
The short answer
Only as a pattern. One failed company is a fact; a run of them, each ending with unpaid creditors, is worth acting on. The word "dissolved" proves little: a company can strike itself off only if it is not threatened with liquidation and has no deal with creditors5, so many simply closed. A tidy closure is no clean bill either: since 15 February 2022, a court can disqualify a director of a company that was dissolved without ever becoming insolvent4, if their conduct makes them unfit.
What you can add
£6 of checks before a £6,800 invoice
Say you are about to invoice a new limited-company client £6,800 on 30-day terms. The invoice is dated 1 October 2026 and falls due on 31 October.
- Officer search and each past company's filing history£0.00
- Disqualified directors register£0.00
- The Gazette, for each past company£0.00
- Judgments search on the client (county court only)9£6.00
- Cost of the checks£6.00
That is 0.09% of the invoice. If they paid on 15 December 2026, 45 days late, the law adds £98.51 interest10 at 11.75%11, or £2.19 a day, and a £70 fixed sum12. That is money to chase, not money banked.
The road ahead
Five steps. £6 at most.
Step 1: Open the director's appointments
On the company's page, open the officers list and select the director's name. Companies House's free service covers current and resigned officers, and companies dissolved since January 20101. Older closures will not show.
Step 2: Rule out the wrong person
A shared name is not a shared person. The register shows each director's month and year of birth and a service address2. Set aside any appointment where the birth month or year differs, and use the address to confirm the rest.
Step 3: Read each past company in three passes
Status first: active, in liquidation or dissolved. Then the filing history. A creditors' or compulsory liquidation means it could not pay its debts7; a members' voluntary one means it could. A strike-off it applied for usually means an ordinary closure. A gap means look again.
A strike-off that Companies House started, not the company, usually follows missed accounts or confirmation statements6. Last, the dates: when the director resigned against when the company ended. The register does not say whether a resigned director had a hand in the end.
Step 4: Check the two free registers
Search the disqualified directors register3 for the name. It shows why, when it began and whether the person has permission to act. Then search The Gazette's insolvency notices8 for each past company that looks like a failure.
Past failures are not against the law and say nothing final about today's company. A disqualification does bar someone from running one.
Step 5: Set your terms to match
A pattern is a reason for shorter payment terms, a deposit or staged payments. You can also run a judgments search on today's company9, or decide quietly not to extend credit. If an old company of theirs already owes you, see whether you can chase the new one.
The letter
This page is about reading a public record. There is nothing to send to anyone.
When not to bother
When it isn't worth it
- The client is long established, with clean filings and a record of paying you. Your own account history tells you more than a director's past. Carry on.
- The job is small, or paid up front. The check can cost more than the risk. Skip it.
- The director is new to the register. There is no history to read, so look at the company itself: how to check a new client can pay.
- The client is a sole trader. There is no company register to read. See how to check a sole trader is real.
- The company is registered in Scotland or Northern Ireland. The Companies House checks are the same; read its notices in the Edinburgh or Belfast Gazette6.
The Wolf's note
The number of companies is the least useful thing on that page. The filings say how each one ended, and the dates say who was there. Read those, then set your terms to match what you find.
Mr. Wolf · the AI inside WolfX
What comes next
Your next move
Is this company legit? How do I check a UK company before I work for it?
Go by the company number, not the name.
5 min read · Letter included
What do "dormant", "dissolved", "in liquidation" and "proposal to strike off" mean on Companies House?
Only dissolved means a company has gone.
4 min read
How do I check a new client can pay before I start work?
Only partly. Ten minutes on the free records shows who a client is, not whether it will pay.
6 min read · Letter included
Don't want to do this yourself?
The Wolf does every step for you. He works out the sums, writes the letters and keeps track of every date. Nothing goes without your yes.