Protecting Yourself, Your Business, and Your Loved Ones: Power of Attorney

It is just an average day, nothing seems out of place, until…the phone rings. It is the phone call that you never want to receive but dread receiving every day. Your spouse, child, or loved one is in the hospital and is unconscious. Arriving at the hospital you begin to feel the adrenaline running through your body. Then the doctor asks whether you have a power of attorney for health care decisions for your loved one. You answer “No” and now the doctor will not discuss with you what is happening.

Most individuals do not think of obtaining a power of attorney until they are married, until they have children, until a medical condition exists, or until it is too late. At these points in someone’s life, there is a belief that this document is necessary. Unfortunately, the inability to make your own decisions can happen at any time. Without a power of attorney, no one – not your spouse, parent, or adult child – has an automatic right to your medical records or can make medical or financial decisions. Your business partner has no automatic right to make business decisions on your behalf. When your child reaches the age of majority (which is 18 in Missouri), you can no longer automatically obtain their medical records or make decisions for them about their healthcare or financial needs.

If you do not have a power of attorney, anyone, including a parent, who wants to make healthcare or financial decisions on your behalf must file for a guardianship (for all care and placement decisions) and/or conservatorship (to manage assets) with the probate court. Continue reading »

Using LLCs to Hold Investment Properties: Asset Protection and Estate Planning

We recently discussed the benefits of putting real estate investment properties into LLCs in “Asset Protection and Estate Planning Perspective on the Importance of Holding Investment Properties in an LLC.”

More individuals and families are turning to rental properties as an investment strategy and are essentially small business owners. It is critical that you protect your personal assets from liability by setting up a legal entity to be the owner of the properties.

The best option for most of these types of small businesses is to form a Limited Liability Company (LLC). Continue reading »

Estate Planning Misconceptions of Small Business Owners

Estate planning is the process of making advance arrangements regarding your assets if you become incapacitated and determining asset distribution upon your death. It sounds simple, but many misconceptions about estate planning exist.

Misconception #1: I will avoid probate because I have a will.

A will only applies to your assets without named beneficiaries and does not help you avoid probate after your death. Assets held solely in your name without named beneficiaries must go through probate, a court-supervised process to inventory your assets, pay your debts, and distribute the remainder of your assets to your heirs or beneficiaries. Assets that pass-through probate are subject to court costs, attorney’s fees, and personal representative or executor fees. The process typically takes at least one year.

Misconception #2: My will alone determines how my assets will be distributed after my death.

Many people believe that their wills ultimately decide what happens to their assets after death. However, regardless of the terms of your will, your assets will pass to the joint owner or named beneficiary(ies) (a/k/a Payable On Death or Transfer On Death) on any bank account, life insurance policy, retirement plan (401k), or similar account with a named beneficiary designation.  A good estate plan ensures that such assets are distributed as you wish.

Misconception #3: My trust will allow my estate to avoid probate without being funded.

Merely creating the trust is not sufficient to avoid probate. It is important to meet with an estate planning attorney to discuss ways to avoid probate, such as creating a revocable living trust, and to make sure your plan is consistent with your wishes. Your attorney can also help ensure that the trust is properly funded, with your assets placed into the trust or with the trust named as the beneficiary of your assets.

Misconception #4: Estate planning only deals with my assets after my death. Continue reading »