Dear Carolyn,
My daughter is getting married next year. We have family business and my daughter works in the business. Is a premarital agreement appropriate for her, even though she is only 25? When should she bring this up with her fiancé?
Carolyn Answers…
Dear Carolyn,
We have a small family business. I do all the work with customers; my ex-wife does the bookkeeping. We both own the company as shareholders. We now are now separated. What protections do I need to put in place? She writes checks that are not for business expenses out of the business account.
– Concerned
A great aspect of living in the triad area is the rich history of successful businesses that put down roots in the community and prospered over the years. Greensboro is home to very familiar brands such as Wrangler and Volvo, and right down the road is High Point, which is known for being one of the largest home furnishing manufacturing areas in the country. Business and industry have been drawn to the area for years, and a growing population provides ample opportunity for entrepreneurs of all sizes to flourish. Some of the area’s most vital businesses are ones defined as “closely-held,” or more commonly referred to as, “Mom and Pop” businesses. Unfortunately, sometimes, Mom and Pop do not see eye-to-eye, which may jeopardize the future of these businesses. Continue reading →
Dear Carolyn,
I am involved in an equitable distribution case and I have a closely-held business in the Triad, which was started by my father. He still owns the majority of the business. Eight years ago, my father gave me twenty-five percent of the business. I separated from my husband eight months ago. What can I expect in my divorce case related to my closely held business? How do we go about getting a appraiser to appraise the business? Can he get any of my stock in the family business?
Belot v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 2016-113, 2016 WL 3248031 (2016)
Facts: During their marriage, the parties operated a dance studio. The business consisted of an S corporation which was the actual studio, an LLC which operated a boutique selling dance clothing, and another LLC which owned the real estate on which the studio operated. The parties owned each of these entities in different percentages. Continue reading →
Now let’s change the hypothetical of our Greensboro couple – Petunia and Rocky – in one respect. Recall that Petunia’s parents wanted her to have a premarital agreement regarding Home Grown Lawn Care, but Petunia and Rocky did not sign one. Maybe a few years into her marriage, Petunia realizes that she wants to keep Home Grown Lawn Care in the family and that Rocky and her parents just do not get along. So Petunia executes a will, leaving her shares of Home Grown Lawn Care to her parents and the remainder of her estate to Rocky. Continue reading →
Now that we have the details and definitions out of the way, we can return to our Greensboro couple Rocky and Petunia and take a look at what happens to Petunia’s estate. Recall that Petunia died without a premarital agreement, without children, and without a will. Since Petunia died without a will, this means that she has died intestate, and her property will pass via intestacy, with Rocky as the administrator of her estate. Also recall that Petunia died with an interest in Home Grown Lawn Care worth $125,000.00 and a 401(k) worth $15,000.00, of which Rocky is the beneficiary. Also, Petunia died in a car accident five years into the marriage – this will be important later on. Continue reading →
Have you wondered how much of your estate is your spouse entitled? What happens to all of your assets when you die? Do you have much control over the disposition of your estate? Does having a will make a difference? To demonstrate the nuances involved in determining how much your surviving spouse is entitled to, I am going to set up a hypothetical, with a Greensboro couple – Rocky and Petunia. Continue reading →
Demeter v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 2014-238, 2014 WL 6645592 (2014)
(a) Facts: A husband and wife were married. During the marriage, the husband started a business, Sunshine Framing and Finishing (“Sunshine”). The wife was added as a vice president in 2008. She ran errands for the company and helped with its bookkeeping, but did not receive a salary. Sunshine’s bank account was used for personal expenses as well as business expenses; the parties had no individual bank accounts. Continue reading →
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