Big businesses routinely have succession plans in place. Do smaller family-owned businesses? Infrequently, which is surprising and unfortunate. Without well thought-out succession plans in place, many family-owned businesses cease to exist.

To be sure, many family business owners would love to eventually “pass the torch” to a son or daughter. But what will happen in the event of sudden death or disability before they are ready to accept the responsibility? It is in the best interest of all parties involved that a proper estate plan is in place to avoid probate of business assets. The probate process is expensive, may take upwards of two years, lacks privacy, and takes nearly all control out of your family’s hands. Additionally, a plan could eliminate potentially crippling estate taxes on the business.

A business is a sophisticated property interest. For an owner of a small family business, however, the business is more than just a source of income—it represents the history and livelihood of their clan. With adequate planning, the business and its value may be protected, perhaps by creating a family limited partnership or by placing the family’s assets into a living trust. There can be significant estate tax advantages to creating a limited partnership for your family business and transferring minority interests to future inheritors.

Estate planning is a complex field. Whether you are concerned with devising a plan for either a family estate or that of a business, it is important to get good advice. The attorneys at Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri have decades of experience handling complex estate planning matters including business succession plans, wills, and living trusts. If you are interested in developing an estate plan or reviewing your current estate plan, contact the experienced estate planning attorneys at Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri for further information.

Please remember that each individual situation is unique and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results.  While this post may detail general legal issues, it is not legal advice.  Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.