When it’s time to start your estate planning process (that time is right now, by the way), entrepreneurs need to remember to take their small businesses into consideration.  Whether you own the entire business outright and work for yourself or you simply own a portion of the entity, you will need to leave instructions for your family to follow.

By working with a Clinton business lawyer and/or estate planning attorney in advance, you can save your family, business partners, and even your customers from a lot of hassle down the road.  What happens to the business may depend on the form of ownership you have.

Sole Proprietorship:  Generally speaking, if a sole proprietor dies, the business can come to a rather abrupt end.  If there is someone you trust who is interested in taking it over when you are no longer able to run it yourself, it would be a good idea to stipulate that the assets of the business are inherited (or possibly purchased) by that individual.

Partnership:  If you have a formal partnership agreement, it may be that your partnership agreement has already laid out plans for what will happen when you or one of the other partners passes away.  However, so many general partnerships have no written agreement in place.  If not, then it makes sense to get together with the other partners to come up with a workable plan.  It’s usually not too difficult for this type of business to continue after the death of one partner, although the surviving partners may have to buy out your interest with the money most likely going to your heirs.

Limited Liability Company:  Unless you have stipulated otherwise in the operating agreement, an LLC will typically dissolve once one of the members dies.

Corporation:  When one owner of a corporation passes away, it doesn’t usually have major legal implications for the corporation.  Shares which the member held will usually be transferred to his or her heirs.  They may also be purchased by the corporation.  It’s not unusual for this topic to be addressed within a shareholder’s agreement.  Without some planning in place however, there may be nothing to require your heirs to sell their shares of the company to the other shareholders, or anything to require the remaining shareholders to purchase those shares.

Professionals:  If you are a lawyer, doctor, dentist, pharmacist, or other licensed professional, planning for your business upon your death or incapacity is especially important.  If a license is required for you to practice, only another licensed individual may wrap up or continue your practice.  Including a “Practice Administrator” as part of your planning will enable your loved ones to easily take care of your business; without one they may be stuck with a stranger running your affairs.  The law permits a very short time for a non-professional to sell or otherwise wind up the affairs of a professional practice.  Without a written plan in place, this can be difficult.

Any good business planning lawyer in Clinton will advise you on ways to help the business transition should you become incapacitated or deceased.  A common approach is to set up a succession plan.  There are many aspects to a succession plan, but some of the most important pieces include designating someone who will take over in your absence as well as training that person to be ready when the time comes.

Succession plans can seem a bit daunting, especially for the sole proprietor who hasn’t put much thought at all into if or how the business would survive without them.  Exploring these topics with a business planning or estate planning lawyer in Clinton will get you moving in the right direction, whatever your small business’ needs are.

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