Tag: Appleton

Ensure Your Legacy with an Estate Plan

Posted by Patrick Furman on

Have you been putting off creating your estate plan? You’re not alone. It can be intimidating or overwhelming to think about the future. But, once you complete your plan, you’ll enjoy the peace of mind it provides. This year, make it your goal to have an estate plan that fits your needs.

Not sure where to start? Check out these five common questions to learn the basics:
  1. What is an estate plan?

Estate planning is the process of planning for the inevitable. It guides what happens when you are unable to act for yourself due to death or disability.

  1. Who needs an estate plan?

The simple answer is everyone. Estate planning is not only for the rich and famous. Whether you are single or married, with children or without, in your twenties or enjoying your golden years, estate planning is a smart move.

Even families of relatively modest means need to decide who should help with health care and financial decisions, who should care for minor children and when children should receive their inheritance. If you don’t make the decisions, the courts will. Almost everyone needs some form of estate planning, especially those who:

  • Want their estate distributed after their death according to their wishes and not statutory guidelines
  • Have assets that will make them susceptible to high estate taxes
  • Want planned distributions for the benefit of descendants
  • Have heirs who may need responsible financial assistance after their passing
  1. What is the difference between a will and a trust?

Wills and trusts have some similarities. They are both estate planning tools and can work together to create the most complete plan for an estate. The main differences between a will and a trust are:

  • Wills become effective after death, whereas some trusts are effective upon creation
  • Wills direct who receives property upon death and appoint a legal representative to oversee this process, whereas a trust can distribute property prior to death
  • Trusts cover only property placed in the trust, whereas wills cover anything owned solely by the person creating the will
  • Wills are public record, whereas generally a trust remains private.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both wills and trusts, so speak with your attorney about your circumstances to determine which of the options, or what combination of the two, is best for you.

  1. Why should everyone have an estate plan?
  • Preserves the value of your assets
  • Reduces unnecessary taxes and expenses
  • Ensures that your heirs receive what you intended them to receive
  • Manages your assets for you and your heirs in the event of disability or incapacitation
  • Protects your privacy
  1. Where can I go for help?

When you are ready to create your estate plan, it’s important you pick an experienced estate planning attorney who will listen to and understand your wishes. An experienced attorney will be able to help ensure your legacy is protected.

If you are interested in learning more about estate planning and the right strategies for your unique situation, please email us  or call 920-996-0000.

Family Business Services

What’s going to happen to the family business?

Posted by Kevin Eismann on

Are you the owner of a family business? Then, you probably already know you face unique challenges that other companies don’t have to worry about. And, those challenges only grow more intense as you start thinking about an exit strategy.

More than 70% of businesses put on the market never sell.   That’s 70% of those put on the market, don’t sell.  And countless more businesses never even get listed but rather die quietly due to an owner’s unexpected death or illness.

Only 34% of family businesses survive to the 2nd generation.  That’s 2 out of 3 never successfully make it from mom and dad to the kids.  And only 14% of family businesses survive to the 3rd generation.

Why?  Simple:  Failure to properly plan for the succession of the business to a buyer/next generation and failure to plan for the successful exit of current owners.

Bottom line: Business owners wait too long to begin planning for this HUGE transition. It’s a major issue afflicting our society, and one that will only grow over the next decade as hundreds of thousands of baby boomers look to sell.

As we well know, the first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. In the case of the aging business owner, the simple act of talking openly with someone about exit planning can spark action. And action can mean the difference between a seamless transition at fair value or a disastrous failure. If you are a loving spouse, child, parent, friend or confidant of a business owner that is avoiding tackling exit planning for their business, this article is written for you. As this tsunami swells, it is critical that you – the child, the spouse or the close friend – assume a vital role: Starting the Conversation.

Whether you are the business owner, next in line for a business succession or simply a concerned loved one, here are some tips for starting the conversation :

  1. Have empathy. It’s the ability to understand someone else’s feelings, attitudes, and perspectives. The ability to “put yourself in someone else’s shoes”. Start by opening your mind to think about the situation exclusively from their side. Think about how they feel about their business. Think about the hours they put into it, the hard times they have endured, and the success they have achieved. Respect and embrace those thoughts, and keep them with you as you talk.
  2. Treat it like a business meeting. This is a BIG deal. Do not treat it as you would if you were talking about last weekend’s college football games. Don’t bring up in passing or with playful jests. Doing so diminishes the importance and may provide an avenue for the owner to continue avoiding the topic. Set aside time for this conversation, as you would with an important business matter. Ensure there are no distractions. Doing so will set the tone that it is a serious conversation. You words will instantly come across as more sincere and genuine.
  3. Prepare yourself. Come into it with a list of things you would like to say and questions you would like to ask. Mentally, have an open mind and be prepared to listen. Emotionally, try to remain neutral so they can express themselves completely.
  4. Understand your ideal outcome. The ideal outcome may be lightly different for everyone having this conversation, but it generally looks something like this:
    • You effectively express your own concern and love for this business owner.
    • You are able to ask a few questions.
    • You schedule a time to revisit the conversation at a later date (with more information, a 3rd party, after serious thought).
  5. Don’t be discouraged if they aren’t ready. It is very likely that they won’t be ready to open-up the first time you talk. Don’t be discouraged! Be respectful of their process for dealing with this, and focus on committing to another time to talk in the future (a couple weeks later). The business owner will probably think and process extensively over the next couple weeks, before coming to your next meeting much more prepared.
  6. Seek the help of a 3rd party — eventually. Not for the first meeting – you may risk blindsiding and/or offending the business owner. You want them to open up, not shut down. However, assuming an initial conversation went well, you may suggest having a 3rd party present for subsequent meetings in order to help facilitate discussion. Look for their most trusted advisor – whether a financial planner, banker, accountant or attorney. If they don’t have a most trusted advisor, look for a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), as they have a deep understanding of common concerns, as well as strategies to move forward.
  7. Just do it. We all want to avoid having the difficult conversations – its human nature. Most will avoid it, ignore it, and make excuses not to do it. Be one of the few. You aren’t doing it for yourself, you’re doing it for someone you care about. Someone who is woefully unprepared. Someone who’s future happiness depends on you Starting the Conversation. Your choices will make the difference between implementing a successful exit or the destruction of a lifetime of work.

Thinking about the future can seem overwhelming. But, it doesn’t have to. At Epiphany Law, we partner with our clients and their families to help them find the best path forward. We are known for helping family business owners navigate complex issues and find innovative solutions. To learn more about how we can help your family business write its next chapter, call us at 920-996-0000 or contact us here.

SCAM ALERT: Payment Fraud Warning

Posted by Heather Macklin on

It is no secret that schemes and scams designed to fraudulently separate you from your money abound.  Every day it seems we learn of new and creative ways criminals have devised to defraud innocent people. Sometimes the schemes are brand new, sometimes they are recycled.  Whether new or old, however, they can hurt the people who fall prey to them.

Recently, we have learned that banking institutions have seen increased activity surrounding a fraud scheme that has been around for a while.  You may be aware of this particular scheme, but we believe it can’t hurt to remind you to be vigilant and use best practices to protect yourself from fraud.

Here’s how the scam plays out.

You receive a fraudulent email or letter disguised as one of your current suppliers.  In the communication, the “supplier” informs you that they have recently changed their payment processes or their banking relationship and provides new wiring, ACH or other payment information to be used on all future orders.  The communication seems entirely legitimate, so you direct your accounting department to input the changes and your next payment is made accordingly.  Unfortunately, the criminals now have your money and it will be withdrawn from the account before you catch on and can get it back.

How you can protect yourself.

ALWAYS double-check directly with your suppliers BEFORE you change any information in your company’s payment system.  Make a phone call directly to a trusted contact at your supplier to confirm whether the communication and new payment instructions are legitimate or not.  A phone call to a direct contact is better than email.  Email can be hacked and/or redirected.  A phone call will take only minutes but will provide you with significant protection against scams.  It will also signal to your suppliers that you are vigilant and care about your relationship with them.

Long story short: Do NOT make any changes to how you pay your suppliers or vendors until you first confirm with them that the change of payment instruction is legitimate.

Fraudsters often target businesses, trying to steal money or personal information. Make sure your business is taking proper steps to avoid scams. Employee education and cyber security are paramount  for defending your business from fraud.

 

About the Author

Heather Macklin

Heather J. Macklin is an experienced corporate litigator. She has spent her legal career helping businesses and business owners find practical and economic resolutions to legal disputes. You can learn more about Heather here.

Before You Hire a Lawyer, Answer these 4 Questions

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The life of a business owner or business executive is typically filled with big decisions. And no decisions loom larger than whom to work with. Working with the right people will propel your business forward, while making the wrong hire will negatively affect your company’s culture, efficiency and ultimately, your bottom line.

Hiring the right lawyer is just as important as hiring the right employees, and when you’re hiring a lawyer to represent your business interests, there’s a lot to consider.

As a General Counsel to multiple companies, I’ve hired a lot of lawyers.  I’ve made some great decisions, and some that I’d rather not think about too much… But here are four questions that I found helpful when I was hiring outside legal counsel for the companies I worked for.

1. How well does the lawyer communicate?

A lawyer’s communication skills, more than anything else, will positively or negatively impact your relationship.  If you and your lawyer can’t communicate well – for whatever reason, be it style or substance, your relationship will be a failure.  Whomever you select needs to have superior communication skills and understand the importance in building a solid client-attorney relationship.   And, they need to be able to communicate however you like to communicate – be it over the phone, in person, email or text – you’re the client. And, they need to be able to adapt to your style or the relationship will be a failure. Before you hire a lawyer, you’ll want to make sure your communication styles are a good fit.

2. What is the lawyer’s style?

Are they aggressive?  Deliberate?  Inquisitive?  What is their risk tolerance?  In order to make informed decisions, you need to hear and embrace opposing viewpoints. But, you won’t have a good relationship with a lawyer whose style differs greatly from your own – that will only lead to frustration and confusion.  In particular, finding a lawyer who understands your risk tolerance is a key to being on the same page, but don’t underestimate other “personality” driven factors as well.

3. What is their experience level?

Assuming you’ve found a lawyer you “click” with, now it’s time to get into substance.  Ask yourself if you need a generalist or a specialist?  Are you looking for a long-term partner that can understand and work with your business on a variety of issues, or a specialist that can help fix a significant, pressing issue that you’d already identified?  Both can be business-savvy partners. But, you’ll want to make sure the lawyer you hire has significant experience in the role you’re looking to fill.

4. What is the best type of service agreement and fee schedule for my company?

There’s a lot of options for procuring legal counsel, and there are no right or wrong answers here. Here are four common solutions.

  • Hourly rate – probably the most common attorney fee arrangement on the list. The lawyer will track his or her time in fractions of an hour (usually six minute increments) and bill accordingly. These kinds of arrangements may result in a mis-match of incentives, since your lawyer gets paid more the longer they take, which is why other fee arrangements are gaining popularity.
  • Flat retainer agreement – This payment structure is ideal for businesses that have on-going legal needs, and the retainer can cover almost all your legal needs, or only specific subjects, like employment law. Having a dedicated attorney on-call will help you reduce risk and stop legal disputes before they even begin. It is often the most cost-effective way to procure convenient, expert legal assistance.
  • Flat fees – this is more common with attorneys who handle large volumes of a specific kind of case. Flat fees may be offered for will preparations, tenant evictions, mortgage foreclosures and more – each individual matter is a fixed fee, no matter how long it takes. Flat legal fees can be an attractive solution, but keep in mind litigation will almost never fall into this category.
  • Risk Sharing– most people have heard of contingency fees in litigation, where a lawyer might get 30 percent of 40 percent of the recovery if the client wins, but nothing if the client loses. However, they are gaining in popularity for other kinds of matters as well.  For instance, many firms will handle a merger or an acquisition on a similar arrangement, taking a smaller fee if the deal fails to close, and a larger fee if the deal is successful.  These types of fees help to align the lawyer’s incentive with your own.

Once you decide on the best fit for your company, it’s critical to make sure to clarify expectations. Ultimately, the client is in charge and the client-attorney relationship works best when there is a clear understanding about services rendered and the associated costs.

To learn more about how to hire a lawyer, contact us here.

How to Hire a Lawyer – About the Author

Lawyer Rob Macklin

 

Rob is a business attorney with Epiphany Law. He has over 20 years of experience offering businesses top-notch legal service and practical, actionable advice. Rob has served as General Counsel to several successful companies, ranging from $5 million to $1 billion in global revenue. In addition, Rob took time from his legal career to serve with the US Navy as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, running intelligence operations for SEAL Team 8. As a trained lawyer, small business owner and Department of Defense certified interrogator, Rob’s diverse skill set can help you navigate any challenge your business may face.