To Be, or Not to Be?
With these words Shakespeare’s Hamlet explores whether he wants to continue his life or he wants to voluntarily end it (via suicide). Hamlet is consciously making a life/death (arguably a “health care”) decision for himself. (read the full article)
Matt Damon Needs a Trust, Jason Bourne Does Not
In my free time I enjoy watching mystery and crime films. One thing that always intrigues me is when I find legal correlations in these films. (read the full article)
Pathways to Business Ownership Change?
There are two paths that can be taken to acquire/dispose of a business- you can combine (merge) with others or you can purchase/sell the business. Although the destination of each path (a change of ownership of the business) is the same, the journey is significantly different. (read the full article)
Should You Appeal the Assessed Value of Your Property?
We perform property tax appeals all over the State of Iowa on agricultural, commercial and industrial properties. Property owners are often unaware of the property assessment appeal process and its potential benefits. (read the full article)
The Why and When of Estate Planning
Two general questions we often receive are “Why do I need a will?” and “When is the right time for me to create my will?”
The answers to these questions depend upon each individual’s respective station in life and their immortality. With that stated, here are some general principles to follow for the why and when to create your will. (read the full article)
Will Contests
Dad just passed. You are mailed a “Notice of Probate of Will, of Appointment of Executor, and Notice to Creditors” naming your sibling (who lived closer to Dad) as Executor of your Dad’s Estate. You call the lawyer who issued the Notice, and are shocked to learn that your Dad’s Will left almost everything to your sibling/Executor, and you get virtually nothing.
NOW WHAT?? (read the full article)
Are You Protected From Your Best Employee Becoming Your Biggest Competitor?
Most businesses have one or more employees who possess certain confidential information which could be devastating to you and/or your business if they used it to compete with you (either directly or through another entity). The information could be your client/customer list; it could be your pricing formula; it could be your suppliers; it could be your product ideas; it could be almost anything. (read the full article)
A Costly Mistake: Are Your “Independent Contractors” Really “Employees”
Whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor affects your business’s tax liability and its exposure to liability for that worker’s actions. Accordingly, it is important that your business establish an understanding of what factors differentiate an employee from an independent contractor. (read the full article)
Catch of the Day
The legal considerations of buying a restaurant. You decided to buy a restaurant. What next? (read the full article)
Memorandum on Buying a Restaurant
Bill Buyer (B) is planning to buy a restaurant from Owen Owner (O). B wonders if he can buy any of the liquor or food inventory that O has in stock. He also wonders if any of the licenses from the health inspectors or alcoholic beverages division can be transferred from O to B.
What restrictions are placed on the sale of liquor or food inventory during the sale of a restaurant? (read the full article)
How to Significantly (and Legally) Reduce your Taxes
If you could significantly (but legally) reduce your taxes and your occupancy costs, would you do it? Have you gotten any benefit from the “crash” in the real estate market?
These two questions, and their answers, are more interrelated than it may seem. (read the full article)
If You Could Have Your Cake and Eat it too, Would You?
While this is physically impossible, the tax law makes this economically possible. The vehicle which can take you on this otherwise surreal journey is called a “charitable remainder trust.” (read the full article)
