Buying or selling commercial real estate can be a complicated transaction. While electronic communications make it easier to communicate progress, they also make it harder to keep track of all the moving parts in the days leading up to closing.

Follow our tips below to ensure a smooth closing in your next real estate transaction.

Probate administration is the legal process through which a person’s assets are distributed after their death. These assets can include money/accounts, personal possessions, real estate or any other items of value. The probate must also account for debts. During the probate process, the administrator or executor creates an inventory of these assets, pays off debts

Last-Will-and-Testament-FormThe death of a loved one is almost always going to bring to the surface complicated and potentially long-standing issues within family relationships. This is perhaps never more the case than when the deceased individual’s estate plan takes family members and beneficiaries by surprise, forcing a situation in which those complicated feelings come out in

Estate PlanningEstate planning can be challenging in some circumstances, there may be disagreement between those forming and setting up the plan and the family members, friends, and other beneficiaries involved. Often, these misunderstandings can be cleared up through communication. One particular issue, however, has a way of creating problems for those expecting to be named as beneficiaries in a loved one’s estate plan: undue influence.

Undue influence takes place when a person in a position of power manipulates an elderly or ill person into forming or modifying an estate plan in a way that benefits him or her. Typically, this individual will be a caretaker or someone who has some control over the grantor’s finances or living situation. Whether a health care worker, an accountant or a relative, such individuals likely wouldn’t have been named as a beneficiary had he or she not been in the position to influence the estate planning process.

This is why such an individual is said to have “undue influence,” as his or her role in the grantor’s life normally would not eclipse the role of the deceased’s spouse, children, and/or other family members.Continue Reading What Constitutes ‘Undue Influence’ in Estate Planning?

One of the crucial elements of starting a new corporation is drafting its bylaws. Bylaws are the rules by which the corporation will be governed on a day-to-day basis and typically cover such matters as what is required of shareholders, directors, and officers.

Bylaws should typically be drafted as early as possible, typically prior to

The process of converting an LLC to a corporation can vary depending on the circumstances of your business. There are three types of conversion available—which method you choose depends on where you primarily do business and whether you meet the requirements for each method.

Here’s an overview of each of them.Continue Reading How to Convert an LLC to a Corporation