Posts filed under ‘LLCs’

a note about email

I welcome email contact from folks who read my blog or visit my website. In fact, I generally invite readers to contact me at the end of each blog post if they would like to speak with me directly.

However, I can’t give legal advice via email. If you have an issue that you would like to discuss, feel free to send me a brief email. We can then schedule a time to talk – by phone, Skype or in person – to discuss your issue and how I may be able to assist. Or, you can access our client extranet by making contact HERE, and we will create an account for you. In the extranet, you can request a legal service or ask a legal question, and I will respond promptly.

Please understand that before I can give legal advice or assist you with a legal matter, we must first form an attorney-client relationship. This cannot be accomplished via email communication, but we can create this relationship via our secure client extranet. Until I can obtain certain information from you, I can’t provide legal advice to you in any format. This is a requirement of the ethics rules that govern the practice of law in Tennessee.

IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE do not include detailed information in any email communication to me. Email is NOT a secure method of communication and should not be used to share confidential information with anyone.

The information I offer in this blog is general in nature, and may not apply to your specific situation. So, if you have a legal issue (problem, question, etc.), please contact an attorney for assistance. I’m glad to speak with you, or help you find an attorney in your area.

Many thanks for reading my blog!

August 21, 2011 at 6:23 pm Leave a comment

Announcing Our VIRTUAL LAW OFFICE – C2LAWonline.com

EXTRA! EXTRA! Today we have launched a new part of C²Law – it is our virtual law office (VLO), called C2LAWonline.com.

Through C2LAWonline.com, we offer residents across the state of Tennessee instant access to our legal services in the following areas:

estate planning (wills , powers of attorney and related documents)

business services (creation of LLCs and other entities, contracts, employment agreements and other business documents)

general property matters ( deeds, leases and other documents related to real property)

In addition to creating documents, we can also answer legal questions and review legal documents through the VLO.

What is a Virtual Law Office (VLO)? A VLO is a law office that provides services to clients via the internet.  Clients are able to REQUEST A LEGAL SERVICE directly through the VLO.  Through this secure, online process, we provide a cost quote for the requested service.  Clients can retain us, pay us online, and then receive legal counseling and delivery of the final legal product (such as a document), all via the internet.

This process gives clients 24 hour access to their legal matter, through a secure online CLIENT EXTRANET.  Each client has access to his or her unique client extranet, which is secure and confidential.  All written communications and document sharing takes place via the client extranet.

Perhaps most importantly, the cost for obtaining our legal services via C2LAWonline.com generally is half the expense of hiring a lawyer in the conventional way.  You receive personal legal counsel and advice, but pay far less because your contact takes place online.

And there are many other advantages:

•you save time (in addition to money) because you don’t have to travel to a physical office – you can complete all aspects of your legal representation from the comfort of your own home (or office, or wherever it is most convenient for you to do so!)

•you don’t have to schedule an office or telephone meeting, coordinating your time with an attorney’s

•all written communication and documents related to your legal matter exist in a single, secure online source that you can access 24 hours a day, seven days a week

•you have access to an attorney licensed to practice in Tennessee, who guides you through your legal matter and provides legal counsel tailored specifically to your needs and goals.

It is *important* to note that through our VLO, we offer a much wider breadth of service than one can obtain through a legal ‘forms’ website such as LegalZoom.  We are attorneys, and when you hire us through C2LAWonline.com, you receive legal counsel and advice as part of the process.  We evaluate your needs and goals, and offer advice and tailored legal services.  Legal ‘form’ websites CANNOT provide legal advice.  You get a form, and that’s it – no legal advice, and no way of knowing whether a form is appropriate and adequate to meet your needs.

We are incredibly excited about the launch of our new VLO.  At C²Law, we always have been committed to providing cost-effective legal counsel.  Our VLO gives prospective clients increased access to our services, at lower costs and in a very convenient, user-friendly format.

We welcome your contact and hope that you will visit C2LAWonline.com to learn more about our VLO and all the services and benefits it offers.

August 5, 2010 at 1:34 pm Leave a comment

Why a limited liability company (LLC) may be the right planning tool for a small, family-owned business.

Many sound business planning and non-tax reasons exist for forming a LLC as part of purposeful estate planning – in addition to tax reasons, but I’ll address those at a later date.

For a small family business that has been operated historically as a sole proprietorship or partnership, forming a LLC gives the family instant access to a clear path to planning for future transitioning and growth from one generation to the next.  The LLC form gives the older, more experienced generation the ability to exercise centralized management control over the business, while simultaneously planning for transition in the future.

Through the LLC structure – typically laid out in the operating agreement for the company – the managing members can plan for the development of younger members in the family business operation.  Specific provisions can insure that the business operation transitions as smoothly as possible from older members to children and grandchildren who have demonstrated an ability to continue operation of the business, by following the plan established.

Additionally, the LLC structure limits a family’s exposure to possible litigation and related legal claims, such as a conservatorship action.  Assets that are transferred into the LLC can be protected from such claims, and thus preserved as business assets for future generations.  In the instance of a conservatorship action regarding one member, the LLC form can assist the remaining members in maintaining control over the business operation and assets.  Without the LLC, especially in the instance of a sole proprietorship, all assets of the business can come under the control of the court and conservator in a conservatorship action – this can severely limit the ability for business development, growth and preservation for future generations.

In a similar way, the LLC form provides privacy and confidentiality for family members.  The operating agreement can set forth alternate methods of dispute resolution in the event of divorce or inheritance disputes, saving time and financial resources as well as keeping the dispute details out of the public forum that traditional litigation creates.

The LLC assets also can be managed more systematically through the LLC structure, which introduces a clear line of responsibilities and obligations between and among members.  Dissipation of assets can be mitigated through this formal structure, which simultaneously can be crafted to address the unique needs of a particular business and family owners.  Overall family unit can be fostered, as the family members work together to ‘grow’ the family enterprise.  This often has the additional effect of increasing the community presence of the family business through charitable gifts and service – which in turn only promotes the business in a positive manner.

Because the operating agreement – or structure of the LLC – is fluid, it can be amended as needed to address the changing requirements of the business and the family owners.  Thus, a LLC offers an ideal combination of structure and flexibility for a family owned business enterprise.

March 5, 2010 at 7:23 pm Leave a comment


Caitlin Moon

A blog about practicing law – and mostly about the kind of law I practice, but not always …

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