By Jeff Wagoner, W M Law President

When we do an estate plan, our #1 goal is to try to accomplish what you want with your estate while simultaneously avoiding probate.  Sometimes, we just can do both, but that doesn’t keep us from trying.  So, we really look hard to find new ways to avoid probate – we call those “probate avoidance mechanisms.”  Some of the most common probate avoidance mechanisms are “Transfer on Death” designations.  You can designate a beneficiary to receive title to your motor vehicle in both Kansas and Missouri simply by filling out the “TOD” block on your title application.  You can transfer the title to your home or other real estate by using a “Beneficiary Deed”, which is also known as a “Transfer on Death Deed”.  But, what about your ownership interest in a limited liability company?  Well, that’s not quite so cut and dry, or at least it isn’t quite so easy.  The first thing we look at with a limited liability company (“LLC”) is the “Operating Agreement.”  You may have owned an LLC for a long time, and still have absolutely no idea what an Operating Agreement is.  No worries, because frankly, lots of […]