Estate Planning Leigh Cowden Estate Planning Leigh Cowden

The Dangers of DIY Estate Planning

I’ve had several new clients come to my office with legal documents they downloaded off the Internet, or legal documents they paid some online service for (Legal Zoom, etc.) that created huge, expensive problems for them, or could have caused problems for them if they hadn’t taken these documents to an attorney for review before they passed away.

The problem with Internet legal advice is that sometimes things that look like perfectly good facts are actually just data picked up and presented either by some artificial intelligence bot or a person who is not licensed to practice law in that state. That information is often, at best, erroneous, and at worst, downright wrong.

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Business Law Leigh Cowden Business Law Leigh Cowden

Why Your Business Needs Insurance

There is a lot riding on your small business. You have invested your money, time, and sweat equity to build a company that will be successful for years to come.

Even if you make all the right business moves, unexpected costs can arise at any time. Accidents, natural disasters, data breaches, and other unexpected occurrences are an ever-present risk to business owners. Small business insurance provides additional protection for your enterprise and could be the difference between a bump in the road and a door-closing catastrophe.

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Business Law Leigh Cowden Business Law Leigh Cowden

Business Wellness Check!

Achieving business wellness in 2023 can go a long way toward improving your overall physical health. Financial health and personal health are strongly connected. The healthier you are in one of these areas, the more likely you are to be healthier in the other. And, like physical wellness, financial wellness requires investment for the long term.

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Estate Planning Leigh Cowden Estate Planning Leigh Cowden

Are Transfer on Death (TOD) Deeds Valid in Tennessee?

In short, no. But that doesn’t mean a person has to go through the full probate process in order to inherit real property in Tennessee.

If someone dies and the only thing they own is real estate and some personal possessions, meaning they have no bank accounts, stocks or bonds, retirement accounts, or other similar assets, a beneficiary can claim title to the real estate in a very simple proceeding versus a full probate process.

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Business Law Leigh Cowden Business Law Leigh Cowden

The Difference Between an LLC and a PLLC (and Whether a REALTOR® Should Ever Have a PLLC)

LLC is an acronym for a business entity otherwise known as a Limited Liability Company, and the acronym PLLC is short for Professional Limited Liability Company. Both of these entity types are creatures of state law, originally created by the legislature of the state of Wyoming and now available in all 50 states. The people who are owners of these types of entities are called “Members”.

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