Jack Bux and his high school sweetheart, Diane, have been married a few years, but the pandemic has taken its toll on their relationship, and they could soon be parting ways. Going into the marriage, Jack had a number of property interests – a home with a mortgage, a retirement account and a small part of the family business – and now he’s concerned that Diane will be able to walk away with half of what he’s been building over the years. Like most Texans, Jack is aware that when it comes to marital property, Texas is a “community property state.” What does this really mean for Jack’s home, retirement account and business?
Continue Reading Texas Community Property Law: An Intro for Business Owners
Family Matters: Can a Family Business Succeed Without a Contingency Plan for Divorce?
Realizing last month that, at age 65 he’s ready to think about his family business succession plan – especially for Buxboro State Bank, Big Daddy Ernest Bux identified his checklist: Plan for Contingencies, Establish Goals, Plan Entity Structure and Transfer, Complete Estate Planning, Identify Decision Makers, Identify Successors, Determine Exit Strategy, and Implement Document Maintenance and Control. Must Big Daddy’s family business have a contingency plan for divorce to succeed?
Continue Reading Family Matters: Can a Family Business Succeed Without a Contingency Plan for Divorce?
The Coming Silver Tsunami: Families May Lose 70% in Wealth Transfer
Record Wealth Transfer. Over the next 30-40 years about $12 trillion from those born in 1920s and 30s will be transferred to the baby boomers, and the boomers are expected to transfer some $30 trillion to their heirs, with more than an estimated $59 trillion transferred from 93.6 million American estates from 2007 to
When Should You Turn Down a Billion Dollars?
Oil tycoon Harold Hamm and his now ex-wife, Sue Ann Arnall – whose divorce we have written about before – were involved in one of the largest and nastiest divorces in US history. Just last week, Mr. Hamm sent Ms. Arnall a personal check for $975 million in full payment of the cash award she
An Invitation to Investors Risks Losing Control of Your Business
Cleve and I recently discussed how a business owner’s divorce might result in losing control of the business. While loss of business control by marital divorce is a real threat, many business owners lose their companies through “business divorces” after squabbling with their investors.
Some new businesses are overnight successes, like Ben Distiller’s Texas Whiskey
Divorce – Four Business Reasons for a Prenuptial Agreement
With an ongoing Oklahoma divorce case in mind last month Tilting wrote about Tigh A. Knott, his wife Lucy Knott and how a business owner’s divorce can impact his business and affect his partners. The real players were Harold Hamm and his wife Sue Ann.
Last week the court granted Oklahoma oil tycoon Harold
Protecting your Business from a Lack of “Wedded Bliss”
Richard and Rachel Rich married 30 years ago and enjoyed a tempestuous union ever since. One year prior to their marriage, Richard started up a small computer products company, Orange Computers. During the marriage, Orange Computers’ business skyrocketed after the introduction of their premier line of attractive digital personal assistants. Even after taking his business public, Richard still owned a majority share of Orange’s stock and was believed by the public to be the digital guru responsible for its success.
Continue Reading Protecting your Business from a Lack of “Wedded Bliss”