Our Business and Estate Planning FAQs

It be may be beneficial to organize your consulting business as a limited liability company (LLC) to avoid personal liability with respect to your business. However, just like any other professional, you will be personally responsible for your negligence in your consulting services. Therefore, it is important to have errors and omissions insurance when providing consulting services.

No. A Missouri limited liability company (LLC) does not issue stock certificates.

The ownership of a limited liability company is reflected in the limited liability company operating agreement.

Even if you lose your stock certificate you still own your stock. However, to replace the physical certificate, the shareholder must contact the company's stock transfer agent. Typically, the stock transfer agent will require the shareholder to sign an “Affidavit of Lost Stock Certificate” and will issue a new stock certificate to the owner.

No, this is not true. Unfortunately, some business owners often believe that noncompete agreements "are not worth the paper they're written on."

In Missouri, non-compete agreements can be enforced under certain conditions. For many businesses, a well-drafted non-compete agreement can be a valuable and critical legal document.

Yes.

Your Articles of Incorporation or Articles of Organization are not the same as a business license. Once your LLC or corporation is formed with the Missouri Secretary of State, your municipality may require that your businesses obtain a business license before opening a business in their city.

A business license is obtained directly from the local governmental authority.

A Missouri limited liability company (LLC) is created by filing Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State of Missouri.

The Articles of Organization must include:

• LLC's name and address
• Name and address of the LLC’s registered agent
• Whether the LLC will be member-managed or manager-managed
• LLC's duration, if not perpetual

Every Missouri LLC must have a registered agent for service of process in the state. This is the person or business entity that agrees to accept legal papers on the LLC’s behalf if it is sued. The registered agent must have a physical street address in Missouri.

LLC Operating Agreement

In addition to filing the Articles of Organization, your business should also create a written LLC "Operating Agreement." The Operating Agreement does not need to be filed with Missouri Secretary of State's Office. However, the Operating Agreement is an important document because it explains the LLC members' rights and responsibilities, their percentage interests in the business, and their share of the profits.

No, not unless your spouse has named you to be his/her attorney-in-fact under a Durable Power of Attorney and his/her health care agent under a Medical Directive.

Absent these two documents being in place (and presented to a medical provider), you will need to go to the Probate Court and be appointed as your spouse’s guardian and conservator.

A "no contest" clause states that if a beneficiary under your will or trust challenges his or her inheritance, he or she will receive nothing.

Remember, however, in Missouri, you cannot disinherit your spouse.

Yes. In Missouri, a "no contest" clause is enforceable.

No. In Missouri, married persons may not completely disinherit their surviving spouse, unless the spouse agrees by executing a waiver of their rights to inherit in the form of a prenuptial agreement or other legally enforceable contract.

Depending on your situation, a surviving spouse is entitled to receive up to a one-half or one-third of the deceased spouse’s estate.