Business Planning Attorney — Your Company and Your Family, Covered by One Plan
What happens to your business if something happens to you? That question deserves a real answer — not a gap between two attorneys who've never spoken.
Most business owners put significant time into growth planning. Succession planning — what happens to ownership, operations, and your family's stake in the company when you're no longer running it — gets deferred until it feels urgent. By then, the options are narrower and the stakes are higher.
At Peterson Estate Planning, business planning and personal estate planning are handled together, by the same attorney, so the two sets of documents are aligned from the start. No separate firms. No conflicting provisions. No gaps that create family disputes or legal exposure after the fact.
A thoughtful approach to protection, planning, and risk management.
Why Business Owners Need More Than a Standard Estate Plan
A personal estate plan addresses what happens to your assets. For most people, that's sufficient. For business owners, it's half the picture.
Your business interest is likely your largest asset — and also the most complicated one to transfer. Without a plan that accounts for ownership structure, operational continuity, and what your partners, employees, or family members are legally entitled to do after your death or incapacity, a standard will or trust leaves the most important part of your estate exposed.
Business planning at Peterson Estate Planning addresses that gap directly, integrating your succession framework with your personal estate documents so both reflect the same intentions.
The Cost of Keeping Your Business and Estate Plans Separate
When personal estate planning and business planning are handled by different attorneys — or when the business side is handled and the personal side isn't, or vice versa — the documents often conflict in ways that don't surface until there's a crisis.
Asset designations that contradict ownership agreements. Trust provisions that don't account for a buy-sell structure. A power of attorney that doesn't address business decision-making authority. These aren't hypothetical problems. They're the kind of thing families and business partners discover after the owner is gone, when fixing them is no longer an option.
One attorney who understands both sides closes those gaps before they become disputes.
Business Planning Services
For clients who need a complete set of documents at a defined price point, the firm offers tiered estate planning packages covering the core documents most families need.
Estate Planning Packages
Business Succession Planning
Succession planning establishes a legally binding framework for what happens to your business ownership, management authority, and operational continuity if you die, become incapacitated, or decide to exit. It is the foundation of any business planning engagement at Peterson Estate Planning.
Common Questions About Business Planning
What is included in a complete estate plan?
A complete estate plan typically includes a will, a financial power of attorney, and a healthcare directive at minimum. Many clients also include a living trust to avoid probate. The right combination depends on your family structure, asset types, and what you want to happen — your attorney will walk through each component before any documents are drafted.
How long does the estate planning process take?
Most straightforward plans are completed within two to four weeks from the initial consultation. More complex situations — blended families, business succession integration, irrevocable trust structures — take longer depending on the decisions involved. Your attorney will give you a realistic timeline at the start of the engagement.
What states does Peterson Estate Planning serve?
The firm is licensed in California, Kansas, Utah, and Washington and serves clients remotely across all four states using state-recognized remote notary systems.
Do I need a trust, or is a will enough?
It depends on what you own and what you want to avoid. A will alone goes through probate — a court-supervised process that takes time, costs money, and is public record. A living trust transfers assets outside of probate. For many families, a trust is worth the additional upfront investment. Your attorney will explain which approach fits your situation during the consultation.
How much does an estate planning attorney charge?
Peterson Estate Planning offers transparent, tiered package pricing rather than hourly billing — so you know what your plan costs before you commit. Pricing is discussed during the free 20-minute consultation.
What happens after my plan is complete?
Annual reviews, follow-up questions, and plan updates are included. If your family grows, your assets change, or you move to another state, your plan can be updated without a separate billing engagement.
One Relationship That Covers Both Sides
Business owners shouldn't need two attorneys and two separate planning processes to get one coherent plan. Peterson Estate Planning handles both — licensed in California, Kansas, Utah, and Washington, with full remote service capability for clients who prefer to work without an office visit.
