Author Description

Every year, countless families pass their businesses, investments, real estate, and other assets from one generation to the next. This transition can be among the hardest tasks in life, particularly when family issues arise. These issues include unmet expectations, unresolved emotions, and real or perceived imbalances in accomplishment or contribution among family members. Conflicts around these issues pose far greater threats to asset values than taxes or financial risks, and that is in addition to the emotional costs. Addressing such issues can save families tremendous expense and suffering. It can also spare their advisors aggravation and legal action. In For Love & Money, trust and estate lawyer John Ambrecht and psychiatrists Howard Berens and Richard Goldwater provide an approach to succession and estate planning and family governance that works. Without legal gymnastics or psychological jargon, the authors show how to move ahead when family issues hinder the planning process or the smooth transfer of assets. This book points to solutions when best practices fail, when good advice goes unheeded, and when family meetings fall apart. For Love & Money presents an holistic approach that recognizes family dynamics as part of the process, while focusing on minimizing taxes, providing liquidity, protecting assets, and enhancing the financial security of beneficiaries. Please Note: This Condensed Edition omits large portions of the Unabridged Edition of the book of the same name by the same authors. It provides a faster, less technical introduction to the authors' approach. The Unabridged Edition includes numerous examples, a two-chapter sample case, and multiple appendixes, and an index.