Atwood & M^cCall understands the hard work and effort that goes into building successful businesses and accumulating assets and investments over a long period of time. Protecting these hard-earned businesses and assets is paramount.

For business owners, risk and potential liability come with the territory. These include contract liabilities, personal injuries, intellectual property disputes, natural disasters and economic downturns. These threats are real and when problems arise in the litigious world in which we live, issues turn into lawsuits. One lawsuit can deplete a lifetime of hard work and savings.

With this in mind, it is critical to be proactive rather than reactive. The time for asset protection planning is prior to the occurrence of events that give rise to a creditor issue.

Atwood & M^cCall employs a variety of tools to assist clients with asset protection planning.

These include:

• Separating investment assets into different entities from the operating businesses.
• Using family limited partnerships to hold investment real estate and liquid investable assets.
• Using irrevocable spendthrift trusts to protect assets that are left to children and grandchildren.
• Encouraging clients to review their insurance policies with their insurance agents to make sure that they are adequately
  covered, including umbrella policies possible.