Legal Services
Estate Planning
Death is a fact of life. At DLO, we take pride in helping our clients plan for the provision and care of their loved ones. We meet with our clients in a relaxed setting to discuss and render advice on the laws of wills, trusts, and probate. After an extensive interview and planning process in our offices, we draft documents that achieve our clients' wishes, for example, naming guardians for minor children (if any), devising assets to heirs, providing long term care for loved ones with special needs (including illness, infirmity, or chemical dependence). Where estates are large, we work with our clients and tax professionals to minimize any estate and/or inheritance taxes. We also advise our clients regarding (and draft) durable powers of attorney, durable powers of attorney for health care, and living wills. We oversee the proper execution and witnessing of these important documents and over the years, assist our clients with revisions. Our clients tend to be amazed and gratified at how much work we expend and the results we achieve for our modest fee.
Business Formation & Agreements
We counsel our clients in choosing the proper business type (for example, corporation, limited partnership, general partnership, sole proprietorship, or limited liability company). Working closely with our clients' tax professionals, we help each client structure an entity to fit their particular needs (e.g., tax benefits, limiting liability, flexibility, ease of operation, propensity for growth, ease of sale of equity, etc.). We draft and file formative documents, oversee the formation meeting, and draft the initial meeting minutes. We help our clients plan for contingencies like death, illness, divorce, disagreement, dissolution, retirement, and sale of all or part of the business. Once the business entity is in place, we then draft, negotiate, and/or advise regarding various agreements depending upon the needs of the business, for example, key employee agreements, employment agreements, commercial lease agreements, construction agreements, vendor agreements, consulting agreements, non-competition agreements, distribution agreements, sales representative agreements, licensing agreements, and buy/sell agreements. We also consult with our clients to plan for and/or minimize potential business liabilities and claims.
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Dispute Resolution Management
Because our clients trust our experience and advice, we are often called upon to manage the resolution of their disputes. We render advice regarding early phases of the controversy, including risks, exposure, defenses, likelihood of obtaining and collecting a judgment, alternative forms of dispute resolution, and the potential expense to prosecute or defend claims. We advise our clients regarding the direction of the litigation, and, when called upon to do so, provide our clients with a detailed cost / benefit analysis of various dispute resolution strategies. We also assist our clients in locating and selecting the best trial lawyers in a particular geographic area or legal discipline. In some instances, we are called upon to audit the invoices of outside counsel and provide advice regarding the reasonableness fees.
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Music & Entertainment Business
We advise clients regarding all aspects of the music industry. We are often called upon to draft and/or negotiate all forms of music industry agreements, for example, recording, production, exclusive songwriter publishing, single song publishing, copyright and trademark licenses, management, talent agency, intra-band, merchandising, live performance, and special event agreements. We counsel our clients regarding all phases of their career in the entertainment industry. Our hallmark is protection (including proper registration) and enforcement of our clients' intellectual property rights (e.g., copyrights, trademarks, service marks, and rights of publicity)
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Prenuptial Agreements
Are you planning to be married? Consider whether a prenuptial agreement is right for you. ?Often criticized for not being “romantic,” prenuptial agreements are extremely practical. Consider when would two people best be able to cooperate to decide how to divide marital assets—when they trust each other and are in love, or when love has been replaced by mistrust and other feelings. Prenuptial agreements can be used to decide most or all of the important matters that are otherwise decided in divorce. They are especially useful when one or both spouses are entering a marriage with children, significant assets, significant debts, an expected inheritance, or a business.
If you are contemplating marriage, and feel a prenuptial agreement might be right for you, please feel free to call.
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Adoption
Are you considering adoption, the process that allows a child to have the same rights as though they were born to you? If so, please contact our office to set up a consultation with an attorney. We advise our clients on the many steps in the adoption process, which may vary depending on the type of adoption being considered, for example: step parent adoption, private adoption, state adoption, foreign adoption, or grandparent adoption.
It is important to begin the process early in order to ensure a smooth transition for the newest member of your family. We would be delighted to help you.
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Bankruptcy
Are you “drowning in debt”, “in over your head”, or not answering your phone because of creditor calls? Then it may be time to consider filing bankruptcy. One of the first questions we hear is, “Won’t filing bankruptcy ruin my credit?”. While this is a common question, the truth is, for those considering bankruptcy, credit is probably already ruined. Filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy may afford you the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and reestablish your credit history.
Which chapter is right depends on your situation. Not everyone is eligible for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. We advise our clients on the pros and cons of Chapter 13 vs. Chapter 7, and if bankruptcy protection through another Bankruptcy Chapter may be in the client’s best interest, we refer them to attorneys who work regularly in those other Chapters.
Please feel free to call us to schedule an appointment to discuss whether Bankruptcy is right for you. Normal consultation charges apply.
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Divorce
Are you contemplating a divorce from your spouse? If so, we understand this is likely a trying and highly emotional time for you and your family. Each of our clients is treated according to their individual needs, and you may be wondering what steps will be taken as you travel along this path.
There are many reasons a person may wish to be divorced. Tennesee law divides all the reasons into to main categories--“fault based,” and non-fault based or “irreconcilable differences” divorce. Meeting with an attorney is the best way to decide which path is best for you.
We help our clients through each step of the process, from determining which type of divorce to file, to the issuance of restraining orders and/or injunctions (used to preclude a spouse from dissipating the marital assets, harassing the other, moving any minor children without consent, as well as other restraints, until a final hearing has occurred), and the preparation of a Marital Dissolution Agreement and Parenting Plan, if required.
While this can be a daunting process, an experienced attorney will be able to guide you through the court system and decision making that must occur. You should feel free to contact your attorney with any questions or concerns as they arise.
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Post Divorce
Have you received a divorce and your ex-spouse is not upholding his or her end of the bargain? Or, do you wish to make changes to a child support, child custody or alimony plan that have already been approved by the court? We help our clients when their ex-spouse is not living up to their end of the divorce order, and/or when circumstances change and necessitate a modification of the divorce order.
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