In This Issue

A PERSONAL LEGAL AUDIT PROTECTS YOU...
AND YOUR FAMILY

Over the years, we make critical decisions regarding key aspects of our lives, including our insurance, our health care, our estate plans and our investments. With each decision - we strive to make the best decision for ourselves and our family. What happens is that each of these decisions are made independently - without looking at the entire picture. In addition, our lives change over time. Our obligations and responsibilities change as well. All of this needs to taken into consideration to protect ourselves and our families to the best of our ability.


 How A Personal Legal Audit Helps You
A personal legal audit gives you the opportunity to review the following to identify where the gaps are and to make recommendations so that you may better protect you and your family. Some of the areas that are included in a personal legal audit include:

  • Insurance - Auto and Home Insurance; Umbrella Coverage; Life, Health & Disability Plans; Long Term Retirement Coverage
  • Estate Planning - Wills, Trusts, Life Insurance Arrangements, Retirement Plans, Healthcare Arrangements
  • Financial Investments & Transactions - Investment Portfolio, Security interests, Mortgages, Loans
  • Personal - Personal Injury, Medical, Divorce, Custody, Support
  • Real Estate - Mortgages, Property Deeds, Beneficiaries


 The Resulting Benefits of a Personal Legal Audit
  • Identify any missing or incomplete documents as well as gaps
  • Ensure documents are updated correctly
  • Provide you with a better comprehension of the effects of equitable distribution laws
  • Ensure your family is protected properly
  • Help you protect your assets in the event of a death or divorce.

A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE ON A BUSINESS AUDIT
Protect Your Business - Be Proactive

Most small and medium-size companies worry more about increasing their bottom line than about protecting their assets. Often the first time a company becomes aware of a problem is when litigation arises or when the company is being sold. As a result, they react to problems when they arise instead of taking action now to avoid them altogether.

A legal audit can save you time and money in the future by preventing problems down the road. It allows businesses to clean up company documents and address areas of weakness that need attention.

 Conducting a Legal Audit of Your Business

So what exactly is included in a legal audit? A legal audit can be used to assess the overall viability of your company from a legal standpoint. It can also be tailored to address specific areas of concern such as employment law problems or tax liabilities, for example. The objective of a legal audit is to evaluate potential weaknesses in order to strengthen a company's practices. Some of the areas that are evaluated in a business audit include:

  • Organizational structure: Minute books, review of by-laws, minutes of the company, record-keeping policies and updates
  • Shareholder or operating agreements, joint venture agreements
  • Insurance coverage
  • Human Resources documents: Employment policies, employee handbooks and materials, employment applications and questions, employment contracts, restrictive covenants and non-compete agreements and employee benefits
  • Listing of assets of the business and ownership
  • Contracts: vendor contracts, client contracts, licensing agreements
  • Safety issues and environmental concerns
  • Intellectual property: Review of all trademark, copyright and patent registration and procedures for enforcement
  • Commercial and retail leases
  • Outstanding litigation


 Overall Goal of a Business Legal Audit

A detailed legal evaluation of your business may uncover unwanted liability or vulnerability. The goal is to help you act now to protect your business instead of reacting to alarming problems later. Ultimately, the business legal audit helps your business operate more profitably, efficiently and with fewer legal risks.


A Personal Legal Audit Protects Your Family
  • Review financial, investment, insurance, medical & real estate
  • Identify gaps in documentation,
  • Ensure paperwork is updated
  • Verify designation of preferred beneficiaries
  • Protect your family in event of illness or death


Legal Business Audits Save Time & Money
  • Proactive protection of your business
  • Identify potential legal concerns
  • Provides recommendations for addressing those concerns
  • Save time and money by avoiding costly litigation
  • Manage your business effectively and efficiently

An audit of your personal or business practices can save you time and money by identifying legal concerns and the means to remedy them prior to problems arising. If you would like more information about how we can help protect your or your company, contact Moynahan and Minnella, LLC, today.


Who We Are
At Moynahan & Minnella, we pride ourselves on offering our clients personal, professional and affordable services to individuals, family and companies of all sizes; to provide the value of a full-service law firm; to be committed to being accessible and responsive to our clients needs.

Practice Areas
Appellate Law
Commercial and Corporate Law
Criminal Defense
Employment & Labor
Estate & Probate
Family Law & Domestic Relations
Immigration
Intellectual Property
International Law
Personal Injury
Real Estate
Workers' Compensation