Harpeth Law is the estate planning and business counsel practice of Caitlin Noe Moon, attorney at law. She offers legal services to individual and business clients in the following areas:
Wills and Estate Planning
Business Counsel: entity creation, contracts and negotiotion, commercial lease counsel,
transfers of closely-held businesses
Elder Law Counsel: Medicaid planning, life plan counsel, conservatorships
Located in Franklin, Tennessee, Harpeth Law is founded on a common sense approach to thoughtful planning and client-oriented personal service.
To learn more about specific practice areas, please visit the links appearing above.
Since 1998, Caitlin Noe Moon has approached her law practice as an opportunity to assist clients in addressing estate planning and business goals in creative, thoughtful and practical ways.
At Harpeth Law, she offers a common sense approach to identifying goals, engaging the client in the planning process, and recognizing potential issues before a problem arises.
Personal service, attention to detail and a passion for her work define Caitlin's commitment to her practice and clients.
PRACTICE AREAS:
BIO:
Admitted: Tennessee, 1998
Law School: Vanderbilt University School of Law
College: Vanderbilt University, BA, Communiations; Western Kentucky University, MA,
Communications
Estate planning is a proces encompassing many possible components.
Planning may involve creation of a simple will and powers of attorney. Or it may involve the creation of guardianship and trust provisions within a will to plan for the future care of minor children . Or it may involved the use of trusts to maximize a non-taxable estate. Or it may involve a combination of planning vehicles, all working in tandem to achieve client goals.
As a process, the first step requires a detailed analysis of client goals and continues with an in-depth consideration of factors that could impact these goals.
At Harpeth Law, proper planning begins with a no-cost, no-obligation consultation during which Caitlin discovers a client's goals and makes recommendations for achieving these goals in the most efficient, cost-effective and thorough manner.
Fees for planning depend solely on the client's goals and needs, and most services are offered on a flat-fee basis. A flat fee structure provides all planning services for a single fee, regardless of the time spent with a client in the planning process.
Please click on the tabs to the right to learn more about speficic components of estate planning, including wills, trusts, and powers of attorney.
WILLS
A properly-drafted will is an important part of an effective estate plan in Tennessee.
In general, a will sets forth an individual's wishes for the distribution of his or her estate (property), upon death. In your will, you identify who shall receive your property, and in what form.
A will also can offer vehicles for protection of assets, called testamentary trusts. For example, such trusts may provide planning for controlled distribution to minors or incompentent individuals, or tax savings to heirs.
TRUSTS
A trust is defined as a property interest held by one person (the 'trustee') for the benefit of another person or persons ('beneficiaries'). A trust holds legal title to assets, which assets can be distributed by the trustee for the sole use of a trust's beneficiaries. A trustee is charged with managing the trust's assets for the benefit of the beneficiaries, and may not use the assets for any other purpose.
Trusts in Tennessee may take many different forms, and whether a trust should be utilized in an estate plan depends entirely on an individual's circumstances and goals.
Wills and testamentary trusts implement plans following death, while powers of attorney are documents relevant to planning during life.
People often contemplate the need for life planing as they age. However, such planning is important for everyone, regardless of age or health status. In Tennessee, if you don't have the proper powers of attorney in place, your family or caregivers may be forced to seek court appointment of a conservator in order to care for you and your assets should you become disabled and thus unable to care for yourself.
Three documents address simple life planning: a Durable General Power of Attorney (for business affairs), a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (for health care decisions), and a Living Will (for setting forth end-of-life care requests).
Business Counsel. Since 1998, Caitlin Noe Moon has represented numerous small business owners, spanning a vast array of areas and organizational structures.
Her business counsel services include working with new business owners to choose the appropriate entity or structure, which may include a limited liability company, corporation, partnership or a proprietorship.
Caitlin also works with owners of existing businesses to assess their current structure and determine if any revisions are required, as a result of growth, changes in the nature of the business, and other factors.
Caitlin assists clients in the daily operation of business matters, including creation/review/negotiation of contracts, representation in the commercial leasing process, and assisting clients in the sale or acquisition of business interests.
Please click on the appropriate tab to the right for more information about business counsel services offered at Harpeth Law.
Entity Selection. When forming a new business, chosing the appropriate entity for organization is perhaps the first, and most important step.
In Tennessee, numerous options exist - limited liabiilty companies, corporate structures, various forms of partnership, as well as proprietorship.
Caitlin Noe Moon offers consultations with individuals to assist in planning their new business structure. By assessing the goals and scope of a new business, she can suggest options for entity formation as part of the planning process.
Contracts. At Harpeth Law, Caitlin Noe Moon offers counsel in the drafting, review and negotiation of business and real estate contracts.
She can assist business owners in creating product sales agreements, subcontractor agreements, employment agreements, and other contracts required in a business's daily operation.
Caitlin also represents individuals in the negotiation process and can review and communicate with other parties and counsel on behalf of her clients.
In real estate matters, Caitlin can draft , review and negotiate property sales agreements on behalf of clients.
Commercial Leases. At Harpeth Law, Caitlin Noe Moon represents both landlords and tenants in the creation, review and negotiation of commercial lease agreements.
For business owners, a lease agreement often represents a signficant financial obligation. Understanding lease terms that can often be complicated and unclear is an important part of business planning.
For landlords, using a well-crafted lease agreement may signficantly reduce the likelihood of future disputes with tenants.
Business Transfers. At Harpeth Law, Caitlin Noe Moon works with clients both acquiring and divesting of small business interests, throughout the ownership transfer process.
She can assist with the creation of letters of intent, purchase and sale agreements, and other documents necessary to the transfer process.
In the context of Elder Law, a 'Life Plan' describes a process by which a family plans for many of the possible issues an aging family member may face. At Harpeth Law, Caitlin Noe Moon assists families in identifying various components relevant to an individual's life plan. Once objectives are identified and resources located, a plan may be put in place which will meet specific needs.
A Life Plan starts with basic documents, including a living will (and other advanced directives as required by an individual's unique circumstances), a durable general power of attorney and durable power of attorney for health care. For more information about these documents, please click the Estate Planning button above.
Asset Planning.How to manage and protect assets as an individual ages often poses great challenges for families. General estate planning often provides the best initial option for planning.
In some instances, more sophisticated planning may be desirable. While planning for protection of assets is complicated considerably by the laws and regulations regarding Medicaid, options may exist.
Caitlin Noe Moon offers consultations with families regarding these various asset issues and how they impact the life and estate planning process for individuals who are considering long-term care options.
Medicaid Planning. Medicaid provides benefits to individuals who cannot afford to pay privately for long-term care (including nursing home care and in-home care). The rules and regulations governing Medicaid eligibility and benefits are numerous and complicated.
Medicaid is a joint federal-state program, and in Tennessee is administed through TennCare.
Navigating through the various considerations posed by Medicaid regulations is an important part of the planning process for someone anticipating the need for long term care. Understanding options and locating resources can simplify the proces considerably.
At Harpeth Law, Caitlin Noe Moon consults with families about these options and resources, as part of the estate planning process.
Conservatorships. In Tennessee, a conservatorship may be established for a person over the age of 18 years who is unable to care for him or herself, provided that all legal requirements are met.
At Harpeth Law, Caitlin Noe Moon works with families and caregivers of the elderly and disabled, to establish conservatorships. Recognizing the financial and emotional strain such actions can create, she strives to work closely with families to achieve efficient, thoughtful results.
Elder Law is a broad term encompassing many areas of the law affecting the lives of aging Americans and their families.
Elder law services offered by Caitlin Noe Moon at Harpeth Law include the following:
Estate planning
Creation of life plans, which include provisions for powers of attorney and advanced care directives
Planning for asset maintenance and protection, including the creation of trusts
Coordination and planning for Medicaid
Conservatorship actions on behalf of familes and care givers of the disabled
Harpeth Law | estate planning and business counsel
Caitlin Noe Moon, Esq.
cmoon_harpethlaw.com
Address:
2187 Hillsboro Road
Franklin, Tennesee 37069
Tel:
615.595.7776
Fax:
615.595.2779
2187 Hillsboro Road | Franklin, TN 37069
615.595.7776 Telephone
Copyright 2009 Caitlin Noe Moon | All rights reserved. Please click HERE for terms of use.
