Business Succession Planning Attorney in Utah
Thirty years of work should not have to be sold in a hurry.
Buy-sell agreements, transitions to family or partners, and estate plans built so that a business interest passes cleanly instead of forcing a sale at the worst possible moment.
Callback within 24 business hours. $100 for a one-hour consultation, credited to your retainer if we take your case.
Request a Consultation
We'll call you back within 24 business hours. $100 for a one-hour consult — credited to your retainer if we take your case.
Quoted in writing before any work starts
Virtual & at-home consultations available
Years drafting wills, trusts & probate filings
Jaime Richards leads our estate planning practice. The work is quiet — which is the point.
Jaime is the patient explainer on our team — and in estate planning, that's the whole job. Clients routinely describe him as thorough, courteous, never rushed. Before law school, Jaime spent years in real estate development and finance. He understands how property, accounts, and business interests actually work — and that shows up when we structure a plan that has to survive a market downturn, a real-estate sale, or a business exit.
Jaime wrote two wills for us. The work was excellent, and Jaime was extremely courteous, personable, and professional. He made the effort to come to us when we could not come to him.
— Sylvia P., Ogden · Estate Planning
Virtual and in-home consultations available for estate planning clients who can't easily travel to the office.
What a Succession Plan Has to Solve
Part estate planning, part corporate work. The documents have to agree with each other or they will fight.
Not sure which one fits your case? Tell us what happened and we will tell you where you stand.
Talk to Us →Serving Ogden and Communities Across Utah
We advise Utah business owners on succession from our office in Ogden, working with owners across the northern part of the state.
Weber County
North Ogden, Ogden, Riverdale, Roy, South Ogden
Davis County
Bountiful, Centerville, Clearfield, Farmington, Kaysville, Layton, Syracuse
Salt Lake County
Draper, Herriman, Murray, Riverton, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, Taylorsville, West Jordan, West Valley City
Utah County
American Fork, Eagle Mountain, Lehi, Orem, Pleasant Grove, Provo, Saratoga Springs, Spanish Fork, Springville
Cache County
Hyrum, Logan, Mendon, Nibley, Providence, Smithfield
Box Elder County
Brigham City, Garland, Mantua, Tremonton, Willard
Tooele County
Grantsville, Stansbury Park, Tooele
Sanpete County
Ephraim, Manti, Mount Pleasant
Rich County
Garden City, Randolph
Not seeing your city? If you already have an accountant or a financial advisor, bring them in. This works best when everyone is looking at the same plan.
Call 801-528-9357Why Choose Richards & Richards for Business Succession
Estate planning turns on documents that have to work years from now, when you are not there to explain them. Here is what you get when you hire us.
You Get the Plan in Writing First
The first conversation maps who the owners are, what the business is worth on a defensible basis, and where the documents currently contradict each other. You get that summary, and the cost of fixing it, in writing.
One Attorney, One Point of Contact
The attorney on your case handles your case. You are not shuffled between five lawyers or handed to a paralegal who cannot make decisions. When you call, you reach the person who knows your file.
We Come to You
Virtual and in-home consultations are routine here. If getting to the Ogden office is hard, because of distance, mobility, or a spouse who cannot travel, the meeting and the signing come to you instead.
We Are Transparent About Costs
The standard plan is a flat fee, quoted in writing before any work starts. Probate is hourly against a written estimate given at the consultation. Either way you see the number first, and there are no surprise invoices.
Clear Communication, Always
We answer calls and emails within 24 business hours. When something significant happens on your case, you hear it from a person, not a form letter. We explain what it means and what happens next.
A Family Firm Since 1988
Two generations of Ogden-raised attorneys. We are invested in this community, and we built this firm on the principle that you are not just a case number.
Ready to talk it through? A one-hour consultation is $100, credited to your retainer if we take your case.
Request a Consultation →What Our Clients Say
Five-star reviews from our public Google Business Profile, from people who came to Richards & Richards to get their affairs in order before anyone needed them to be.
What a breath of fresh air! I came from another firm and wasn't happy. Jaime was amazing and more than willing to explain every detail. Everyone in the office was professional, caring and amazing.Cathy G.
Jaime helped me with my trust, medical directive and power of attorney. It was easy, quick and thorough. I had a good experience. I had put it off for far too long, thinking it would be difficult. I should have done it sooner. Peace of mind is a good thing.Diana H.
A million thanks to Jaime Richards for his legal services — at a fair price.Paula Jean
Jaime Richards did a great job helping me with my Estate Planning. I would absolutely recommend him and his firm for all your legal needs.Sam S.
Jaime wrote two wills for us, one a special needs will, tailored precisely to our needs. The work was excellent, and Jaime was extremely courteous, personable, and professional. He made the effort to come to us when we could not come to him.Sylvia P.
Reviews are sourced from our public Google Business Profile. Some have been condensed for length; the clients and the underlying text are real. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Every review here started with one conversation. If you have been meaning to write it down, yours can start with one conversation.
Request a Consultation →Questions We Get About Business Succession
Short answers to what people actually ask before they call.
- When should I start planning?
- Earlier than it feels necessary. The useful agreements get signed while every owner is healthy and getting along. After a death, a diagnosis or a falling out, the same conversation becomes a negotiation between people with opposed interests.
- What is a buy-sell agreement?
- A contract among the owners about what happens to an interest. It covers death, disability, divorce and departure, sets how the interest is valued, and says how the purchase gets funded so the obligation is not theoretical.
- How do I treat my children fairly when only one works in the business?
- Usually by balancing the business against other assets. Sometimes by structuring a buyout so the active child acquires it over time. There is no single right answer, which is exactly why it is worth planning rather than leaving to a will.
- Do you handle the corporate documents too?
- Yes, and they have to be handled together. The operating agreement, the buy-sell and the estate plan all speak to the same interest. Drafting them in isolation is how families end up in litigation.
- What if I want to sell to an outside buyer instead?
- Then the planning is about being ready. Clean records, a defensible valuation, and an estate plan that does not complicate a sale. Buyers discount for uncertainty, so the preparation pays for itself.
General information about Utah law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case turns on its own facts.
Still have a question about your own situation? That is what the consultation is for. One hour, $100, credited to your retainer if we take your case.
Request a Consultation →Plan It While Everyone Is Healthy
The agreements worth having are the ones signed when all the owners are well and on good terms. They are much harder to negotiate after that stops being true.
$100 for a one-hour consultation, credited to your retainer if we take your case. Callback within 24 business hours.