The High-touch Legal Services® Blog • For Startup Companies

I recently answered an Avvo question about whether personal financial problems would create trouble for the LLC that an individual was forming. The question and answer, substantially edited, are provided below.

Q. I am starting a new company. I wish to establish an LLC. I had a recent foreclosure and they are coming at me for 70k on a 3rd against the property. I also have a credit card judgment for 18k and 30k of other outstanding debt. Question is whether an LLC can protect me. I have investors placing 50-100k in this project and i cannot have any issues moving forward. [Emphasis added.]

A. You will not be personally responsible for the LLC’s obligations (unless you provide a personal guaranty, and assuming there are no “alter ego” problems), and the LLC will not be liable for your personal obligations.

However, it is possible that a personal creditor could seize your LLC membership interest (or the economic portion thereof). For that reason, the LLC Operating Agreement should have detailed membership transfer restrictions and related provisions (e.g., regarding voting rights in the event that membership is transferred to an unapproved transferee).

Photo credit: Thomas Picard via stock.xchng

This blog does not provide legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal advice, please contact a lawyer directly.

I recently received questions about whether and why Spousal Consents are necessary with respect to certain business-ownership agreements. Here is a summary of the most important points that you need to know.

California is a community property state. If, during marriage, an individual acquires an interest in a business, the individual’s spouse has a community-property interest in that business.

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