The Role of the Estate Planning Attorney in Exit Planning

In this episode of The Dominion Business Advisors Podcast, host Cameron Teich, a certified exit planning advisor, unpacks one of the most overlooked, yet essential roles in every successful business exit: the Estate Planning Attorney.

Too often, estate planning is reduced to a last-minute will or a quick attempt to avoid probate. But for business owners, especially those whose companies make up 70–80% of their net worth, estate planning is not just about documents. It’s about discipleship, stewardship, and destiny. Without it, wealth can evaporate, families can fracture, and the legacy you’ve worked a lifetime to build can be lost in a single generation.

Cameron walks through the four stages of the estate attorney’s impact:

• Before the exit – ensuring ownership is clean, trusts and structures are in place, and family governance is established.
• During the exit – protecting deal integrity, aligning tax and trust strategies, and safeguarding family unity under pressure.
• After the exit – funding trusts, managing distributions, and stewarding new wealth in a way that honors both God and family.
• Choosing the right attorney – what to look for in a values-aligned professional, and how attorneys themselves can recognize when clients need coordinated exit planning.

You’ll also hear how Dominion Business Advisors partners with estate attorneys to bring clarity, confidence, and legacy to the entire process. Instead of siloed advice, Cameron shows what collaboration looks like when legal, tax, financial, and family considerations are pulled together into one unified plan.

Whether you’re a business owner approaching transition or an advisor serving entrepreneurial families, this episode will reframe how you see estate planning, not as a box to check, but as a cornerstone of finishing well.

Because passing on your business isn’t just about dollars, it’s about leaving a legacy that blesses beyond the bottom line.

Visit DominionBusinessAdvisors.com to explore our tools, workshops, and value-building strategies.

Connect with us on LinkedIn, X, or schedule a call to take the next step toward your exit strategy.

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Transcript

Intro:

Welcome back to The Dominion Business Advisors Podcast, where we help faith-driven business owners like you grow transferable value, plan your exit with wisdom, and leave a legacy that blesses beyond the bottom line.

I’m your host, Cameron Teich, a Certified Exit Planning Advisor and founder of Dominion Business Advisors.

In this special series, we’re talking about “Centers of Influence” or COIs - the key professionals every owner needs for a successful business transition.

Today’s focus: the Estate Planning Attorney 

Too often, business owners think estate planning is just about drafting a will or avoiding probate. 

They treat it like a box to check—something to deal with later.

But in reality, estate planning is one of the most strategic parts of an exit. 

It’s not only about distributing assets—it’s about preserving values, stewarding legacy, and ensuring peace for the next generation.

In this episode, we’re going to talk about:

• Why an Estate Planning Attorney is essential to a successful business exit,
• The critical role they play before, during, and after the transition,
• What business owners should look for when choosing one—and how attorneys can recognize when their clients are facing an exit moment,
• And how Dominion Business Advisors works alongside trusted estate attorneys to make sure the plan protects not just wealth, but the mission and message behind it.

Because passing on a business isn’t just about dollars—it’s about discipleship, stewardship, and destiny.

Let’s get started.

Segment 1: Why An Estate Planning Attorney Is Essential

When we talk about exit planning, most business owners immediately think about valuation, deal structure, and taxes. 

Those things matter, of course. But there’s another pillar that often gets overlooked until it’s too late: estate planning.

An Estate Planning Attorney isn’t just a “nice-to-have” on the advisory team—they are essential. 

Why? Because exit planning isn’t only about selling a business or transferring ownership. 

It’s about aligning business, personal, and financial goals in a way that blesses future generations.

And estate planning sits right at the intersection of those priorities.

Think about it: your business may represent 70–80% of your net worth. 

It’s not just an asset—it’s your life’s work, your family’s provision, and in many cases, your legacy. 

If that wealth is not properly stewarded—legally, structurally, and spiritually—it can evaporate in the hands of the next generation.

Families can fight.

The IRS can take more than you ever expected.

And values you intended to pass down can be lost in the shuffle.

An estate plan addresses this risk head-on.

The right attorney helps put the legal guardrails in place: wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, buy-sell agreements, and more.

But more than that, they help protect against the unexpected.

What happens if you pass away before the deal closes?

What if you become incapacitated?

What if your heirs don’t share the same vision for the business?

Without an estate plan, these scenarios can derail everything you’ve built.

And let’s not forget the spiritual side.

As Christian business owners, we’re called not just to accumulate wealth, but to steward it faithfully.

Proverbs tells us, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.”

That inheritance is more than money—it’s values, faith, and a legacy of integrity.

An estate planning attorney helps translate those convictions into binding documents that make your intentions clear and enforceable.

This is why generalist attorneys—those who dabble in estate work or handle it as a side offering—aren’t enough.

Estate planning for business owners is a specialized skill.

It requires deep knowledge of tax law, trust structures, and succession planning, combined with the ability to listen carefully to a client’s heart and values.

Without that, the plan may technically work on paper, but fail in practice.

Here’s the truth: you can have a perfectly executed sale, the best multiple on the market, and a smooth closing—and still fail your family if the estate side is neglected.

You could pass on wealth but create division.

You could save money on taxes but lose peace in your household.

That’s why the Estate Planning Attorney is not just one more advisor at the table.

They are central to making sure the transition protects both assets and relationships.

So when we say they’re essential, we mean it.

They are not only guardians of the law, but guardians of legacy.

They help business owners finish well—financially, yes—but also spiritually, relationally, and generationally.

Segment 2: The Estate Planning Attorney’s Role Before the Exit

Before the exit ever takes place, the Estate Planning Attorney is already at work laying the foundation.

Think of them as the architect who ensures the house you’re building doesn’t collapse under its own weight.

If you wait until you’re already in negotiations to involve them, you’ve waited too long.

Why?

Because estate planning decisions made years in advance can dramatically change the outcome of an exit. 

For example, gifting strategies, trust structures, or family partnerships often need time to season before they provide full legal and tax advantages.

By the time a buyer is at the table, those options may no longer be available—or worse, rushing them could create red flags in due diligence.

So what does the attorney actually do in this stage?

Several key things:

First, they clarify ownership.

Who really owns the business?

How are shares or membership interests titled?

Are there old agreements that could interfere with a sale or transfer?

Attorneys ensure ownership is clean, documented, and transferable.

Second, they create the right vehicles.

This is where tools like revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, family limited partnerships, and charitable trusts come into play.

Each one serves a different purpose—some reduce estate taxes, others protect assets from creditors, and still others allow wealth to flow to children or ministries in a structured way.

An experienced attorney knows which mix of tools best matches your goals and timeline.

Third, they protect against life’s “what-ifs.”

Before the exit, an estate plan must include powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and clear successor instructions.

If you become incapacitated or pass away before the transaction closes, the process doesn’t grind to a halt.

The documents ensure someone is legally authorized to carry on, reducing chaos and preserving value.

Fourth, they integrate family governance.

Estate planning attorneys can work with families to draft shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements, or even family constitutions that set expectations well in advance.

These aren’t just legal forms—they are frameworks for communication and unity.

They reduce the risk of siblings fighting over control, or in-laws creating tension after the founder is gone.

From a Christian perspective, this stage is also about aligning legal structures with spiritual convictions.

For example: Do you want to tithe on the proceeds of your sale?

Do you want part of the estate directed toward kingdom work through a foundation or donor-advised fund?

Do you want your children to inherit wealth outright, or would you prefer to set conditions that encourage stewardship and maturity?

These conversations are best handled before the pressure of a deal, when you and your advisors can prayerfully discern the right path.

When estate planning attorneys engage early, they don’t just “prepare documents.” They create clarity, reduce risk, and preserve optionality.

That means when the exit window opens—whether it’s five years down the road or unexpectedly next year—you’re not scrambling.

You’re ready.

The truth is, businesses that integrate estate planning early almost always see higher net proceeds, smoother negotiations, and greater peace of mind.

Why?

Because buyers value certainty, families value unity, and the IRS respects preparation.

The Estate Planning Attorney is the one who ensures all of that groundwork is in place long before the transition begins.

Segment 3: The Estate Planning Attorney's Role During the Exit

When the exit moment finally arrives, everything accelerates.

Letters of intent are signed, negotiations intensify, and due diligence digs into every corner of the business.

In this high-pressure environment, the Estate Planning Attorney’s role shifts from preparatory to protective.

Their job is to make sure that the deal you’ve worked so hard to build doesn’t just close successfully—it closes in a way that preserves your wealth, honors your wishes, and aligns with your legacy.

One of their most critical tasks is coordinating legal structures with the deal mechanics.

For example, is the transaction structured as a stock sale or an asset sale?

Each carries dramatically different implications for taxes, liability, and how wealth ultimately flows into your estate.

An estate planning attorney ensures that the contracts you sign are consistent with the trust structures, gifting strategies, or succession plans already in place.

Without this alignment, you could unintentionally undo years of careful planning.

They also guard against “leaks” in value.

Consider the tax impact of the sale.

Without proper guidance, you could forfeit millions unnecessarily to estate or capital gains taxes.

Attorneys can leverage strategies like charitable remainder trusts, installment sales, or even pre-exit gifting to heirs that reduce the taxable burden.

Their expertise often means more money stays with your family and the causes you care about, rather than going to the IRS.

Another critical role is protecting family harmony during tense negotiations.

Exits are stressful, and families can fracture under the strain of money, expectations, and perceived entitlements.

An estate planning attorney provides clarity about who has decision-making authority, what agreements already govern ownership, and how proceeds will be distributed.

Their presence reduces the chance of disputes escalating into full-blown conflicts at the worst possible time.

They also safeguard against legal landmines that surface during due diligence.

Buyers will comb through contracts, intellectual property, and governance records with a fine-toothed comb.

If inconsistencies appear—outdated wills, missing trust documents, or poorly drafted buy-sell agreements—they can delay or even derail the transaction.

The estate attorney ensures that your side of the legal ledger is clean, current, and defensible, giving buyers confidence and reducing friction.

And let’s not overlook the spiritual side.

The exit is often the single largest financial event of a Christian business owner’s life.

It is, in many ways, a covenant moment—a handoff not only of wealth but of stewardship.

The estate planning attorney helps translate that moment into clear legal action: tithe commitments, charitable distributions, family trust allocations, and provisions that ensure your values are carried forward.

Without their guidance, good intentions often remain just that—intentions, not realities.

In short, during the exit, the Estate Planning Attorney is the safeguard.

They are the ones who ensure that as bankers, buyers, and deal attorneys haggle over terms, the deeper goals of legacy, faith, and family are not lost in the shuffle.

Their presence means you can walk into the closing room confident—not just that you’re selling well, but that you’re finishing well.

Segment 4: The Estate Planning Attorney’s Role After the Exit

The closing table doesn’t mark the end of the Estate Planning Attorney’s work—it marks the beginning of a new chapter.

Once the deal is done and the proceeds hit your account, the question becomes: How do you steward what has been entrusted to you?

This is where the estate planning attorney’s role comes sharply into focus.

Their task now is to ensure that the wealth you’ve created is managed, preserved, and passed on according to both your intentions and God’s calling on your life.

First, they oversee the transition of wealth into the right legal vehicles.

Perhaps a trust was created years ago, but now it must be funded with liquidity from the sale.

Maybe gifting strategies that were planned in theory now need to be executed in practice—transferring assets into children’s trusts, charitable funds, or family partnerships.

Without timely execution, opportunities can be lost, taxes can increase, and family expectations can drift into uncertainty.

Second, they help manage distributions to heirs.

Large liquidity events often magnify existing family tensions.

A sudden influx of wealth can create jealousy, entitlement, or poor financial decisions.

The estate planning attorney ensures distributions happen according to documented rules—not family politics.

Whether that means staged payouts, incentive-based trusts, or guardrails against misuse, their work protects the next generation from being harmed by what was meant to bless them.

Third, they monitor the ongoing impact of tax law.

Exit proceeds are not a one-time issue—they can create ongoing exposure to estate taxes, income taxes, and generation-skipping transfer taxes.

Attorneys stay current on law changes, ensuring your estate plan remains compliant and optimized.

They adapt strategies so your heirs aren’t blindsided years later by unexpected liabilities.

Fourth, they serve as a steward of legacy projects.

Many Christian business owners want to see their wealth do more than fund lifestyles.

They want to see it advance the Kingdom—through family foundations, donor-advised funds, or charitable trusts.

The estate planning attorney helps structure and oversee these vehicles, ensuring that giving is not only generous but also sustainable and aligned with your values.

Finally, they act as a guardian of peace.

After the exit, emotions can run high.

Children may have questions about inheritance.

Spouses may disagree about charitable priorities.

Extended family members may feel entitled.

A well-drafted estate plan, executed and upheld by the attorney, creates clarity where there could be confusion and harmony where there could be conflict.

For Christian business owners, this stage is especially significant.

Scripture calls us to be faithful stewards, not reckless spenders.

The attorney helps make sure that your wealth is stewarded in a way that honors both God and family.

As Proverbs 13:22 reminds us: “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.”

That inheritance is not meant to sow division but to preserve faith, family, and legacy across generations.

So while many see the estate planning attorney’s role as finished once the deal closes, the truth is they may be more important than ever.

They are the ones who carry your vision forward when the business is no longer in your hands, ensuring that what you’ve built becomes not just wealth for today, but blessing for decades to come.

Segment 5: Finding the Right Fit: Choosing an Estate Planning Attorney—and When Attorneys Should Flag Exit Needs

Choosing the right estate planning attorney is not a small decision—it’s a generational one.

The person you bring onto your advisory team will help determine not only how your wealth transfers, but how your values and vision are preserved.

The wrong attorney may get the paperwork right but miss the heart of what you’re trying to accomplish.

The right attorney will integrate the legal, the financial, and the spiritual into a unified plan.

So, what should a business owner look for?

First, look for experience with business owners.

Not every estate planning attorney understands the complexity of closely held companies.

Drafting a will for a family with a house and two cars is different from building an estate plan around a $10M–$50M business exit.

You need someone who has handled buy-sell agreements, family business transfers, charitable trusts, and liquidity events.

Second, look for someone who values coordination.

Estate planning doesn’t exist in a silo.

The attorney must be willing to collaborate with your CPA, your financial advisor, your exit planner, and your family governance team.

If they resist teamwork, you risk fragmented advice and costly mistakes.

Third, look for a heart for legacy, not just law.

A good estate planning attorney will ask you questions not only about assets but about your family, your faith, your goals, and your fears.

They’ll want to know what you want your children and grandchildren to remember about you—not just what you want them to inherit.

That perspective is crucial for Christian business owners, because the plan is about more than money; it’s about discipleship.

Fourth, look for technical excellence.

This may sound obvious, but it matters: you need someone fluent in tax law, trust design, and business succession structures.

Laws change, and you want an attorney who stays current, proactive, and creative in their solutions.

Technical excellence, combined with values alignment, is a powerful combination.

Now, let’s flip the lens: How can estate planning attorneys themselves identify when a client needs exit planning?

Often, the signs are clear:

• The client’s net worth is overwhelmingly tied up in the business.
• They lack a current buy-sell agreement or succession plan.
• They talk about “someday” exiting but have no documented timeline.
• Family members express concern about what will happen “when Dad or Mom steps back.”
• The attorney finds themselves fielding tax questions or liquidity concerns that really belong in a broader exit planning framework.

When these signs appear, the estate planning attorney can play a pivotal role by connecting their client to a Certified Exit Planning Advisor and a coordinated advisory team.

By doing so, they elevate their role from document drafter to legacy protector.

Here’s the truth: business owners don’t always know what they need.

They may show up asking for a simple trust or a will revision, but what they actually need is a comprehensive exit and estate strategy.

The estate planning attorney who recognizes that deeper need—and knows when to call in the right partners—becomes invaluable to the client and their family.

For Christian business owners, this partnership is even more vital.

It ensures that the exit plan doesn’t just protect wealth, but also preserves mission, values, and the peace of future generations.

Segment 6: How We Work With Estate Planning Attorneys

At Dominion Business Advisors, we see estate planning attorneys as indispensable partners in the exit process.

Our role is not to replace them or dabble in their lane—we don’t practice law.

Our role is to coordinate, integrate, and ensure that the estate plan is not an afterthought, but a cornerstone of a successful transition.

So how do we actually work with estate planning attorneys?

First, we start with clarity.

Using our suite of assessments—the Business Attractiveness Assessment, the Financial Readiness Assessment, the Personal Readiness Assessment, the Exit Readiness Assessment, and the Family Enterprise Readiness Assessment—we help business owners uncover gaps they often didn’t even know existed.

These tools highlight where estate planning intersects with business succession, taxes, and family legacy.

The attorney then has a roadmap for where their expertise is most needed.

Second, we act as translators.

Business owners often come to the table with a swirl of emotions, family dynamics, and business concerns.

They may not know how to articulate their desires in legal language.

We help surface those desires—things like, “I want to tithe on the proceeds,” “I want to make sure my children don’t squander their inheritance,” or “I want to fund a ministry in my hometown.”

Then, we work with the estate planning attorney to translate those desires into enforceable legal structures.

Third, we emphasize collaboration, not competition.

Too often, advisors operate in silos.

The CPA prepares the tax return.

The attorney drafts the trust.

The financial advisor manages the portfolio.

Each does their job, but no one ensures the pieces fit together.

That’s where deals fall apart and legacies get lost.

At Dominion Business Advisors, we pull everyone into the same conversation, so the estate attorney’s work is aligned with tax planning, business planning, and family governance.

Fourth, we keep the bigger picture in view.

Estate planning attorneys are excellent at drafting airtight documents.

But even the best paperwork can’t carry the full weight of a legacy if the family isn’t prepared.

That’s why we complement their work with family meetings, vision alignment exercises, and governance coaching.

We create the cultural framework while the attorney builds the legal framework.

Together, it’s much stronger.

Finally, we champion the Kingdom perspective.

Not every attorney shares our faith, and that’s fine—we work well with many kinds of professionals.

But for our clients, estate planning is more than asset protection.

It’s stewardship.

It’s discipleship.

It’s ensuring that wealth and wisdom move hand in hand.

We bring that conviction to the table, and we welcome attorneys into that mission, whether or not they share every theological conviction.

The key is alignment: serving the client with excellence, protecting their family, and advancing their legacy.

In short, our partnership with estate planning attorneys is built on mutual respect and shared responsibility.

They bring the legal expertise.

We bring the strategic coordination.

Together, we help business owners finish well—not just in the eyes of the market, but in the eyes of their families, their communities, and their God.

Final Thoughts

And now for some final thoughts. 

If you’re an attorney or advisor and this episode resonated with you, let’s connect.

We love working with professionals who want to protect their clients and finish strong.

We’re not here to pitch a product.

We’re here to build a team, to come alongside you, honor your relationship, and serve your clients with excellence.

Let’s build something that lasts…together

Outro:

Thanks for listening to the Dominion Business Advisors Podcast. 

If this episode struck a chord with you or brought you some clarity, I encourage you to visit DominionBusinessAdvisors.com where you can access our free guides, read our blogs, schedule a call, or reach out directly

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this with a business owner who needs it.

And remember, you were never meant to do this alone.

Until next time, keep building a business that blesses beyond the bottom line.

Clarity. Confidence. Legacy.