Lori Ashmore Peters, Managing Attorney and Head of Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Litigation at The Ashmore Law Firm, P.C., was quoted in Moneywise in an October 2026 article on a question many business-owning families face: if only one child works in the family business, can a parent leave the business to that child alone? The article was also published on Yahoo Finance under the headline “61% of adult children report family conflict over inheritance — lawyers explain how to divide a family business.”
The article follows a mother with two sons, only one of whom is involved in the family company. Lori explained why “fair” and “equal” aren’t always the same thing when a business is part of the estate:
“Leaving equal ownership to two children when only one had the experience, interest, or ability to run the business can create conflict and jeopardize everything the parents have spent a lifetime building.”
Lori said the real goal in a plan like this is to protect the company, not just to divide assets. A child who isn’t involved in the business may be disappointed, but keeping the business under capable leadership can be worth that cost.
Why this matters for business owners
A family business is often the largest asset a family owns, and it doesn’t divide neatly. Without a plan, ownership can end up split among heirs who don’t agree on how to run it, or don’t want to run it at all. A business succession plan lets you decide who leads the company and how other children are provided for. It can also help you explain those decisions to your family while you’re still here to explain them.
As Lori often says, you can choose your estate plan, or take the “no-plan estate plan” and let the state and a judge decide.