By Attorney Edward Jesson

When you're building a family, planning for the future often focuses on saving for a home, childcare, or college. But one of the most important and often overlooked steps is creating a solid estate plan. In North Carolina, having a will and other key legal documents in place can give your family peace of mind and security, no matter what the future holds.

Why Young Families Need a Will
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A will isn't just for the wealthy or elderly — it's essential for anyone with dependents. A will lets you:

• Name a guardian for your minor children if something happens to both parents
• ​Decide who will manage your estate and handle your affairs
• Outline how your assets — including life insurance, vehicles, and savings — should be distributed

In North Carolina, a valid will must be written, signed by you, and witnessed by at least two people. Notarizing the will makes it easier to prove in court after you pass.  While handwritten (holographic) wills are allowed in some cases, they are harder to prove and easier to contest.  

Beyond the Will: Essentials for Families

A complete estate plan for young families should also include:

• Durable Power of Attorney: Allows a spouse or trusted person to manage finances if you become incapacitated.
• Healthcare Power of Attorney & Living Will: Ensure your medical decisions are handled the way you want if you're unable to speak for yourself.
• Beneficiary Designations: Make sure your life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and other financial assets list the correct people.
• You might also consider setting up a trust — even a simple one — to manage how and when your children receive any inheritance. A trust can help prevent a young child from receiving a large lump sum at age 18 and ensure the money is used for education, care, or other specific needs.

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Don’t Leave It to Chance

If you pass away without a will (called dying intestate), North Carolina law will decide who inherits your property — and who cares for your children. That may not align with your wishes.

Estate planning doesn’t have to be complicated. For most young families, starting with a basic will and power of attorney documents is a smart first step. As your family and finances grow, you can adjust your plan. Protecting your family’s future starts with a plan today—call the lawyers at Jesson & Rains, PLLC to see how we can help you plan for the future.

​By Attorney Edward Jesson

After completing the numerous steps to form a business, business owners frequently forget (despite the friendly reminders from the Secretary of State’s Office) that they have to file annual reports with the North Carolina Secretary of State to keep their business active.

The Annual Report is used to keep the business records up to date with the Secretary of State. Most businesses formalized with the Secretary of State’s Office need to file an Annual Report, such as Business Corporations, Limited Liability Companies (LLC), Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP), and Limited Liability Limited Partnerships (LLLP). Non-Profits, Limited Partnerships, Professional Corporations (PCs), and Professional Limited Liability Companies (PLLC’s) do not have to file an Annual Report. There is also a filing fee due with the Annual Report. For LLC’s and partnerships, the fee is $200, and for corporations, the fee is $25.

The due date for your business’s annual report depends upon the type of business, but generally April 15th is the deadline for most businesses. For corporations and partnerships, the annual report is due to the Secretary of State’s Office the 15th day of the fourth month following the entity’s fiscal year’s end. For example, if your fiscal year ends on December 31, your annual report for that year is due on April 15th.

Jesson & Rains offers a yearly plan for businesses that includes filing the annual report, among other things. This plan helps to ensure your privacy (if your business is ever sued, the lawsuit will be delivered to our office’s address); you will be less likely to fall victim to a scam (we will sort through and destroy junk mail); you will be more organized and have less paper (we will scan and forward your mail immediately to your attention after sorting); and we will ensure that corporate records and Secretary of State records are kept up to date.

We also offer an upgraded yearly plan that includes unlimited telephone access to attorneys throughout the year.

The consequence for not filing an Annual Report and/or paying the fee is that the Secretary of State can administratively dissolve your business. This means that you can lose the liability protection you enjoy by being a business, and a creditor may be able to come after your personal assets. You may also have to pay higher fees to reinstate your business once it has been dissolved by the Secretary of State’s Office.

If you have questions about filing your Annual Report or want to learn more about the annual plan services offered by our firm, you can click HERE, or feel free to reach out to Jesson & Rains directly!

By Senior Associate Jeneva A. Vazquez

After 10 years at Jesson & Rains serving estate and business clients—and with more than a combined 45 years of experience among our estate planning team—we have seen and heard a lot. A few questions come up almost daily from our clients:
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1. How will my family know what to do when I’m gone?
2. What happens in an emergency?
3. What happens if I need changes?
4. What do I do if I acquire new assets?
5. How does my family know to contact you?
6. Will you help my family with all of this after I’m gone?
7. Do you keep my documents?
   
   

If you’ve ever asked one of these questions, had any of these concerns, or reached out to ensure your assets and beneficiary designations are properly handled, we have exciting news for you!

After years of answering these questions and seeing firsthand the challenges families face, we’ve worked hard to create a comprehensive solution. We are thrilled to introduce our Legacy Support Program designed to provide ongoing support, easy access, and peace of mind for you and your loved ones.

What is the Legacy Support Program?

The Legacy Support Program is an annual, flat-fee service, offering different levels of support based on your needs. Our tiered service options help keep your assets properly aligned with your plan, ensure they are easy to locate and administer, and provide your loved ones with seamless access to essential information through every stage of life and beyond.

Key Benefits of the Legacy Support Program:

Easy Access, Anytime, Anywhere
• Through our new client app, your most important documents are always at your fingertips. You, your spouse, and trusted loved ones can access them instantly when needed. You’ll also gain access to our trusted referral network and important legal updates.

Peace of Mind, Year After Year
• Laws change, families evolve, and assets shift. With our ongoing support, we ensure your plan works efficiently when your family needs it most.  Estate planning isn’t a one-time event. Keeping your plan and assets up to date is essential to ensuring everything functions smoothly when it matters most.

Comprehensive Support for Business & Personal Legacy
• As you build your business and acquire assets, our program offers proactive, strategic legal guidance with hands-on support, ensuring your business and personal legacy are protected every step of the way.

Choose the Right Plan for Your Needs

We offer three levels of planning, so you can select the right level of support for you and your family:

• Foundation Plan – A strong foundation for maintaining estate planning essentials, including access to our client app, ongoing asset support, and keeping your asset information current.
• Architect Plan – A blueprint for your evolving legacy, providing enhanced support and strategic adjustments, including updates to your plan and additional communication.
• Fortress Plan – Proactive strategic guidance with hands-on support. We help you build, refine, and safeguard a lasting legacy with comprehensive asset transfers and plan updates.  Great for real estate investors and business owners.

Estate planning doesn’t stop once documents are signed—it’s an ongoing process, and we’re here to be your planning partner for life and beyond. With the Legacy Support Program, you can rest easy knowing your family has secure access to your plan, your assets are properly maintained, and your loved ones will have the guidance they need when it matters most.

Ready to secure your legacy with confidence? Contact us today to learn more about the Legacy Support Program and find the right plan for you. For existing and past clients, we are offering a special promotion to waive our one time “catch-up fee” if you sign up in the 30 days. 

​By Attorney Kelly Jesson

As you know, we’ve been back and forth numerous times on whether or not business owners in the United States have to file a Beneficial Owner Information Report (BOIR) with FinCen as part of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA).

The Treasury Department finally killed it on Sunday.  On March 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it will be issuing a new rule making the BOIR reporting requirements apply to foreign companies only.  The Treasury Department also announced that it will not enforce any penalties or fines for failing to file the BOIR pending the implementation of the new rule.

We’re pretty confident this signals the death of the BOIR rule.  If you have any questions about this, please contact Jesson & Rains for more information. 

By Jeremy Billings

Spring is almost here! The days are starting to get warmer, your fear of Charlotte traffic in the snow is fading, the birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and … OH NO! - you forgot to file your Annual Report! Many business owners forget that they must file a report with the North Carolina Secretary of State every year to keep their business in active and good standing with the state.

The Annual Report is used to keep the business records up to date with the Secretary of State. Most businesses formalized with the Secretary of State’s Office need to file an Annual Report, such as Business Corporations, Limited Liability Companies (LLC), Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP), and Limited Liability Limited Partnerships (LLLP). Non-Profits, Limited Partnerships, Professional Corporations (PCs), and Professional Limited Liability Companies (PLLC’s) do not have to file an Annual Report. There is also a filing fee due with the Annual Report. For LLC’s and partnerships, the fee is $200, and for corporations, the fee is $25.

The due date for your business’s annual report depends upon the type of business, but generally April 15th is the deadline for most businesses. For corporations and partnerships, the annual report is due to the Secretary of State’s Office the 15th day of the fourth month following the entity’s fiscal year’s end. For example, if your fiscal year ends on December 31, your annual report for that year is due on April 15th.

Jesson & Rains offers a yearly plan for businesses that includes filing the annual report, among other things. This plan helps to ensure your privacy (if your business is ever sued, the lawsuit will be delivered to our office’s address); you will be less likely to fall victim to a scam (we will sort through and destroy junk mail); you will be more organized and have less paper (we will scan and forward your mail immediately to your attention after sorting); and we will ensure that corporate records and Secretary of State records are kept up to date.

As a part of this plan, Jesson & Rains will also assist in filing the necessary documents in response to the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”), which requires companies to disclose beneficial owner information to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s financial crimes agency “FinCEN”. As of today’s publication, the CTA is still valid law and the FinCen reports are required.

We also offer an upgraded yearly plan that includes unlimited telephone access to attorneys throughout the year.

The consequence for not filing an Annual Report and/or paying the fee is that the Secretary of State can administratively dissolve your business. This means that you can lose the liability protection you enjoy by being a business, and a creditor may be able to come after your personal assets.

If you have questions about filing your Annual Report or want to learn more about the annual plan services offered by our firm, you can click HERE, or feel free to reach out to Jesson & Rains directly! ​