how important the annual information filing (Form 990) is for tax-exempt organizations;
top policies and procedures highlighted on the form
why investing in sound policies and procedures means investing in success
deadlines and failure to file for Form 990
While targeted toward the attorneys who subscribe to the magazine, this article provides excellent information for all nonprofit board members, officers, staff, donors, volunteers, and other stake holders. Give the article a read and then get a jump start on top notch compliance well in advance of next year’s due date for the Form 990!
If your nonprofit hasn’t yet adopted all of policies outlined in the article (or they are in dire need of an update), what are you waiting for? Contact Gordon about the 10 for 990 deal (10 essential policies asked about of Form 990) for just $990. The rate includes a consultation, documents drafted to fit the unique needs of your organization, and one full review round. The benefits are numerous and the compliance risk is frankly too great to NOT have these important policies and procedures in place.
One of the six main parts of an estate plan that every adult Iowan should have is a health care power of attorney (POA). This legal instrument allows you to designate the person that you want to make health care decisions for you in the chance that you become incapacitated and unable to make such decisions for yourself.
The person you pick is your agent/representative for purposes of health care decision-making and should be (a) a competent legal adult; (b) someone you trust would make health care decisions that align with your best interests; and (c) someone who agrees to the role. Some people elect to have the same person be their designated proxy for both the health care and financial powers of attorney. Other folks choose two different individuals for these roles.
It is highly advised to name an alternate representative in case the person you appoint becomes unable or unwilling to act on your behalf.
The law does not allow your health care designated agent to be a health care professional providing health care to you on the date you sign the document. It also cannot be any employee of the doctor, nurse, or any hospital or health care facility providing care to you. The only exception is if that employee is a close relative.
What types of Health Care Decisions does a POA Cover?
A health care power of attorney can govern any kind of decision that is related to your health that you allow. You could, for example, limit your representative to certain types of decisions. Or, you could allow your representative to make decisions for any type of health care choice/issue that may arise. This includes decisions to give, withhold, or withdraw informed consent to any medical and surgical treatments. Other decisions could relate to psychiatric treatment, nursing care, hospitalization, treatment in a nursing home, home health care, and organ donation.
When Would I use a Health Care POA?
A health care POA comes into play only when, in the certified and recorded opinion of your attending physician, you are unable to make health care decisions for yourself. Your named agent is then able to make decisions regarding your care, receive access to records, communicate with health care providers, and other important actions that would otherwise be off limits.
What is a Living Will?
The name of this document is bit of a misnomer. Sometimes referred to as an advanced directive, a living will is best thought of as a written declaration that informs health care providers of your desire to NOT have life-sustaining treatment continue if you are diagnosed as terminally ill or injured, are unable to communicate your choices regarding your treatment, and such treatment would simply prolong the inevitable and imminent process of dying. You may consider a living will an important part of the whole that is your health care power of attorney document
Under Iowa’s Living Will Law, a living will does not permit withholding or withdrawing food or water unless they are provided intravenously or by a feeding tube. Additionally, medication or medical procedures necessary to provide comfort or to ease pain are not considered life sustaining, and may not be withheld.
Because of the sensitive nature of the living will, before signing the document make certain the provisions included align with your philosophical and/or religious beliefs and wishes.
Important Definitions
“Life-sustaining treatment” is defined as the use of medical machinery such as heart-lung machines, ventilators, tube feeding, and other medical techniques that may sustain and possibly extend your life, but which won’t, by themselves, cure your condition.
“Terminal condition,” under Iowa law, is defined as an incurable or irreversible condition that without life sustaining procedures, results in death within a relatively short time or a comatose state from which there can be no recovery, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty.
In all states the determination as to whether you are in such a medical condition is determined by qualified medical professionals—typically your attending physician and at least one other medical doctor who has examined or reviewed your medical situation. The decision must be recorded in your medical records.
How do I Make a Living Will?
This is one of the documents I include in the estate planning packages for my clients, if they so elect to have one. The first step, at least when working with GFLF on your estate plan, is filling out my Estate Plan Questionnaire, which is where you can choose “yes” or “no” for creating a living will.
In terms of qualifications, you must be a competent, legal adult who is age 18 or older. The declaration can be signed in the presence of two witnesses (who also must be 18 or older and should not be family members if at all possible) or a notary public. Note that health care employees responsible for your care cannot be the witnesses.
Of course, the declaration for a living will must be signed voluntarily and without coercion.
What do I do Once I Sign a Living Will?
The original living will must be given to your doctor in order for it to be acted upon. Therefore your health care designated agent should have access to the original if the time comes when it is need.
Under Iowa law, it is your responsibility (and therefore your health care proxy if you are unable or incapacitated) to provide your attending physician (the doctor who is primarily responsible for your care and treatment) with the declaration. This attending physician might not be your family doctor, but it’s smart to give a copy of the living will to your family doctor to have on file. In addition, the living will’s existence should be made known to members of your family.
What Happens if I Change my Mind About my Living Will?
A living will is revocable at any time. You may revoke the document easily by notifying your attending physician of your intent to do so. This communication of intent will then be recorded by your attending doctor as a part of your medical record. If this is the case I also recommend contacting your estate planning attorney and health care designated agent to communicate your change. Depending on what is written in your health care POA that document may need revisions or additions, which is something your estate planning attorney can facilitate.
What About a Living Will Made in Another State?
This is a good question as each state has its own laws related to living wills and such decisions. A living will made in another state will be valid in Iowa to the extent that the declaration aligns with Iowa laws on the matter.
That being said, it’s best to have a current living will declared in the state you reside in and are most likely to receive care in. So, if you signed a living will while living in Colorado and then move to Iowa, it’s best to sign a new living will that is specific to Iowa’s laws. (Plus, moving across state lines is one of those big life changes that mean you should update your entire estate plan to be sure it’s valid under your new home state’s estate, property, and inheritance laws. So, you may as well update your living will while you’re at it!)
What Happens if I don’t Have a Living Will?
Without a living will stating your directives, others will be forced to decide if life-sustaining procedures will be used for you. (Typically this is a situation one does not want to place on their loved ones.) If you have a health care power of attorney, that representative will make the decisions regarding life sustaining treatments and procedures.
If you also don’t have a health care power of attorney in place, Iowa law states that the attending physicians and the first person available from the following list will make such health care decisions for you in front of a witness:
A guardian, if applicable (Note that a court appointed guardian must obtain court approval before making this decision.)
Your spouse.
Your adult child (or a majority of your adult children who are available).
Just like it’s important to discuss your estate planning decisions with your executor and family, it is equally important to discuss your health care and life-sustaining wishes with the person who will be your agent. You may also plainly state directives on your health care power of attorney form such as “I want all available organs to be donated in the event of my death.”
Review and Get Started
Whew. That was a lot of important information in one blog post. Let’s review how the two different but compatible documents of health care power of attorney and a living will:
Your health care power of atttorney gives a proxy your designate and trust the authority to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to make them for yourself.
The living will is a document specifically directing your physician that certain life-sustaining procedures should be withdrawn or withheld if you are in a terminal condition and unable to decide for yourself.
You can have a health care power of attorney document without having a living will. And, while not advised to not have a health care power of attorney document in place, you could technically have a living will without a health care power of attorney.
If you don’t have health care power of attorney or a living will in place, there’s no time like the present to make your decisions known and recorded well before the unexpected happens. Fill out my easy Estate Plan Questionnaire to get started. If you have any questions about either of these documents, don’t hesitate to contact me at gordon@gordonfischerlawfirm.com or by phone at 515-371-6077.
https://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/rawpixel-472352-unsplash.jpg8541280Gordon Fischerhttps://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GFLF-logo-300x141.pngGordon Fischer2018-05-18 23:33:052020-05-18 11:28:55What a Living Will & Health Care Power of Attorney Mean for your Medical Care
The latest lawsuit to grip the U.S. news cycle has all the makings of an interesting drama complete with pseudonyms, an agreement to “hush,” a payment for $130,000, and an absent signature. That missing signature is, in part, what brings us to an adult film actress’ lawsuit that a 15-page agreement between “Peggy Peterson” and “David Dennison” concerning an alleged affair with the president is null and void. How? The actress/stripper/director, Stormy Daniels (legal name: Stephanie Clifford), and her attorney, Michael Avenatti, filed their complaint on the bases that that the contract is unconscionable (unreasonably excessive) and invalid since Trump never personally signed. There are also allegations of coercion and physical threats against the actress by the opposing party to stay silent about what she knew about Donald Trump.
Earlier today, we filed this complaint seeking a ct order voiding the alleged “hush” agreement between our client S. Clifford aka Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump. https://t.co/upa9u10MqR
If the agreement is found to be invalidated, that would fling open the door for Stormy Daniels to publicly share her story involving Donald Trump without having to pay any damages to Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen, who brokered the deal.
Many words could be written on the potential legal avenues both sides of this suit could pursue. But, with a CBS “60 Minutes” interview with Daniels slated to air this month, let’s zoom in on one important aspect of the agreement in question: breach of contract.
Even if you’re not suing Trump, we all enter into contracts and agreements, large and small, as a part of living in a modern society. Knowing what breach of contract means could have implications on partnership agreements, residential leases, and employment contracts, among many, many other kinds of agreements.
Legal & Binding
Before we dig into how a party can breach a contract, let’s establish what a contract actually is. A contract simply refers to a promise between two or more parties that establishes binding legal duties on the parties, such that the contract can be enforced in a court if necessary. While there are still major differences between states regarding contract law (i.e. a contract valid in Iowa is not necessarily binding in California), under the legal framework of the Uniform Commercial Code and common law, there are necessary provisions for all legally enforceable contracts in the U.S. The major requirements include (but are not limited to): (1) offer; (2) acceptance; (3) legality of purpose; (4) intent; (5) “competent” parties; and (6) consideration. Let’s look at each of these requirements:
Offer
An offer must be made. Of course, you know what an offer is in general, but in the legal world a contract offer means it must include three parts-
The offering party must make a statement of intent to enter into a contract.
Terms must be specified with a specific proposal.
The offer must identify the party who is receiving the offer. a communication that identifies the person to whom the offer is made.
If any of these elements are not present, an offer has not been made.
There’s no one proper way to make an offer; it could be made via email, letter, text message, telephone call, and even through behavior.
Acceptance
This requirement seems like common sense—the offer must be accepted by the other party. But, like the offer, there are certain aspects that must be present in the acceptance. For instance, an offer must be accepted in the way that the offering party authorizes. (Example: an offer you received by email could specify that acceptance means signing and mailing back to a specific postal address. Another example: a grocery store coupon in the newspaper must be used, or accepted, by a date certain or it expires.)
Plus, an offer can only be accepted by the party to whom the offer was made, unless there’s a power of attorney or other authorization of another agent to accept on the party’s behalf.
Let’s say you receive a job offer with a new employer. That’s exciting, but you’re going to want to give the offer in the form of an employment agreement a thorough review. If you review (and consult with your attorney) and decide there are terms you don’t agree with, you may suggest changes and send your counteroffer back to the prospective employer. The edited, updated version of the contract you suggested could be accepted or rejected by the employer. Without acceptance of the agreement from all parties, there is no agreement.
This is one of the elements Daniels is asserting in her lawsuit against Trump—that the existing agreement is not valid and enforceable since one of the parties, David Dennison (AKA Donald Trump), never signed the written contract.
Legality
For an agreement to be enforceable, it must be made for a legal purpose. In other words, a contract’s subject matter cannot violate public policy or be deemed illegal. For example, a “contract” involving the sale of heroin would not be enforceable. If some parts of a contract violated either a state or federal statute, while the other parts were legal, and the two could be reasonably separated, only the aspects of the contract that were lawful could be enforced.
Intent
Sometimes referred to as “mutuality of obligation,” this necessary provision means that both parties to a contract must have a similar intent for the contract. So, if one party to a contract had been shown to purposefully misled or defraud the other party on the terms of the contract, then the contract could be nullified. Basically, everyone involved needs to enter into the contract honestly.
If you were to take a contract to court with the allegation that there was a lack of mutuality of obligation, the court would likely review records and communications that were used in creating the contract. This would provide evidence and a basis for the court to determine if an agreement on intent was actually absent at the time of drafting and execution. For that reason, I typically recommended my clients keep records of communications regarding contracts for a reasonable amount of time.
To go back to our Trump lawsuit example, intent also comes into play. Daniels has asserted that she was coerced into signing the agreement, and therefore there’s a lack of intent since, if this was the case, she wouldn’t have entered into the contract entirely freely. If proof can be found of blackmail or other types of intimidation, a court will rule the contract lacking in validity and thus unenforceable.
Competency
Parties that enter into a legal contract must have the competency and capacity to do so. People who are limited in their ability to enter into a contract include persons who have been deemed mentally incompetent, or temporarily incapacitated in the case of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and minors (unless they have been legally emancipated). This requirement ultimately provides protection for both parties.
Consideration
This essential part to a valid, enforceable contract is actually quite different than it sounds. Instead of simply “considering” the agreement, this means that both parties need to provide something of value. Consideration could be a good, service, money, or even benefits. What if there isn’t consideration on both sides? Then the agreement creates the situation for a gift instead of a contract.
To use our previous employment example, the consideration in most employment contracts is the exchange of a service (the work) for money (such as a salary or wage).
All or Nothing
It’s not good enough if just two or three of the elements are present—all aforementioned requirements must be met if a court is to find a contract legally enforceable and binding.
Click the image to watch an easy-to-understand video on “breach of contract”
Does a Contract Have to be in Writing?
A question I receive often is if every contract must be in writing. The short answer is no, but it’s a good idea whenever possible, especially in any business contract. Plus, under the intimidating-sounding Statute of Frauds, written contracts can be necessary for certain agreements to be enforceable like those involving real estate transactions, marriage, and long-term contracts (where duties cannot or will not be performed with one year of execution). That being said, if all the required elements are present in an oral agreement (and could be backed-up if necessary) a valid, enforceable exists.
Breach of Contract
Now that we’ve established what a contract is, what’s a violation or breach of a contract mean? A breach of contract occurs when either party in the legal, enforceable agreement fails to perform their duties as outlined in the contract. When a breach of contract occurs, the other (injured) party can be entitled to a remedy, typically monetary damages. In theory the monetary remedy is to be an adequate substitute for the contracted duty and that it will set-up the injured party to be in the same position had the contract never been breached.
This makes a lot of sense when you consider real-world scenarios where the monetary remedy could be used to enlist a substitute. Let’s say you’re remodeling your house and you contracted with ABC Construction to redo your kitchen. You contracted with ABC Construction based on the fact they quoted you a lower cost for the remodeling services than XYZ Construction, the only other company that performs similar services in the local area. For whatever reason, the company refuses to complete their end of the contract; they fail to show-up multiple times and you can’t get in contact with them. If the contract were legal, you could sue ABC Construction for breach of contract, and ask for monetary damages (likely equal to the higher cost of services from XYZ Construction), since ABC failed to complete their end of contracted duties. As you can see, the money remedy “restores” your economic position to that as if ABC never breached.
In almost all cases money damages are the go-to remedy for contractual performance, but there are few exceptions. Specific performance of the contracted duties can be required in unique situations where cash is not sufficient to adequately compensate the non-breaching party. Real estate offers a common example where specific performance is often required. Let’s say a valid, enforceable written contract is executed for Alan to sell Bert his house at a certain rate, but then Alan later decides he doesn’t want to sell at all. Because there is no property just like Alan’s house, Bert may be entitled to specific performance of Alan going through with the sale.
The injured party can also be entitled to contractual performance if a total value of damages cannot be calculated.
Other remedies an aggrieved party can pursue in a breach of contract include recession from the contract (terminating the contract); quantum meruit (a fancy latin way of saying “what one has earned” meaning in contract law a recovery of the value of labor and materials); and injunction (a court order for a party to do, or cease, specific acts).
Let’s take it back to the 2016 nondisclosure agreement between Daniels and Trump (or, rather, Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen). The agreement asserts that if Daniels breaches the contract (meaning she discusses information about Trump in relation to the alleged affair) the remedy will be $1 million for each violation on top of any compensation Daniels earns from disclosing information about Trump. At this time, Cohen filed papers in a federal court reportedly seeking $20 million in damages from Daniels for 20 supposed breaches of the agreement. Which circles back to Daniels’ legal argument that she is not required to pay any damages; no breach of contract occurred as there was no valid contract to begin with.
So, needless to say, the Stephanie Clifford a.k.a. Stormy Daniels a.k.a. Peggy Peterson vs. Donald J. Trump a.k.a David Dennison and Essential Consultants, LLC. lawsuit seems to be getting increasingly complex with news of Cohen’s lawsuit against Buzzfeed. It’s also likely that we’re going to see other conversations surrounding Trump and breach of contracts considering the nondisclosure agreements he had White House staffers sign. The agreements supposedly have economic penalties for “unauthorized disclosures” not just during Trump’s term in the White House, but even after he’s out of office.
All of this is to say before you sign a contract, be it for some aspect of nonprofit operations, a personal property transaction, or employment agreement, you’ll need to spend ample time reviewing all the fine print. If at all possible you will also want to run the agreement by a skilled attorney, so they can help catch any obscure legalese or one-sided loopholes.
Questions about “breach of contract?” Need advice on a pending agreement? Want to know if a contract has all the required elements? Don’t hesitate to contact me via email or by phone (515-371-6077).
https://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GFLF-logo-300x141.png00Gordon Fischerhttps://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GFLF-logo-300x141.pngGordon Fischer2018-03-19 14:20:502020-05-18 11:28:55Legal Phrase of the Day (Brought to you by Stormy Daniels): Breach of Contract
Fresh Iowa Lawyer Mag Read: Policies & Procedures Iowa Nonprofits Need
From Gordon's Desk..., NonprofitsHave you read GFLF’s latest contribution to the Iowa Bar‘s monthly publication, The Iowa Lawyer? The piece, “IRS Form 990: 10 Policies and Procedures Most Iowa Nonprofits Need” covers:
While targeted toward the attorneys who subscribe to the magazine, this article provides excellent information for all nonprofit board members, officers, staff, donors, volunteers, and other stake holders. Give the article a read and then get a jump start on top notch compliance well in advance of next year’s due date for the Form 990!
If your nonprofit hasn’t yet adopted all of policies outlined in the article (or they are in dire need of an update), what are you waiting for? Contact Gordon about the 10 for 990 deal (10 essential policies asked about of Form 990) for just $990. The rate includes a consultation, documents drafted to fit the unique needs of your organization, and one full review round. The benefits are numerous and the compliance risk is frankly too great to NOT have these important policies and procedures in place.
What a Living Will & Health Care Power of Attorney Mean for your Medical Care
Estates & Estate Planning, Powers of Attorney, Wills, Trusts & EstatesOne of the six main parts of an estate plan that every adult Iowan should have is a health care power of attorney (POA). This legal instrument allows you to designate the person that you want to make health care decisions for you in the chance that you become incapacitated and unable to make such decisions for yourself.
Who can be my Health Care POA Representative?
The person you pick is your agent/representative for purposes of health care decision-making and should be (a) a competent legal adult; (b) someone you trust would make health care decisions that align with your best interests; and (c) someone who agrees to the role. Some people elect to have the same person be their designated proxy for both the health care and financial powers of attorney. Other folks choose two different individuals for these roles.
It is highly advised to name an alternate representative in case the person you appoint becomes unable or unwilling to act on your behalf.
The law does not allow your health care designated agent to be a health care professional providing health care to you on the date you sign the document. It also cannot be any employee of the doctor, nurse, or any hospital or health care facility providing care to you. The only exception is if that employee is a close relative.
What types of Health Care Decisions does a POA Cover?
A health care power of attorney can govern any kind of decision that is related to your health that you allow. You could, for example, limit your representative to certain types of decisions. Or, you could allow your representative to make decisions for any type of health care choice/issue that may arise. This includes decisions to give, withhold, or withdraw informed consent to any medical and surgical treatments. Other decisions could relate to psychiatric treatment, nursing care, hospitalization, treatment in a nursing home, home health care, and organ donation.
When Would I use a Health Care POA?
A health care POA comes into play only when, in the certified and recorded opinion of your attending physician, you are unable to make health care decisions for yourself. Your named agent is then able to make decisions regarding your care, receive access to records, communicate with health care providers, and other important actions that would otherwise be off limits.
What is a Living Will?
The name of this document is bit of a misnomer. Sometimes referred to as an advanced directive, a living will is best thought of as a written declaration that informs health care providers of your desire to NOT have life-sustaining treatment continue if you are diagnosed as terminally ill or injured, are unable to communicate your choices regarding your treatment, and such treatment would simply prolong the inevitable and imminent process of dying. You may consider a living will an important part of the whole that is your health care power of attorney document
Under Iowa’s Living Will Law, a living will does not permit withholding or withdrawing food or water unless they are provided intravenously or by a feeding tube. Additionally, medication or medical procedures necessary to provide comfort or to ease pain are not considered life sustaining, and may not be withheld.
Because of the sensitive nature of the living will, before signing the document make certain the provisions included align with your philosophical and/or religious beliefs and wishes.
Important Definitions
“Life-sustaining treatment” is defined as the use of medical machinery such as heart-lung machines, ventilators, tube feeding, and other medical techniques that may sustain and possibly extend your life, but which won’t, by themselves, cure your condition.
“Terminal condition,” under Iowa law, is defined as an incurable or irreversible condition that without life sustaining procedures, results in death within a relatively short time or a comatose state from which there can be no recovery, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty.
In all states the determination as to whether you are in such a medical condition is determined by qualified medical professionals—typically your attending physician and at least one other medical doctor who has examined or reviewed your medical situation. The decision must be recorded in your medical records.
How do I Make a Living Will?
This is one of the documents I include in the estate planning packages for my clients, if they so elect to have one. The first step, at least when working with GFLF on your estate plan, is filling out my Estate Plan Questionnaire, which is where you can choose “yes” or “no” for creating a living will.
In terms of qualifications, you must be a competent, legal adult who is age 18 or older. The declaration can be signed in the presence of two witnesses (who also must be 18 or older and should not be family members if at all possible) or a notary public. Note that health care employees responsible for your care cannot be the witnesses.
Of course, the declaration for a living will must be signed voluntarily and without coercion.
What do I do Once I Sign a Living Will?
The original living will must be given to your doctor in order for it to be acted upon. Therefore your health care designated agent should have access to the original if the time comes when it is need.
Under Iowa law, it is your responsibility (and therefore your health care proxy if you are unable or incapacitated) to provide your attending physician (the doctor who is primarily responsible for your care and treatment) with the declaration. This attending physician might not be your family doctor, but it’s smart to give a copy of the living will to your family doctor to have on file. In addition, the living will’s existence should be made known to members of your family.
What Happens if I Change my Mind About my Living Will?
A living will is revocable at any time. You may revoke the document easily by notifying your attending physician of your intent to do so. This communication of intent will then be recorded by your attending doctor as a part of your medical record. If this is the case I also recommend contacting your estate planning attorney and health care designated agent to communicate your change. Depending on what is written in your health care POA that document may need revisions or additions, which is something your estate planning attorney can facilitate.
What About a Living Will Made in Another State?
This is a good question as each state has its own laws related to living wills and such decisions. A living will made in another state will be valid in Iowa to the extent that the declaration aligns with Iowa laws on the matter.
That being said, it’s best to have a current living will declared in the state you reside in and are most likely to receive care in. So, if you signed a living will while living in Colorado and then move to Iowa, it’s best to sign a new living will that is specific to Iowa’s laws. (Plus, moving across state lines is one of those big life changes that mean you should update your entire estate plan to be sure it’s valid under your new home state’s estate, property, and inheritance laws. So, you may as well update your living will while you’re at it!)
What Happens if I don’t Have a Living Will?
Without a living will stating your directives, others will be forced to decide if life-sustaining procedures will be used for you. (Typically this is a situation one does not want to place on their loved ones.) If you have a health care power of attorney, that representative will make the decisions regarding life sustaining treatments and procedures.
If you also don’t have a health care power of attorney in place, Iowa law states that the attending physicians and the first person available from the following list will make such health care decisions for you in front of a witness:
Communication is Key
Just like it’s important to discuss your estate planning decisions with your executor and family, it is equally important to discuss your health care and life-sustaining wishes with the person who will be your agent. You may also plainly state directives on your health care power of attorney form such as “I want all available organs to be donated in the event of my death.”
Review and Get Started
Whew. That was a lot of important information in one blog post. Let’s review how the two different but compatible documents of health care power of attorney and a living will:
You can have a health care power of attorney document without having a living will. And, while not advised to not have a health care power of attorney document in place, you could technically have a living will without a health care power of attorney.
If you don’t have health care power of attorney or a living will in place, there’s no time like the present to make your decisions known and recorded well before the unexpected happens. Fill out my easy Estate Plan Questionnaire to get started. If you have any questions about either of these documents, don’t hesitate to contact me at gordon@gordonfischerlawfirm.com or by phone at 515-371-6077.
Legal Phrase of the Day (Brought to you by Stormy Daniels): Breach of Contract
Employment Law, Legal Word of the DayThe latest lawsuit to grip the U.S. news cycle has all the makings of an interesting drama complete with pseudonyms, an agreement to “hush,” a payment for $130,000, and an absent signature. That missing signature is, in part, what brings us to an adult film actress’ lawsuit that a 15-page agreement between “Peggy Peterson” and “David Dennison” concerning an alleged affair with the president is null and void. How? The actress/stripper/director, Stormy Daniels (legal name: Stephanie Clifford), and her attorney, Michael Avenatti, filed their complaint on the bases that that the contract is unconscionable (unreasonably excessive) and invalid since Trump never personally signed. There are also allegations of coercion and physical threats against the actress by the opposing party to stay silent about what she knew about Donald Trump.
If the agreement is found to be invalidated, that would fling open the door for Stormy Daniels to publicly share her story involving Donald Trump without having to pay any damages to Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen, who brokered the deal.
Daniels requested declaratory relief from the agreement—which Trump’s representatives are intent on enforcing—and even offered to return the $130,000 payment she received.
Many words could be written on the potential legal avenues both sides of this suit could pursue. But, with a CBS “60 Minutes” interview with Daniels slated to air this month, let’s zoom in on one important aspect of the agreement in question: breach of contract.
Even if you’re not suing Trump, we all enter into contracts and agreements, large and small, as a part of living in a modern society. Knowing what breach of contract means could have implications on partnership agreements, residential leases, and employment contracts, among many, many other kinds of agreements.
Legal & Binding
Before we dig into how a party can breach a contract, let’s establish what a contract actually is. A contract simply refers to a promise between two or more parties that establishes binding legal duties on the parties, such that the contract can be enforced in a court if necessary. While there are still major differences between states regarding contract law (i.e. a contract valid in Iowa is not necessarily binding in California), under the legal framework of the Uniform Commercial Code and common law, there are necessary provisions for all legally enforceable contracts in the U.S. The major requirements include (but are not limited to): (1) offer; (2) acceptance; (3) legality of purpose; (4) intent; (5) “competent” parties; and (6) consideration. Let’s look at each of these requirements:
Offer
An offer must be made. Of course, you know what an offer is in general, but in the legal world a contract offer means it must include three parts-
If any of these elements are not present, an offer has not been made.
There’s no one proper way to make an offer; it could be made via email, letter, text message, telephone call, and even through behavior.
Acceptance
This requirement seems like common sense—the offer must be accepted by the other party. But, like the offer, there are certain aspects that must be present in the acceptance. For instance, an offer must be accepted in the way that the offering party authorizes. (Example: an offer you received by email could specify that acceptance means signing and mailing back to a specific postal address. Another example: a grocery store coupon in the newspaper must be used, or accepted, by a date certain or it expires.)
Plus, an offer can only be accepted by the party to whom the offer was made, unless there’s a power of attorney or other authorization of another agent to accept on the party’s behalf.
Let’s say you receive a job offer with a new employer. That’s exciting, but you’re going to want to give the offer in the form of an employment agreement a thorough review. If you review (and consult with your attorney) and decide there are terms you don’t agree with, you may suggest changes and send your counteroffer back to the prospective employer. The edited, updated version of the contract you suggested could be accepted or rejected by the employer. Without acceptance of the agreement from all parties, there is no agreement.
This is one of the elements Daniels is asserting in her lawsuit against Trump—that the existing agreement is not valid and enforceable since one of the parties, David Dennison (AKA Donald Trump), never signed the written contract.
Legality
For an agreement to be enforceable, it must be made for a legal purpose. In other words, a contract’s subject matter cannot violate public policy or be deemed illegal. For example, a “contract” involving the sale of heroin would not be enforceable. If some parts of a contract violated either a state or federal statute, while the other parts were legal, and the two could be reasonably separated, only the aspects of the contract that were lawful could be enforced.
Intent
Sometimes referred to as “mutuality of obligation,” this necessary provision means that both parties to a contract must have a similar intent for the contract. So, if one party to a contract had been shown to purposefully misled or defraud the other party on the terms of the contract, then the contract could be nullified. Basically, everyone involved needs to enter into the contract honestly.
If you were to take a contract to court with the allegation that there was a lack of mutuality of obligation, the court would likely review records and communications that were used in creating the contract. This would provide evidence and a basis for the court to determine if an agreement on intent was actually absent at the time of drafting and execution. For that reason, I typically recommended my clients keep records of communications regarding contracts for a reasonable amount of time.
To go back to our Trump lawsuit example, intent also comes into play. Daniels has asserted that she was coerced into signing the agreement, and therefore there’s a lack of intent since, if this was the case, she wouldn’t have entered into the contract entirely freely. If proof can be found of blackmail or other types of intimidation, a court will rule the contract lacking in validity and thus unenforceable.
Competency
Parties that enter into a legal contract must have the competency and capacity to do so. People who are limited in their ability to enter into a contract include persons who have been deemed mentally incompetent, or temporarily incapacitated in the case of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and minors (unless they have been legally emancipated). This requirement ultimately provides protection for both parties.
Consideration
This essential part to a valid, enforceable contract is actually quite different than it sounds. Instead of simply “considering” the agreement, this means that both parties need to provide something of value. Consideration could be a good, service, money, or even benefits. What if there isn’t consideration on both sides? Then the agreement creates the situation for a gift instead of a contract.
To use our previous employment example, the consideration in most employment contracts is the exchange of a service (the work) for money (such as a salary or wage).
All or Nothing
It’s not good enough if just two or three of the elements are present—all aforementioned requirements must be met if a court is to find a contract legally enforceable and binding.
Click the image to watch an easy-to-understand video on “breach of contract”
Does a Contract Have to be in Writing?
A question I receive often is if every contract must be in writing. The short answer is no, but it’s a good idea whenever possible, especially in any business contract. Plus, under the intimidating-sounding Statute of Frauds, written contracts can be necessary for certain agreements to be enforceable like those involving real estate transactions, marriage, and long-term contracts (where duties cannot or will not be performed with one year of execution). That being said, if all the required elements are present in an oral agreement (and could be backed-up if necessary) a valid, enforceable exists.
Breach of Contract
Now that we’ve established what a contract is, what’s a violation or breach of a contract mean? A breach of contract occurs when either party in the legal, enforceable agreement fails to perform their duties as outlined in the contract. When a breach of contract occurs, the other (injured) party can be entitled to a remedy, typically monetary damages. In theory the monetary remedy is to be an adequate substitute for the contracted duty and that it will set-up the injured party to be in the same position had the contract never been breached.
This makes a lot of sense when you consider real-world scenarios where the monetary remedy could be used to enlist a substitute. Let’s say you’re remodeling your house and you contracted with ABC Construction to redo your kitchen. You contracted with ABC Construction based on the fact they quoted you a lower cost for the remodeling services than XYZ Construction, the only other company that performs similar services in the local area. For whatever reason, the company refuses to complete their end of the contract; they fail to show-up multiple times and you can’t get in contact with them. If the contract were legal, you could sue ABC Construction for breach of contract, and ask for monetary damages (likely equal to the higher cost of services from XYZ Construction), since ABC failed to complete their end of contracted duties. As you can see, the money remedy “restores” your economic position to that as if ABC never breached.
In almost all cases money damages are the go-to remedy for contractual performance, but there are few exceptions. Specific performance of the contracted duties can be required in unique situations where cash is not sufficient to adequately compensate the non-breaching party. Real estate offers a common example where specific performance is often required. Let’s say a valid, enforceable written contract is executed for Alan to sell Bert his house at a certain rate, but then Alan later decides he doesn’t want to sell at all. Because there is no property just like Alan’s house, Bert may be entitled to specific performance of Alan going through with the sale.
The injured party can also be entitled to contractual performance if a total value of damages cannot be calculated.
Other remedies an aggrieved party can pursue in a breach of contract include recession from the contract (terminating the contract); quantum meruit (a fancy latin way of saying “what one has earned” meaning in contract law a recovery of the value of labor and materials); and injunction (a court order for a party to do, or cease, specific acts).
Let’s take it back to the 2016 nondisclosure agreement between Daniels and Trump (or, rather, Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen). The agreement asserts that if Daniels breaches the contract (meaning she discusses information about Trump in relation to the alleged affair) the remedy will be $1 million for each violation on top of any compensation Daniels earns from disclosing information about Trump. At this time, Cohen filed papers in a federal court reportedly seeking $20 million in damages from Daniels for 20 supposed breaches of the agreement. Which circles back to Daniels’ legal argument that she is not required to pay any damages; no breach of contract occurred as there was no valid contract to begin with.
On top of all this, the clause for $1 million in liquidated damages per breach is debatably a penalty clause. “Because penalty clauses are generally not enforceable under contract law, a court will construe an excessive liquidated damages clause as a penalty clause and will simply not enforce it.” (Note that liquidated damages are defined as specific sum of money parties agreed to and wrote into the contract. This is the amount the injured party should be paid if the other party breaches certain aspects of the contract.) Then, there is the question if the agreement and payment of $130,000 violated campaign finance laws.
So, needless to say, the Stephanie Clifford a.k.a. Stormy Daniels a.k.a. Peggy Peterson vs. Donald J. Trump a.k.a David Dennison and Essential Consultants, LLC. lawsuit seems to be getting increasingly complex with news of Cohen’s lawsuit against Buzzfeed. It’s also likely that we’re going to see other conversations surrounding Trump and breach of contracts considering the nondisclosure agreements he had White House staffers sign. The agreements supposedly have economic penalties for “unauthorized disclosures” not just during Trump’s term in the White House, but even after he’s out of office.
All of this is to say before you sign a contract, be it for some aspect of nonprofit operations, a personal property transaction, or employment agreement, you’ll need to spend ample time reviewing all the fine print. If at all possible you will also want to run the agreement by a skilled attorney, so they can help catch any obscure legalese or one-sided loopholes.
Questions about “breach of contract?” Need advice on a pending agreement? Want to know if a contract has all the required elements? Don’t hesitate to contact me via email or by phone (515-371-6077).