Hollywood Family Business Dispute Attorney

A family business dispute is rarely about the business alone, which is exactly why it is so hard to resolve. The Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team represents co-owners in Hollywood family business dispute matters, including siblings who inherited a company together, parents and children who no longer share a vision, and spouses or in-laws holding ownership stakes, for clients in Hollywood, Broward County, and throughout South Florida. The same ownership questions that arise between strangers, such as who controls the company, who is paid what, and where the money went, arrive wrapped in holidays, history, and loyalty.

That emotional layer changes how a case should be run. A dispute among relatives usually has a long paper trail of informal understandings: a handshake arrangement about salaries, an operating agreement nobody has read since it was signed, a parent’s promise about who would eventually take over. Florida courts decide these cases on the documents, the conduct of the owners, and the statutory remedies available, not on who has the more sympathetic story. Getting the structure right early, whether that means a negotiated buyout, a court-supervised separation, or emergency protection for company assets, often determines whether the business survives the fight at all.

Why Choose the Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team for a Family Business Dispute

The Andrew M. Andrew M. Schwartz, the firm’s founder, has spent 37 years in litigation and has practiced in Florida since being admitted to The Florida Bar in 1989. He earned his undergraduate degree from Emory University in 1986 and his law degree from the University of Miami in 1989. His career has been built around complex contract disputes, business divorces, and conflicts among partners, LLC members, and shareholders, which is the legal core of nearly every family business fight.

Andrew is joined by Senior Counsel Sundeep Nath, a Northwestern-trained litigator with years of experience in business and real estate cases in both state and federal courts. The firm practices as a true legal team, so everyone working on a matter knows the file and can respond when a client calls. There is a strict 24 hour return call policy when the attorneys are in court or otherwise unavailable. Family clients often come to us wanting to stay out of a courtroom fight with someone they love, and our attorneys are experienced in mediation and arbitration as well as litigation, looking for the resolution that fits the client’s goals and budget rather than prolonging a case for its own sake.

The firm’s trial work is also a matter of record. In 2024, after a five-day bench trial in Broward County Circuit Court, the firm obtained a 32-page final judgment awarding its client specific performance of a commercial real estate contract. Family businesses very often hold their value in real property, so that combination of business and real estate litigation experience matters. We serve Hollywood and Broward County clients alongside those in Palm Beach County, and we also represent clients from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut who have business or real estate interests here, handling local court appearances so they do not have to travel for every hearing.

Common Family Business Disputes We Handle

• Sibling Disputes Over an Inherited Company: When a parent leaves a business to several children, one often runs it while others hold equity without involvement. Disagreements over salary, reinvestment versus distributions, and whether to sell frequently lead to claims of unequal treatment or breach of fiduciary duty.
• Parent and Child Succession Conflicts: A founder may believe a child was promised ownership or control, while the documents say otherwise. These cases turn on corporate records, operating or shareholder agreements, and the history of what each party contributed.
• Spouses and In-Laws as Co-Owners: Ownership shared through marriage becomes complicated when the marriage ends or a family rift develops. Questions of valuation, buyout terms, and continued management authority often need resolution separately from any divorce.
• Missing or Diverted Company Funds: A relative with access to the books may take distributions that were not authorized, commingle personal and company accounts, or pay family members without justification. Remedies include an accounting, recovery of funds, and breach of fiduciary duty claims.
• Minority Owners Frozen Out: A family member holding a smaller stake may be cut off from information, excluded from decisions, or paid nothing while the majority takes compensation. Florida’s business entity statutes give minority owners tools, including buyout and dissolution remedies in the right circumstances.
• Deadlocked Management: Equal owners who cannot agree can leave a company unable to sign contracts, hire, or pay vendors. Deadlock is a recognized ground for judicial dissolution of an LLC when irreparable injury to the company is threatened or occurring.
• Family-Owned Real Estate: Many family companies hold the property itself. When relatives co-own real estate and cannot agree on keeping, renting, or selling it, a partition action or title dispute may be the only way forward.
• Breaches of Operating and Shareholder Agreements: Even informal family companies usually have written agreements. Buy-sell clauses, transfer restrictions, and deadlock sale provisions can control the outcome of a dispute before a court ever weighs in.

What to Do First When a Family Business Relationship Breaks Down

Start with the documents, because they decide more than most people expect. Gather the articles of incorporation or organization, the operating agreement or shareholder agreement, any buy-sell agreement, tax returns, bank statements, and records of distributions and salaries. If you are an owner, you generally have the right to review company books and records, and requesting them in writing creates a useful record. Do not remove originals or access accounts you are not authorized to use; courts view self-help poorly, and it can hand the other side a claim against you.

Time limits matter more than families tend to assume. In Florida, an action on a written contract, including an operating or shareholder agreement, generally must be brought within five years, while a claim on an oral or implied agreement has four years. Fraud claims run four years from discovery, capped at twelve years overall, and a suit for specific performance has a one-year period. Because family businesses run on informal promises, it is often unclear which category a claim falls under, and an early review keeps a valid claim from expiring.

If you believe funds are being moved or spent, speak with an attorney quickly. Courts can issue temporary injunctions and, in dissolution proceedings, appoint a receiver or custodian after notice and a hearing. Business cases in Broward County are heard in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, which sits in and for Broward County and operates a complex business division that handles matters such as the dissolution of certain business entities and large business litigation. Hollywood residents also have a South Regional Courthouse in Hollywood that serves the county’s civil docket. Cases that cross state lines or raise federal questions can end up in the Southern District of Florida, which includes Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

Finally, avoid the most common mistakes: confronting a relative in writing with accusations that later get quoted back, continuing to pay yourself or others in ways that look self-interested, and signing a buyout or release in the heat of a family argument without anyone reviewing the valuation. A calm first step, a clear picture of your rights under the agreement, and an honest look at whether mediation could work will usually serve you better than an immediate filing.

Florida Remedies for Separating Family Co-Owners

When relatives cannot continue in business together, Florida law offers several routes depending on the entity type. For an LLC, a member or manager may petition the circuit court for dissolution on grounds that include conduct of the company’s affairs unlawfully, the impracticability of carrying on in line with the articles and operating agreement, illegal or fraudulent conduct by those in control, misappropriation or waste of assets causing injury, or a deadlock that cannot be broken and threatens irreparable injury. In those proceedings the court may appoint a receiver or custodian, or order the company or other members to buy out the petitioner’s interest. Importantly, if the operating agreement already contains a deadlock sale provision that is initiated before the court finds deadlock grounds, that provision can displace a judicial dissolution order.

Corporations have a parallel framework. A shareholder may seek judicial dissolution on statutory grounds, including where the corporation has abandoned its business and failed to liquidate within a reasonable time. Once such a proceeding is filed, the corporation must notify the other shareholders within 30 days that they can avoid dissolution by electing to purchase the petitioner’s shares at fair value. If the parties agree on fair value and terms within 60 days of the first election, the court enters an order directing the purchase on those terms. An election to purchase is generally irrevocable unless the court finds it equitable to modify it. During the case, courts may issue injunctions and appoint a receiver or custodian to preserve corporate assets.

Real estate adds another layer. Where relatives own property together and cannot agree, Florida’s partition statutes allow the court to divide the property or, if division would prejudice the owners, order a sale at public auction with proceeds split in proportion to ownership. Property inherited among relatives may qualify as heirs property under Florida’s Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act, which adds protections for family cotenants before a forced sale. Separate quiet title actions can clear competing ownership claims and cancel conveyances that cloud title.

Frequently Asked Questions About Family Business Disputes

Can I sue a family member who is a co-owner of my business?

Yes. Co-owners owe each other duties under the governing agreement and Florida law, and a family relationship does not shield anyone from claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, or an accounting. Whether suit is the right move depends on the documents and your goals.

What is the difference between a business divorce and a lawsuit?

A business divorce is the separation of co-owners, which may be resolved by buyout, sale, wind-down, or court-ordered dissolution. A lawsuit is one tool for reaching that result when negotiation fails. Many business divorces never reach trial.

Can a court force the sale or dissolution of a family LLC?

In the right circumstances. Florida law allows an LLC member or manager to seek judicial dissolution on specific grounds such as misappropriation of assets, illegal conduct by those in control, or an unbreakable deadlock causing irreparable injury. Courts can also order a buyout instead of dissolving the company.

What if there is no written operating agreement?

Without one, Florida’s default statutory rules govern, and informal family understandings become harder to prove. Emails, tax filings, bank records, and the way the owners actually ran the company often become the key evidence of who agreed to what.

How long do I have to bring a claim?

A claim founded on a written agreement generally has five years, while oral or implied contract claims have four. Fraud has four years from discovery, with a twelve-year outside limit. Because the correct period depends on the claim, it is worth confirming early.

Can I get paid back if a relative took money from the company?

You may have claims for an accounting, breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, and recovery of the funds. Where assets are at risk of being moved or spent, a court can issue injunctive relief while the case proceeds.

My parent promised me the business, but nothing is in writing. Do I have a claim?

Possibly, but it is harder. Oral promises are subject to a four-year limitations period for non-written contracts and to proof problems. Evidence of what you contributed and how the family treated you as an owner can matter a great deal.

Will a family business dispute affect my divorce, or vice versa?

It can. When a spouse or in-law holds an ownership interest, the valuation and control of the company may need to be resolved alongside or separate from a divorce. Coordinating the two matters early helps avoid inconsistent positions.

Do these cases have to go to trial?

No. Many are settled through negotiation, mediation, or arbitration, particularly when family members want to preserve the company or the relationship. Our attorneys are experienced in alternative dispute resolution as well as courtroom litigation.

How long does a business dispute take in the Broward County courts?

It varies with the complexity of the case, whether emergency relief is needed, and how willing the parties are to resolve it. Cases routed to the Seventeenth Circuit’s complex business division often involve more detailed case management, while early mediation can shorten the process considerably.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer if the business is small?

Often, yes. Small family companies frequently hold a family’s main asset, and a poorly handled separation can cost more than early advice would have. A short consultation can clarify your rights and whether a negotiated outcome makes sense.

I live in New York or New Jersey. Can you handle a dispute over a Florida family business?

Yes. We regularly represent clients from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut with business or real estate interests in South Florida, handling the local court appearances and keeping you informed at each stage.

Serving Family Business Owners Across Hollywood and Broward County

Our Hollywood family business dispute representation reaches throughout the city, from the downtown and beachfront areas through Hollywood Hills, Emerald Hills, and the communities surrounding the Hollywood Boulevard corridor. We also work with owners in neighboring Broward communities including Hallandale Beach, Dania Beach, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Davie, Cooper City, and Fort Lauderdale, along with Plantation, Sunrise, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, and Coral Springs.

Our reach continues north into Palm Beach County, including Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, so a family whose company or property spans both counties can work with one team. Whether the dispute involves a Hollywood storefront, a rental property held among siblings, or a closely held company with owners scattered between South Florida and the tri-state area, we handle the Florida proceedings and keep every owner informed.

Speak With a Hollywood Family Business Dispute Lawyer

When relatives who share a company can no longer agree, the sooner the documents and options are reviewed, the more choices remain. The Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team offers a measured approach to family business disputes in Hollywood and across Broward County, pursuing negotiated solutions where they serve you and litigation where they do not. Call to discuss your situation with a Hollywood family business dispute attorney who understands both the law and the family dynamics behind it.