AITA?
I’m a dentist working in my FIL’s private practice in a Midwest state. The practice has been in their family for about 80 years. He didn’t have a child who became a dentist, and keeping the practice in the family was very important to him. That was a major reason I attended dental school and joined the practice five years ago.
From the beginning, I’ve requested written confirmation regarding ownership and compensation something I could take to a lawyer for review. Nothing actionable has ever been produced.
Over the last 5 years, my FIL has been positioning my brother-in-law (a dental hygienist) into more of an ownership role, including splitting profits with him. In my state, professional corporations can only be owned by licensed professionals in that field. My FIL wants to split the business 50/50 between my BIL and myself. My BIL is not a dentist. From my understanding, sharing in medical profits constitutes improper fee sharing and potentially jeopardize the corporation and my license once my FIL retires.
My FIL plans to retire in about 12 months. I’ve told him I cannot move forward under the current structure. If my BIL is involved, ownership would need to be limited to management or non-clinical aspects but we can’t split profits generated by medical procedures. He agreed to speak with a lawyer but it will likely cause my BIL to quit.
I’ve met with my own attorney. Their advice was to formally set a two month deadline for a legally compliant structure that I can review and sign. I’m not trying to blow up the family or the business but with retirement approaching, I can’t continue operating in a structure that may expose me legally once I own the company.
What makes this especially difficult is that my FIL was president of our state’s professional organization for over a decade. He understands the regulations and is comfortable with circumventing them and putting my license at risk when he’s retired all for my BIL.
AITA for setting a firm deadline and boundary and potentially blowing up the family?
Nta. Family wouldn’t ask you to do anything to jeopardize your livelihood. Fil knew this was a problem and assumed you’d just go along with it. Honestly, don’t wait for him to “talk” to a lawyer, just walk away and start over elsewhere. Protect yourself becuz it’s clear fil and bil don’t have your best interest in mind or at heart.
NTA. You work hard for the license to do things, and you shouldn’t feel any pressure at all to risk that for ANYTHING. Take your attorney’s advice. Law is on your side here.
NTA
This sounds messy. I agree with your lawyer to set some hard boundaries but it sounds like they don’t plan to comply. I’d be preparing to exit
NTA. You need to protect your license.
NTA BUT I would re-consider putting in your worth and tying yourself to this business… really doesnt sound like FIL wants or is putting the effort in to make sure you carry on this business… sounds like a messy road ahead… if you know he knows about setting it up properly and is dragging/ making sure its not going in the way he originally portrayed I would just leave it be and move on somewhere where i know my career path is secured… mixing family and business doesnt always work out
You clearly use the word ‘can’t,’ ‘cannot move forward,’ ‘can’t continue operating,’ ‘expose me legally,’ ‘putting my license at risk’.
You don’t want to ‘blow up the family,’ but it’s your FIL who is ready to blow up his business AND his agreement with you and the BIL/FIL who are ready to blow up the family.
But you seem to not just be willing to take responsibility for doing the ‘blowing up’… you are already taking responsibility for potentially doing that if you… do what?
Simply require them to follow the law and/or take steps to protect your license if they won’t. I assume you can look for a job elsewhere if you need to to.
They are AHs for not caring about agreements or the law if they can be self-serving. But it’s up to you to either protect yourself or put ‘keeping the peace’ above your rights, the law, fairness…
Make your decision and own it.
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NTA… Are you sure your FIL is even going to give you any ownership? This seems like you are being used…
In truth. He hasn’t. I confronted him on this the other day. He told me to add my name to the corporate filing myself.
Wtf you did something based on an assumption and now you’re a dentist
NTA – Do the two-month deadline thing, but \*also\* see if you can draw up a plan for a legally compliant structure as a counter. (All else failing, you could potentially start your own legally compliant practice.)
Instead of selling practice to another dentist, he wants to obligate you to earn money for his son into perpetuity. You already spent 5 years of your life. You could have worked somewhere else and bought into a partnership practice by now with profit sharing.
Can you go be a dentist somewhere else? I feel like you are being taken advantage of.
NTA. I would start looking for alternatives in case you do not get a legal binding agreement that follows the law and protects your license. If BIL quits or your FIL refuses, you need to be able to walk away. Also your spouse needs to back you up on your decision.
Get out now, but do it nicely. Go independent or join another practice NOW and let them know that with BIL taking over the family business, you want him to have the freedom to hire the dentist of his choice, not be obligated to use his SIL. Put the guilt on them and get out. Because there will be profit sharing but it won’t be in your favor. Anything other than the above puts your husband in a bad place and regardless of work, you still have family gatherings with this group for a long, long time. Just consider it a great set of training. And if they come back with an offer to stay, you will even more realize you were just an employee the whole time. And employees are free to leave.