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What do you have to leave your children when you pass away? Host Jen Zahradnik, attorney, livestock producer, and farm kid, hears this question all the time, and the answer surprises people: nothing. It doesn't have to be equal, either. In this episode, Jen talks through what it means to build an estate plan around your own wishes, and why fair is not always equal.

In this episode:

- Why you don't have to leave your children anything, and why you don't have to treat them equally

- When talking with your family matters most: passing on a farm or business you want to continue

- Why your lawyer can't tell your kids what's in your will, even when they call and ask

- Why you can change your mind for as long as you're able to make the decision, and why you shouldn't wait

- The questions families ask about timing, acres, and value

- How the way something is titled affects where it goes: joint tenancy, tenants in common, and payable on death or transfer on death

- How a valuation can help you treat children similarly, or explain a difference in your documents and head off a fight later

Three things to remember:

1. You don't have to leave your children anything, and it doesn't have to be equal.

2. Know what you have and how it's titled.

3. Make your decisions now, while you still can.

The Back 40 Lawyer is for general information and education only. It is not legal advice, and listening to it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every situation is different, and the law changes. Before you act on anything you hear here, please talk with a licensed attorney about your specific circumstances.

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

A lot of Iowa farm ground is rented, and plenty of those deals run on a handshake. In this episode, Jen Zahradnik of Legal Solutions of Iowa explains why a written lease protects both landlord and tenant, the two main ways folks rent ground, and the one date that catches people every year: September 1.

Key Takeaways

• Get it in writing. A written lease protects the tenant and the landlord, and keeps everyone on the same page years down the road.
• Know your options. Cash rent is a set dollar amount per acre. With crop share, the landlord takes an agreed share of the crop. Neither is automatically right.
• Circle September 1. To end a farm lease, you generally have to give proper notice by September 1. Miss it, and the lease renews for another full crop year on the same terms.
• Do the notice right. A notice that isn't given properly is the same as no notice at all, so talk with a lawyer.

Need help with a farm lease? Call Legal Solutions of Iowa at 319-444-3285 or visit www.legalsolutionsofiowa.com.

Coming next: A guest walks us through how a farm sale really works, start to finish. Subscribe so you don't miss it, and share this episode with someone who rents ground.

The Back Forty is for general information and education only. It is not legal advice, and listening to it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every situation is different, and the law changes. Talk with a licensed attorney about your specific circumstances.

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

In this episode, Jen Zahradnik of Legal Solutions of Iowa explains why the answer is "it depends," and walks through a legal idea called boundary by acquiescence.

What you'll learn:

• Why a fence and the legal line in your deed are two different things
• What "acquiescence" really means (hint: everybody went along with it)
• How the same rule can cut both ways, depending on which side of the fence you're standing on
• Why a survey up front costs far less than a lawsuit later

Three takeaways:

1. Don't assume the fence is the line, and don't assume it isn't.
2. Before you build, buy, or spend real money on ground, get a survey.
3. If a line question is bubbling up with a neighbor, deal with it early and calmly.

• Facts: Every detail comes from the script, and the contact info is what you confirmed.
• Safeguards: The notes do not state the number of years or the legal test, do not mention adverse possession or any statute or case, and do not describe any real client matter.
• Plain text: No markdown symbols, so it should paste cleanly.
• Additions: I added one short line, "Boundary questions turn on the details...," to reinforce the see-a-lawyer message. It's easy to cut if you'd rather not have it.
• Disclaimer wording: The disclaimer is condensed to one sentence plus a short follow-up. It uses the spoken name "The Back Forty," matching your naming convention.