Whenever I meet with clients that want to start up a business together I suggest when they are forming the partnership/operations/organization agreement that they plan the divorce along with the marriage. I always then get that look. You know the one that I am crazy, that they would never ever think about not working with their best friend/spouse/lover/stranger/whatever. But it always does happen. So you should plan on it when you still are in that blissful start of love at the beginning of a relationship.
Recently I just finished presenting a startup’s tax return to one of the owners. They were not necessarily complaining about the other owner, but they were talking about the inequities that were starting to emerge.
Almost immediately after that meeting, I got a call from the client that the other was considering backing out of the agreement. This could be a blessing for this business. It’s a good thing they have this straightened out already.