DOCUMENTATION CHECKLIST
Also known as an "Office Sharing Agreement"
An association of two or more practitioners who maintain independent practices pursuant to a shared expense agreement. The parties may share staff; equipment, a shared “identity” to patients but typically each has a separate patient base.
- Form of Agreement
a. Complete written document / signed/ dated - Relationship of Parties
a. Combine practice – one identity to patients
b. Separate practice- separate identities to patients - Terms of Agreement
a. Compensation – separate tracking of production / collections
b. Benefits – combines / separate [insurance]
c. Duties / responsibilities of each party - Taxes
a. Combines or separate - Expenses
a. Combines / separate
b. Shared [rent, inventory, lab, utilities, telephone, computer, postage, some staff]
c. Separate [some staff, insurance, promotional]
d. Pay via joint operating account or cut separate checks - Ownership Interests
a. Patient records / computer data- clearly identify and keep separate
b. Equipment, supplies, telephone number [consider separate lines] - Income / Production / Collections
a. Mechanics / bookkeeping / records / billings - Management Duties
a. Co-equal as to shared staff
b. Separate for separate staff - Insurance – Malpractice / Office / Workers Comp / Overhead / Disability
a. Insurance costs
b. Insurance- cross verification
c. Indemnification – cross - Lease
a. Both parties named - Termination / Death / Disability / Sale / Option to Purchase / Right of First Refusal
- Covenant Not to Compete
a. Valid for sale of practice / goodwill – Business and Professions Code Section 16600, et seq. - Anti-Solicitation Clause
a. Valid as to separately identified patients
b. Mechanics
Reprinted with permission of the Goldman law Firm, Two Rincon Center, 121 Spear Street, Suite 212, San Francisco, Ca. 94105 [415] 357-2940 Fax [415] 357-2949 1996