A
new scam is now being
marketed that is known
as the “Asset Protection
Consultant”. To be such
a consultant, an individual
pays several thousand
dollars to receive for
what is at best rudimentary
information that is worth
less then twenty dollars.
All this information
relates is what the benefits
are of Nevada corporations.
The new “consultant” then launches himself as a sort of “Asset Protection Maven”.
Keep in mind that he
lacks a license to
practice law which
could, at a later date,
subject both the consultant
and his client to criminal
penalties for the Unlicensed
Practice of Law (UPL),
as well discredit the
attorney-client privilege
for whatever his client
tells him.
The
consultant charges
his clients thousands
of dollars for him
to set up Nevada corporations
(which normally, with
a proper asset protection
advisor, could be set
up for a few hundred
dollars.) The so-called
consultant informs
his clients that these
are “foolproof” structures,
and that creditors
will be thwarted by
the “Bearer Shares”,
even though ownership
can be imputed even
when bearer shares
can’t be found. And,
in all likelihood,
Nevada law wouldn’t
apply when the person
and their assets are
in another state.
Eventually,
these consultants will
wind up having to hire
their own lawyer when
three events occur:
a.
The tax bill for the
entity comes due, and
he didn’t know how
to advise his client
about how to correctly
structure and fund
these entities; or
b.
His client gets sued
by a creditor, who
adds him as a co-defendant
on a civil conspiracy
claim, or, worse,
c.
His client gets sued
by the U.S. government,
who then files money
laundering charges
against the consultant.
So,
in the long run, these
“Asset Protection Consultants”
eventually get found
out, caught and wind
up having to pay fines
or, possibly, go to
jail. Adding insult
to injury, these consultants,
when attempting to
find the person who
sold them this shabby
bill of goods, will
be long gone. Our advice:
If it sounds too good
to be true, it probably
i
If
you would like more
information regarding
asset protection, trusts,
family limited partnerships
or the subject of this
article please call
or email our office.