Fraudulent
transfer rules exist
to protect both present
and future creditors
of a transferor. A creditor
is a person having a
claim, and this claim
includes, among other
things, contingent, equitable,
and unliquidated rights
to payment. Therefore,
a shareholder's guarantee
of his corporation's
debt would make the corporation's
creditor on that debt
the shareholder's creditor,
and the guaranteed corporate
debt would be included
in determining the shareholder's
solvency for these purposes.
You
may ask yourself this
question: "If future creditors are protected, how can I ever protect my assets?" While laws on this subject differ from one jurisdiction to another, the courts
have distinguished
between attempts to
defraud specific future
creditors, which won’t
succeed, and protecting
yourself from unascertainable
future, or "potential" creditors. Without the presence of proof of actual intent, courts have held
that an individual
can effectively protect
himself against future
potential creditors,
provided a transfer
is made sufficiently
in advance of a potential
future creditor problem.
To put it another way,
planning for your future
well being is not prohibited
by the fraudulent transfer
laws, and advance planning
is essential.
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.
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