How Foreign Asset Protection Trusts (FAPTs) Compare to Domestic Asset Protection Trusts (DAPTs)

Stephen Speiser, Esq. September 2024 In the realm of wealth management and asset protection, trusts play a pivotal role in safeguarding assets against potential creditors, legal judgments, and other financial risks. Two prominent types of trusts utilized for these purposes are Foreign Asset Protection Trusts (FAPTs) and Domestic Asset Protection Trusts (DAPTs).  Each type offers unique features, legal protections, and …

Popular Jurisdictions for Foreign Asset Protection Trusts (FAPTs)

Stephen Speiser, Esq September 2024 When it comes to protecting assets from potential creditors, lawsuits, or other financial threats, establishing an offshore trust in a jurisdiction with strong asset protection laws can be a strategic move. Among the most popular jurisdictions for foreign asset protection trusts are the Cook Islands, Nevis, and Belize, and to a somewhat lesser degree the …

Introduction to Foreign Asset Protection Trusts (FAPTs)

By Stephen Speiser, Esq. Sept 2024 In today’s increasingly litigious society, protecting one’s assets from potential creditors and legal claims has become a priority for many individuals. One effective strategy for safeguarding wealth is the use of Foreign Asset Protection Trusts (FAPTs). Here is an overview of what FAPTs are, their purpose, and how they differ from domestic trusts. What …

The Power of International Asset Protection Trusts

By Stephen Speiser, Esq. June 2024 The vehicle of choice for many high-net-worth families engaged in offshore asset protection planning is the international asset protection trust (“IAPT”). The principal reason IAPTs are popular is because the trust can lawfully hold assets outside the jurisdiction of the United States where they are beyond the reach of U.S. creditors. In addition, IAPTs …

The Folly of Domestic Asset Protection Trusts (DAPTs)

By Stephen Speiser, Esq. We need to have a serious conversation about domestic asset protection trusts (DAPTs). By our last count, 20 states now have DAPT laws: Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Yet, the rush to implement DAPT legislation – motivated by state bar …

The Alec Baldwin Saga: A Case Study

Can Asset Protection Save His Fortune from Manslaughter Charges? By: Stephen Speiser, Esq. February 1, 2024 The once bright future of Alec Baldwin is now in serious peril.  On Friday, January 19, 2024, a New Mexico grand jury indicted the Emmy-award winning actor and director on involuntary manslaughter charges stemming from the October 2021 fatal shooting on the film set …

The Mireva Invasion

Are Mireva Rulings Coming to the United States? Readers of our website know that we have written extensively about the Mareva ruling, a form of ex parte preliminary injunction increasingly granted by courts outside the USA to freeze debtor assets. A 2021 Florida state court decision has created a great deal of unease among debtors’ representatives concerning the reach of …

Is All Asset Protection Planning Bad Under the UVTA?

A state’s enactment of a DAPT law should be regarded as the state legislature’s expression per se “actual intent” under the UVTA not be imputed in any form of asset protection planning.  While this is an incredibly broad inference, it reflects the reality that DAPTs do not exist in a vacuum.

When Is An “Offshore” Asset Protection Plan Not Really Offshore?

There are three basic elements of a true “offshore” asset protection plan: (i) the legal structure (trust or business entity) must be formed outside the U.S. in a safe jurisdiction; (ii) the assets have been successfully migrated to the offshore legal structure; and (iii) legal control of the structure must be vested in persons or trustees who are not subject to U.S. jurisdiction.