The volume of litigation in the United States is on an endlessly upward trajectory. Yet, most Americans are unaffected by this statistic: Either they have no savings to lose, or they are so wealthy as to be able to withstand the impact of a large lawsuit. Caught in the middle are those who have accumulated significant wealth, but whose lifestyle would be devastated by an adverse judgment. Inga Ivsan, J.D. cum laude, LL.M. (Estate Planning), offers an overview of fundamental principles governing asset protection planning, including the history and evolution of the asset protection trust, fraudulent transfer laws, and creditor challenges to many popular structures. Ivsan then outlines the 2007 Wyoming laws recognizing the qualified spendthrift trust, as well as Wyoming laws governing the regulation of private trust companies. Finally, Ivsan provides both background and a technical explanation of the Swiss hybrid trust, a planning technique first developed by one of our clients, Lighthouse Trust in Switzerland. Explaining how this formidable planning concept is synthesized with Wyoming trust law to create an efficient planning device, Ivsan shows how the Swiss-Wyoming International Family Trust – aka the “SWIFT” Trust – constitutes a state of the art asset protection solution in contemporary times.
We are pleased to announce the publication of Ms. Ivsan’s latest book. The book is also available in hardcopy and Kindle format on Amazon by clicking here.