“Trust Mill” Allegations in Washington

Recent headlines announced the Attorney General of Washington state bringing a consumer protection lawsuit against a “trust mill” – basically a set of business entities engaged in aggressive, non-customized, and unscrupulous estate planning practices.  Part of the allegations are that someone with the organization would push annuity sales, which often did not fit the needs of the clients, but generated huge commissions and benefits for the organization and its principals.

Much could be said here, and the blog should probably address these types of problems in more detail at some point.  But regardless of how these particular allegations play out in court, or the details of various trust mills or other shady estate planning practices, there are a couple of clear lessons to take away that are applicable to all estate planning situations:

If your estate planning attorney is not listening to you and discussing a range of options and helping you find one that fits your particular situation, it should be a huge red flag.  On the flip side of that, if you feel like a particular plan or decision is being pushed on you, it should be a huge red flag.

If our office may be of assistance to you in these areas, do not hesitate to contact us at (580) 279-1496 or at coryhicks@fieldandhicks.com or using any of our contact information in the profile.  You can also visit www.fieldandhicks.com for more information.

This blog contains general information and the opinions of the author – not legal advice; you should seek the advice of competent counsel (attorney/lawyer) when considering any legal issues.