As a personal injury attorney, you hate it when your former clients that are receiving structured settlement annuity payments are targeted by the “cash now” companies we all see on TV. All of the planning done at the time of settlement can be undone in a single “cash now” transaction, leaving your client in a much worse financial position. These companies routinely take advantage of injury victims. We know it drives you crazy and it drives us crazy too—which is why we want to help!
One solution to this problem is to set up the structured settlement annuity so that the payments are made directly into a settlement trust (which we prepare for our clients at the time of settlement—often at no additional charge). The trustee of the trust has control over whether to sell the future payments—not the injured client. Thus, even if the injured client sees a “cash now” ad on TV and wants to sell, the trustee must make the final decision on whether to sell the future payments. This approach is simple to implement at the time of settlement and eliminates almost all of these transactions.
Even in those situations where clients really do need to sell their payments, they are usually getting ripped off by the shady “cash now” companies. We know that often your clients will call you asking for advice regarding if or how to sell their payments. This is where we can help.
We will meet with your clients, pro bono, to discuss their financial situation, explore ways to meet their needs without selling their future payments, and help them understand the true financial implications of getting “cash now.” Much of the time we can find a solution that is far better than selling their payments.
However, if after meeting with us, your clients still decide to sell their payments, we will help them shop the market to make sure they receive the best possible deal from a reputable company. The TV advertisers most often offer the worst deals because they have to make enough to buy all of those annoying commercials.
So, remember this: if one of your clients approaches you about selling their future structured settlement payments, call us. We will help your client make an educated decision, avoid getting taken advantage of, and, if they do decide to sell, get the most money possible. We are happy to do this pro bono. Nothing bothers us more than hearing of an unsuspecting injury victim getting ripped off by one of these companies. We view it as our responsibility to educate all settlement recipients on these transactions and, at least, make sure they’re not getting ripped off.
To learn more about protecting your clients from the shady “cash now” companies, visit www.fightcashnow.com
