Folks, this is a BIGGY. Probably the BIGGEST BIGGY of all. There is an old adage that people buy the salesman not the product. Now it may be true that you want or need the product but search your own memory... have you ever walked away from buying something because the sales person put you off? Have you ever vowed not to go back to a restaurant because you got poor service from the waitperson? On the other hand, have you ever chosen to buy something from a certain company because you were treated well by a representative or salesperson? We have all had these experiences and what it boils down to is we all like doing business with a company or a salesperson that we feel good about and feel we will get great service from.
It also applies to Trusts. You have to believe somebody sometime. Its the nature of our world. Nobody gets an iron clad guarantee and we get lied to all the time. So choose someone to buy from that you feel you can trust. Can you trust most attorney’s? Oh I don’t know...I get criticized all the time for ragging on attorneys but unless you know the attorney and you are positive that he/she is a person of unquestionable integrity then I say beware. Shakespeare said, “first kill all the lawyers”. This morning as I visited with one of our best representatives she related the story of one of her friends and clients who had an attorney set them up in a Trust and he created an irrevocable trust, put all their assets into it and made himself the Trustee giving him irreversable total control over their assets. I hear this kind of thing every day and it never fails to anger me. Those people lost all control of their assets with the Attorney in full charge and able to do whatever he wanted to with their assets. And there was no need for it. It could have been done so that they managed their own assets and still had them safely contained in appropriate entities.
The best way to choose a qualified professional is through personal recommendation from someone who has already dealt with that professional or through a professional referral service who has no bias. Then check the person out with the Better Business Bureau, and if you are going to choose an attorney then call the local Bar Association and see if there have been any complaints against that attorney. Finally do business with a lawyer or organization who is a specialist in Living Trusts. One who has the training, education, and credentials to do this specific kind of work. You wouldn't go to a foot surgeon to take out a brain tumor...why handle your financial and legal work in that fashion? So much harm is done by people (attorneys) who claim to be experts when they really don’t know what they are doing. The burden of proof is on you. I recommend that you choose an organization like Heritage Living Trust who has been doing nothing but trusts for 20 years...and its all they do. Their product and service are extraordinary and they have an A+ rating with BBB (with not one client complaint) and 24 years of specialized experience. You can reach them at 888-437-8778
If you would like to discuss this or any issue relating to these topics you may contact me at 888-437-8778