After receiving many complaints of estate planning schemes run by salespeople throughout the state, the State Bar of Michigan addressed the issue last week by holding A Living Trust Education Initiative. The Initiative included educational presentations across the state, with a focus on estate planning scams. Many of the scams reported in Michigan involved salespeople giving estate planning advice without a license to practice law. The salespeople either go door-to-door offering free estate planning advice or hold an event that offers a free meal and estate advice, which scare attendees into purchasing an annuity or services from the presenter, such as having them draft a living trust.
See Matt Wallace, Who Should You Trust?, The Times Herald, Aug. 9, 2014.
Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.
