As I age, I’m begin to realize that my parents were right in many things they taught me. Well almost!
They stressed the need to form a Family Trust if you want to make sure your assets go where you want them to go.
Of course, my parents knew nothing about the guardianship issues seniors have faced in the last 15 years or so, or about the pitfalls (meaning scandal) that one can face once they find themselves in a bad guardianship situation.
The Vegas Voice was successful with the support and assistance of caring legislative members, to get a law passed allowing individuals to “nominate” their choice of a guardian should the need ever arise. Such nomination form is then filed with the Nevada Secretary of State and that named proposed guardian must be honored by the court.
(And unlike some unscrupulous attorneys, the Guardianship Nomination form is available on our Vegas Voice web site at no charge).
As I read in last month’s Las Vegas Review Journal the scandal involving guardianship is still being played out by a handful of “bad people” in Nevada’s Probate Court. Reading this, I am so thankful that I paid a great deal of attention to the importance my parents placed in making sure I had my attorney lock up my assets in a trust.
If you, dear readers, have not yet done so, please don’t hesitate to do the same. Reason? If your property is owned by a trust and you pass away your estate does not go into probate.
As The Vegas Voice pointed out several years ago, some of the private guardians, and their associates were attending probate hearings. Their nefarious plans was to handle the probate cases, that would naturally be beneficial to them and not family members.
Once appointed by the court, they would arrange to “auction” homes of their probate case, to “connected” buyers who then would flip the homes. Family members never received any payment – the real money went to the “friendly auction purchase” once they sold the home.
As you can imagine, there is a great deal more to this (another) Nevada scandal and hopefully we will have more information in the future. Until then, please protect yourself, and your family by making sure your home and all your assets are in a Trust.
Just like you don’t want to end up in Guardianship Court, you don’t want your family to visit Probate Court. Remember this Court system isn’t broken, it’s “fixed.”
