Domestic Asset Protection Trust Versus Offshore Asset Protection Trust
Alaska was the first state in the United States to pass a domestic asset protection trust statute. Prior to 1997, this type of protection could only be obtained in offshore jurisdictions such as the Isle of Man. A number of other states -- including Delaware -- have subsequently enacted similar statutes. There is now an ongoing debate about the advantages and disadvantages of offshore versus domestic APT's.
I recently came across a good summary of these issues by Jeffrey T. Getty and Kalimah Z. White. Their article is several years old, but I recommend this link for what I think is a good general discussion of domestic asset protection trusts and their pluses and minuses compared to offshore trusts.
Keep in mind that so-called asset protection trusts (APT's) are a possible alternative -- but certainly not the only alternative -- to shield you assets from creditors. Whether or not such an arrangement is right for you depends on a number of factors, including your willingness to surrender some degree of control over the assets placed in such a trust.
