Some trusts are designed not simply to transfer wealth — but to protect it. From lawsuits, creditors, divorce, taxes, poor decisions, addiction, financial predators, business risk, and sometimes even family conflict itself.
Protection Trusts are about creating legal boundaries and strategic structures around assets before problems arise. This category introduces one of the most misunderstood concepts in estate planning: protection is often built long before it is needed.
These trusts are not necessarily about secrecy or hiding assets. They are about structure, planning, risk management, and long-term preservation. Think of them as firewalls, vaults, insurance policies, or legal architecture designed to absorb impact.
This category often appeals to business owners, physicians, professionals, real estate investors, entrepreneurs, blended families, and anyone concerned about preserving what they’ve built.
At a deeper level, Protection Trusts ask an uncomfortable but important question: "What are you trying to protect your family from?"
Asset Protection Trust
Building the Wall Before the Storm
An Asset Protection Trust is a trust designed to help shield assets from future creditors, lawsuits, and certain financial risks. These trusts are typically irrevocable and strategically structured to separate ownership from control.
Read the One-Sheet →II.2Spendthrift Trust
Protecting Beneficiaries from Themselves
A Spendthrift Trust is a trust designed to protect a beneficiary’s inheritance from reckless spending, creditors, lawsuits, or poor financial decisions. Instead of receiving assets outright, the beneficiary receives controlled distributions managed by a trustee.
Read the One-Sheet →II.3Irrevocable Trust
The Power of Letting Go
An Irrevocable Trust is a trust that generally cannot be easily changed or revoked once created. By giving up certain ownership or control rights, individuals may gain asset protection, tax advantages, Medicaid planning benefits, and long-term preservation structures.
Read the One-Sheet →II.4Domestic Asset Protection Trust (DAPT)
The Self-Protective Trust
A Domestic Asset Protection Trust (DAPT) is a specialized type of irrevocable trust allowed in certain states that may allow a person to protect assets while still remaining a discretionary beneficiary of the trust. In simple terms: under certain laws, you may be able to create a trust that protects assets even while you can still potentially benefit from them.
Read the One-Sheet →II.5Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT)
Protection Through Partnership
A SLAT is an irrevocable trust created by one spouse for the benefit of the other spouse, often used for estate tax planning and long-term asset protection. The structure may allow a family to move assets outside of the taxable estate while still maintaining indirect access through the beneficiary spouse.
Read the One-Sheet →Schedule a Complimentary 30-Minute Consultation
At Hurwitz.Law, we believe that thoughtful planning begins with a meaningful conversation.
We offer a private, 30-minute consultation—by phone or Zoom—for individuals and families considering estate planning, elder law, or trust administration services. This conversation allows us to understand your goals, answer your questions, and help determine whether our firm is the right fit for your needs.
Our firm is intentionally boutique. We work with a limited number of clients so that we can provide a high level of personal attention and care. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll do our best to point you in the right direction.
This consultation is not a sales pitch. It’s a conversation rooted in clarity, respect, and the belief that your time—and your legacy—deserve both.
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