Privacy trusts allow you to control, manage and benefit from property without being either the legal owner of record, or the equitable/beneficial owner. (See History of Trusts page for more information on types of ownership). 

--If you’re not the legal owner, then your name will not show up in databases that record ownership, such as county property records, or motor vehicle records. 

--If you are not the equitable/beneficial owner, then can be more difficult for creditors to take your property away or force you to sell it to satisfy judgements. 

But, you MUST put such protections in place long before you need them; otherwise privacy and creditor protection may be less effective or completely ineffective if done in anticipation of an actual lawsuit.  You may never uses trusts or other devices to fraudulently transfer or hide assets from a spouse, or other “potential judgement creditor”.

BACK

The Privacy Trust traces its heritage to the California Title Holding Trust and the Illinois Land Trust.  (Google these topics and you will find a wealth of information and resources.)  However, our California Privacy Trusts are designed to be relatively affordable.  Are you seeking privacy in this Internet age?  For the most part, the type of property to be protected doesn’t matter:   real estate, vehicles, financial accounts, and any other type of property for which ownership can be traced by journalists, attorneys, private investigators, hackers, stalkers or just about anyone with computer smarts and an Internet connection.