Lawyers Are Liars: The Truth About Protecting Our Assets (Hardcover)

~ Mark J. Kohler (Author)
Key Phrases: multiple barrier approach, charging order protection, protecting our assets, Limited Liability Company, United States, Code Ann (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Are all Lawyers Liars? Of course not! But some lawyers are, and others who are not lawyers use that charge to sell the unsuspecting public asset protection structures or strategies that are outright lies. Until now, no other professional has been willing to call out the frauds and cheats in this powerful industry where self-professed experts and do-it-yourself hacks wreak havoc on the innocent just wanting to protect their assets. Mark Kohler exposes the liars and tells us the truth! In Lawyers are Liars, Mark explains the strategies that actually work to protect our assets and uses more than 270 footnotes to do it, quoting and referencing the true experts around the country. Undoubtedly, this book will become a desktop resource for not only the average middle income American wanting to protect his or her assets, but attorneys, estate planners and financial professionals guiding their clients through this complex area of the law.

From the Publisher

* Mark explains the best kept secrets in asset protection planning, even describing in detail O.J. Simpson's amazing ability to continue to keep his assets.

* Learn the Truth about Nevada Corporations, Off-Shore Planning, Land Trusts and all of the so called Silver Bullet Strategies!

* In no other book has a professional been willing to call out the frauds and cheats in the powerful industry of asset protection.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 236 pages
• Publisher: Life's Plan Publishing (December 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979738504
• ISBN-13: 978-0979738500
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #86,788 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Written from the heart, December 27, 2007

By	Sarah L. Fails "sfails" (South Lake Tahoe, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mark Kohler has done a great job outlining Asset Protection strategies that are truthful in what they can achieve - and demonstrated how many deceptive strategies unscrupulous lawyers will try to sell to people. His outline starts off with the myths of asset protection
· The goals of asset protection and why it is needed
· Repeatedly backs up his statement `there is no silver-bullet' approach
· Outlines the myths surrounding Nevada Corporations
· Discusses land trusts, off-shore accounts and partnerships
He then discusses what does work for asset protection in a battlefield themed approach -
· The multiple barrier approach
· Choosing your team of advisors
· Strategies for protection
· O.J. Simpson's model of asset protection (not that he advocates the person, but his strategies to protect his assets is uncanny)
· What you must do if you own a business or rental property with regards to deciding the property structure, protecting the corporate veil, carrying insurance, etc.
· Additional strategies that put up further barricades to your fortress (battlefield theme)
· And finally how to fortify your castle with trusts, if applicable for your situation
His `true story' scenarios outlined throughout the chapters make you realize the reason why he felt compelled to write this book.

While I loved the message of this book, I would be remiss, if I did not comment on typos within it. There are quite a few of them and it's not just the typos, but the occasional sentence that needs to be reworked. I'm not an English teacher, but several times I had to stop and reread to try to follow the point that was being made.

The Preface also states that there will be an additional series of topics covered under the same title as this book. They are not written yet, however he points to them as references for additional information. I do look forward to these next works.

I have seen Mark personally in education seminars and know that he is VERY passionate about his work. It is wonderful to have found a lawyer that is true to his word (seems like there is an oxymoron in that statement) and absolutely loves working with small business owners. Most lawyers of his caliper have moved on to the big corporations where they can make big money. His knowledge of tax and accounting is amazing.

This book could actually scare someone away from taking any action by talking about how many bad weekend seminars and fraudulent schemes are out there, but it is meant to teach you how to differentiate good information from bad and educate you on what to look for in people to build your team of advisors. I want people to know that there are many good educational seminars and lawyers out there. Mark does his best to outline the qualities that your team should hold and he lists out some questions to ask while interviewing people as you get started on your quest to build your team. Probably the scariest part in this whole process is trying to find the competent team of people as advisors. Your best tool in this entire process is to educate yourself and ask for references.

To sum up, the content of the book is top-notch and I want to thank Mark for having the guts to put this together. It is an easy read and chocked full of useful information. However, I only gave it 4 out of 5 stars due to the editing work that needs to be done.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for avoiding asset protection scams and getting a start towards good solid basic planning, December 26, 2007

By	Jay Adkisson (Orange County, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a pretty good book that has the potential to be a very good book with professional editing. It is a great entry-level book for clients on the basic issues of asset protection planning. A person who reads this book is much less likely to fall for an asset protection scam than one who doesn't. One of the principal lessons of this book is that there is no "silver bullet" solution to all asset protection problems. Instead, what works or does not work for asset protection depends on the particular circumstances of each client. Specifically exposed by this book are asset protection scams involving Nevada corporations, land trusts, bogus offshore planning, and hinky marital planning. The book also discusses basic planning techniques known to work such as exemption planning, and how one should begin assembling a team of planners to cover every aspect of their needs. This is an easy read: I read it from cover to cover on a flight from Dallas to the West Coast. Recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING....CHANGE YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE, December 16, 2007

By	Stacey Maxwell (Palos Heights, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't even know where to start. I thought that I was pretty saavy when it came to legal and investment strategies. I now realize how I have been trained to believe inaccurate information in order to fatten the bank accounts of the those who sell financial products and services. MARK IS A ROCK STAR!!!!! This is a MUST READ, for anyone who sincerely wishes to maximize and protect their assets. Great gift for those you love!