We offer a variety of settlement planning services many of which are free of charge. These services can greatly assist in and facilitate the settlement process. We look forward to assisting you with any one of the services or all of them.
Structured Settlement Planning Services:
Structured settlement annuities provide for a safe and secure tax-free stream of income. Structured settlements are a pivotal part of the overall financial plan we develop for injury victims. Our structured settlement annuities are provided by the highest rated life insurance companies in the structured settlement marketplace. As independent advisers, we are not restricted to any particular life insurance company. We shop the marketplace to obtain the best combination of rated ages and investment returns. We offer unique pricing methods and reports to maximize our clients’ benefits and payouts.
Mediation Attendance:
A Delta settlement planner will attend mediation and settlement conferences at no cost. We help educate and advise injury and employment victims about their options. We help attorneys advise their clients about settlement planning financial issues and options.
Complete Document Preparation and Review:
We assist attorneys in preparing all necessary documentation and help with any required language that must be in settlement documents. We review, together with legal counsel, all legal documents associated with the structured settlement transaction to help counsel make sure they comply with the Internal Revenue Code provisions that govern the structured settlement transaction.
Illegal/Immigrant Client Assistance:
We can assist clients post-settlement to obtain legal identification and help establish a US based bank account to receive future periodic settlement payments.
Financial Needs Analysis:
After meeting with the injury victim or reviewing the life care plan, we can create a comprehensive assessment of the plaintiff’s immediate and long-term financial needs. After completing this financial analysis, we can recommend a settlement plan to address the needs for income, medical care, education and retirement. If a life care plan has been prepared, we can analyze the plan to determine the funding cost utilizing different financial products.
Economic/Life Care Plan Analysis:
We can provide an analysis to quantify the actual costs required every year to duplicate the needs presented in the life care plan. Once we determine the actual cash flows required, we can then determine the cost to fund the life care plan with a financial settlement products. This figure is not the present value to provide for the future medical needs of the plaintiff as determined by an economist. Rather it is the actual amount of money required to fund a financial settlement package to generate the necessary monthly payments to provide for the all of the plaintiff’s lifetime medical needs as outline in the life care plan.
Public Benefit Analysis:
Our expert settlement planners can analyze our clients’ public benefit eligibility. Our analysis reviews the government programs providing benefits to determine what steps may be necessary to preserve those benefits. In addition, we can provide a detailed analysis of the costs and value of services being provided by different public benefits such as Medicaid or Medicare.
Public Benefit Preservation Vehicles:
Whenever appropriate, we work with leading experts to assist with the creation and implementation of Special Needs Trusts and Pooled Trusts. We will assist, together with legal counsel, in identifying cases where one of these trusts should be considered and will help counsel avoid the legal malpractice pitfalls concerning the implementation of these trusts. Additionally, we work with banks and trust companies that manage special needs trusts and provide trustee services. When Medicare preservation is an issue, we can provide advice on creative ways to fund Medicare Set-Aside Arrangements (MSA).
468B Qualified Settlement Fund Advisement:
A 468B Qualified Settlement Fund (QSF) can be a valuable plaintiff strategy for preserving a plaintiff’s rights to select a structured settlement and for protecting public benefit eligibility. A QSF allows plaintiffs to obtain control of settlement planning decisions. Defendants deposit settlement funds into the QSF. While the settlement funds earn interest in the QSF, plaintiffs and their advisors can design a settlement plan and negotiate liens. The QSF avoids issues with constructive receipt which could trigger a loss of public benefits. While the settlement funds reside in the QSF, a structured settlement or a public benefit preservation trust can be established for the settlement recipient.
Attorney Fee Structures:
Structured settlements represent a valuable income-tax free settlement option for victims of physical personal injuries. Contingent fee attorneys can also structure their fees except they are tax deferred and not tax-free. Using a structured fee, attorneys can defer all or part of their fee pre-tax and paid over time. With an structured fee, an attorney will receive the same type of tax-deferral benefits as a Qualified Pension Plan without the complications and funding restrictions. Attorneys have payout options including when the benefits begin and end. Spreading fees over several years allows an attorney to avoid a higher tax bracket. The tax money saved can be invested with a secure life insurance company with no money management fees.