The concept of asset protection, in various forms, has been around for many years. The wealthiest American and European families have always structured their holdings to insure that their wealth would remain intact and inviolate as it passed from one generation to another. In recent years, the threat of lawsuits, business reversals, divorce and actions by government regulators has made every business owner, property owner and professional acutely aware of the need to create some form of asset protection. Now, the typical asset protection plan is designed to accommodate the needs of those who have accumulated some equity in a home or other real estate, those who own a successful business, and others who are trying to preserve a nest egg for their children's education or their own retirement.
