The engagement
How we work.
Consult. Audit. Engagement letter. Draft and fund. Administer. Fees follow the structure, not a menu.
Short answer: a consult, then a written risk audit, then an engagement letter, then drafting and funding, then administration. Fees are quoted after we know the structure, not as a published menu, because a Cook Islands trust that owns a Nevis LLC and a Wyoming holding company is not the same matter as a domestic security trust.
Other asset protection attorneys who sell one offshore product publish a flat package price. Volume formation shops sell an LLC filing and a ticket queue. We do neither. What follows is the process every matter actually runs. For the 1992 record, see why the date matters.
1. The first conversation
Call (858) 755-6672 or use the contact form. We will ask what you own, where you live, what is already on the horizon, and whether you have been told you need a particular jurisdiction. The first call is to decide whether there is a matter here, not to sign you up. Weekend appointments on request. Video when travel does not make sense.
2. The risk audit
If the facts warrant it, we run a structured risk audit: assets, entities, insurance, personal guarantees, pending or foreseeable claims, domicile, and the gap between what you think is protected and what a creditor can actually reach. That memo is what the engagement is built on.
3. The engagement letter
Scope, fees, and what we will not do are in writing before drafting starts. Submitting a web form does not create an attorney-client relationship. The signed letter does.
4. Drafting, jurisdiction, funding
Jurisdiction is chosen against the audit, not against a brochure. A California surgeon with a liquidity event in fourteen months is not the same client as a Wyoming rancher with rental property in three states. The plan is funded, an unfunded trust is a stack of paper. Where Wyoming entities and registered-agent work belong in the structure, that work is coordinated with Tresp Corporate Services.
5. Administration
The most common way a structure fails is neglect. Annual trustee fees in the chosen jurisdiction, information returns on an offshore trust (Forms 3520 and 3520-A, FBAR, Form 8938), entity maintenance, and the discipline not to treat the trust like a checking account. That work is the compliance program, legal review here, filings and registered-agent work at Tresp Corporate Services. You will not be handed a filing receipt and a support ticket.
What it costs
Legal fees depend on the structure, the number of jurisdictions, and whether litigation or a pending claim is already in the picture. Offshore trustees charge their own annual fees. State filing fees and registered-agent costs sit on top. We quote the legal piece in the engagement letter after the audit.
Existing clients pay invoices on the payment page.
What this is not
It is not a productized Cook Islands package, not an LLC mill, and not a plan we will install after a lawsuit is already on file. If the window has closed, we will say so. See is it too late and why an LLC is not the plan.
Related resources
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Common questions
Frequently asked
How much does asset protection cost at Tresp, Day & Associates?
Legal fees are quoted after a risk audit, in the engagement letter, because the work varies with jurisdiction, entity count, and whether a claim is already visible. Offshore trustees charge separate annual fees.
How long does it take?
A straightforward domestic structure can be drafted in weeks. An offshore trust depends on the chosen trustee's onboarding, due diligence, and funding.
Do I lose control of my assets?
A trust that leaves you in the same control you had yesterday is not a trust a court will respect. How much influence you keep, and through whom, is a drafting decision.
This website is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Every situation is different; please consult a qualified attorney about your specific circumstances.
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