Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Disqualified Beneficiaries

How can I safely leave money to a person who is presumptively disqualified?

The easiest way is to obtain a “Certificate of Independent Review” from an independent attorney. The attorney will review the will or trust with you, and if the attorney determines that the transfer is “not the product of fraud, menace, duress, or undue influence,” he or she will execute a one-page certificate with that conclusion. A properly executed “Certificate of Independent Review” overcomes the presumption of invalidity and can help protect your estate plan.

“The makers of our Constitution...sought to protect Americans in their beliefs, their thoughts, their emotions and their sensations. They conferred, as against the government, the right to be let alone the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men”

- Justice Louis Brandeis in Olmstead v. U.S