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International & Expat

Cook Islands / Nevis Asset Protection Trust

Non-US jurisdictions with no recognition of foreign judgments — bulletproof asset protection.

Overview

Cook Islands and Nevis have statutes requiring plaintiffs to bring new lawsuits locally, post large bonds, prove fraud beyond reasonable doubt, meet 1-2 year statutes of limitation. Trust settlor can be beneficiary. Not a tax dodge (US tax reporting still required — Forms 3520, 3520-A, FBAR, 8938), but insulates assets from US-court creditors. Setup $25–75K + $10–20K/yr admin.

Best fit
Physicians / high-litigation professionsBusiness owners with catastrophic liability exposurePre-transaction UHNW
Estimated impact
Asset protection with no direct tax cost

Click Generate advisory deep dive for mechanics, IRC citations, a step-by-step execution plan, a worked numeric example on your profile, costs, risks, and this-week actions.

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