TheLotteryLawyer

 Introducing the Lottery Lawyer

There is an expression that if you need something done, you give it to a busy person. Meet one of the busiest people I know – Jason Kurland.

Jason is quickly becoming known as the “Lottery Lawyer.” And it’s for good reason. Jason recently represented two of the biggest lottery winners in United States history. 

Jason represented the Putnam Avenue Family Trust, the high-profile winner of the Connecticut Powerball $254.2 million lottery in 2011, which was the largest Powerball jackpot in the state of Connecticut and the 12th biggest in Powerball history. He also represented the $336.4 million Rhode Island Powerball jackpot winner, which was the largest Powerball jackpot won in that state and the third largest in the United States

By using creative estate planning techniques, Jason and his experienced team of trusts and estates lawyers helped their lucky clients to preserve their new found wealth and protect their assets into the future.

But it’s not every day that a lottery winner shows up at his front door, so Jason fills his work days as a Partner in the Real Estate Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, which is Long Island’s second largest law firm and is located in East Meadow and Hauppauge and at www.certilmanbalin.comon the web.

At Certilman, Jason assists his clients in the sales, acquisitions, joint ventures and redevelopment of commercial real estate including office buildings, hotels, apartment buildings, industrial facilities and shopping centers. In addition, he lectures on the topic of commercial loan workouts.

Last year, Long Island Business News honored Jason as one of Long Island’s top 40 rising stars under the age of 40. Active in his community, Jason serves on the Board of the Interfaith Nutrition Network, as an Associate Board Member for a Better Long Island, as a mentor in the LIKE ( Lawyers Involved in Kids’ Education) Program, as well as a volunteer for the Make-a-Wish Foundation and for Big Brothers/ Big Sisters of Long Island.

Jason earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business/Government from Skidmore College in 1996 and a Juris Doctor from The Hofstra University School of Law in 2000. He is a member of the New York State and Nassau County Bar Associations, as well as the Long Island Real Estate Group.

If you find yourself in need of some legal advice in the areas of real estate, or if you are ever lucky enough to win big on the lottery, you know who to call. Jason may be reached at (516) 296-7016 or via e-mail at jkurland@certilmanbalin.com

                                                   The WEALTIEST people in the world

“You’re one or the WEALTHIEST people in the world -  it’s time to start acting like it!”

Could you imagine saying this to a multi-millionaire? Well, that’s just what Jason Kurland is saying to the newest members of the Millionaire’s Club – the Power Ball and Lottery winners.

Is he being sarcastic, cynical, comical? No, he is dead serious.  Before we take a look at some of his advice, let’s just look for a moment at what happens to a lot of Lottery Winners.

Looking back at the last 10 years of Lottery Winners in the USA, it is safe to say that more than half of them are no longer millionaires! Not only that, but  many have gone bankrupt, and in some cases are deep in debt. How is that possible, you ask? Let’s take a look at some of the unusual pieces of advice that Mr. Kurland http://thelotterylawyer.comgives his clients – the mega millionsLottery Winners:

Double check, triple check and  check again. Verify the numbers on the official website, then make sure your ticket not only has those same numbers, but has the correct drawing date.

Sign, copy and hide. Leave plenty of room next to your signature, enabling you later to have the option to write in the name of a trust or partner. Make a photocopy and place the original in a safe place.

Keep Quiet. Obviously, you should share this amazing news with those immediate family members and close friends that you need to support you through this exciting yet stressful process. Nobody else. Old friends and relatives you don’t even remember will be coming out of the woodwork.

Assemble your team of professionals. The first call you should make is to an attorney who has experience in handling matters similar to this. The initial decisions you make in this process could end up costing or saving you and your family millions upon millions of dollars.

Make plans to leave town on the day you claim the prize. Make sure your attorney or spokesperson can handle all inquiries while you are gone. When you return home, there will be plenty of time to plan the rest of your life. But for now, ENJOY!!!!!

A new member of the Millionaire’s Club needs some leadership and knowledge in this situation. He needs clear guidelines, a clear schedule, and a clear view of a future unfamiliar to him at the moment. Having a responsible attorney and accountant at your side could save you  millions of dollars. http://thelotterylawyer.com

Mr. Kurland, a lawyer with Certilman Balin, is on the Board of Directors of the Interfaith Nutrition Network, which helps the homeless and needy in Long Island by providing food, shelter and long-term housing. He also donates time to the LIKE (Lawyers Involved in Kids' Education) program, which is affiliated with the Long Island Mentoring Partnership, as well as being a volunteer for the Make-a-Wish Foundation and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Long Island.

THREE TIPS FOR CO-WORKERS SHARING LOTTERY TICKETS

 Whether it is Powerball, Mega Millions or other State lottery games, millions of people each week chip in with co-workers to increase their odds of striking it rich. It’s easy and fun, but are all of the “partners” in this scenario protected? Most of the time the answer is no. For almost everyone, winning the lottery whether on your own or with a group will remain a dream. However, people do win, and if you are buying as a group, you should act as if you will be one of those lucky few. If someone told you that you would be in a partnership worth hundreds of millions of dollars, would you be comfortable without proof that you were involved? This is no different.

 If you are responsible for buying the actual group tickets, or merely a contributor to the pool, here are 3 easy steps to insure there are no misunderstandings in the unlikely event that the stars align and you have the winning ticket:

 1. Make a photocopy of all tickets prior to the drawing;

2. A copy of the tickets should be sent to the entire group, preferably by email or fax, so that everyone knows who is in the pool; and

3. On a cover email or fax, there should be a statement that all winnings will be distributed equally among the people on that list only.

 Failure to take these precautionary steps could cause a whole host of problems. Here are just a few of the issues that could arise from a co-worker lottery arrangement.

 First and perhaps the most dangerous issue is that of the purchasing co-worker claiming that he or she bought the winning ticket separately from the group’s purchase. This nightmare scenario was the subject of a recent New Jersey case. There, the Court ruled in favor of the co-workers who claimed that the purchasing co-worker took the winnings himself. One of the determining factors involved in that decision was the fact that the purchasing co-worker’s behavior following the drawing was peculiar. He called in to tell his boss that he was having surgery, never returned to work and nobody was ever told about his winnings. Unfortunately for his co-workers, rumor has it that he had spent most of the money prior to the Court’s ruling.

 Second, there is the co-worker that does actually buy his or her own ticket separate from the group, but without proof, the co-workers could have a claim. This person needs protection as well. Imagine if you bought the winning ticket on your own, but just because you had bought separate tickets for your group of co-workers, you may now have to split the jackpot 20 ways? By sending copies of the group tickets to everyone, a claim by one of your co-workers is now one less thing to worry about.

 Third, often there is a co-worker who chips into the pool sporadically. If this person did not contribute a dollar on the winning day, there is always the possibility that he or she will claim there was an understanding that he or she was still part of the group. Many co-workers do have an understanding that if they miss a week, one of the other members of the group will contribute for them. If that is the case, it is important that the entire group is on the same page. By sending an email to only those involved, this scenario is avoided.

These steps seem simple and obvious, and indeed they are. However, most co-workers don’t bother doing it because the likelihood of winning is so miniscule. This could be a multi million dollar mistake.

 Mr. Kurland (www.thelotterylawyer.com) has represented the Putnam Avenue Family Trust, the high-profile winner of the Connecticut Powerball $254.2 million lottery in 2011, which was the largest Powerball Jackpot in the state of Connecticut and the 12th biggest in Powerball history.

 He also represented the $336.4 million Rhode Island Powerball Jackpot winner, which was the largest Powerball Jackpot won in that state and the third largest in the United States history of Powerball.

 
Jason Kurland, Esq.
Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP
90 Merrick Avenue, 9th Floor
East Meadow, NY 11554
(Direct 516.296.7016 |(Firm516.296.7000|7Fax 516.296.7111
*Email:jkurland@certilmanbalin.com|www.certilmanbalin.com

Lottery Lawyer Kurland to Moneynews: Winners Should ‘Stay Within Themselves’ to Avoid Going Broke

Tales are rife of big lottery winners who go bust, and lawyer Jason Kurland, who is famous for representing lottery winners, says those who fare best are those who don’t change their lifestyles.

Newsmax TV asked Kurland how someone can blow through $100 million. “In reality if you are taking the lump sum, which I advise everybody to do, it’s now $60 million,” because that $100 million is an annuitized number, he says. After the 25 percent federal withholding tax and your state withholding tax, you might be down to $40 million.”

“It’s still a lot of money, but a little easier to squander than the $100 million, and then, listen, con men come in all shapes and sizes,” Kurland says. “So somebody comes with a great investment opportunity. One of your friends may say listen this is a no-lose, you know, give me $10 million startup money.
So there goes $10 million. “You have children, and you want to give something to each child,” he says. “So Corvettes and houses are being bought. There you go.” So by the time you’re done, “you can’t afford the next ticket,” Kurland says
Emotional support is one of his key services. “We know the process, and we know how people feel,” he says. “The most successful winners are the ones that stay within themselves. They want to stay who they are. They want to keep their life. They don’t want to lose the relationships that they have.”

Lottery wins spawn many divorces, “which could be a good or bad thing depending on how strong your relationship was,” Kurland says. “No, it could be a disaster.”

Lottery winners may want to establish a trust to hold their loot. First, that give you some anonymity, Kurland notes. 

“When somebody wins $200 or $300 million, the last thing they want is their face and name all over the TV saying that you are now one of the wealthiest people in the world. You have friends and family that you never knew existed coming out.” 

Friends and family won’t be the only vultures once you hit pay-dirt, Kurland says. “Two weeks later, every charity known to man is calling you and pulling on your heart strings,” he says. “A lot of them do good work, and you want to give them money. You need some sense of anonymity to stay within yourself and to be able to continue life.”

Anonymity is important for protecting your family too, Kurland says. “There are stories where there are kidnappings of family members.”

There can be tax and estate advantages with a trust too.