And the One Thing That Could Have Prevented Them
You trusted your lawyer to fight for a fair settlement—and they delivered. But when it came time to plan your payout, structured settlement mistakes turned your win into confusion and stress.
These aren’t just “growing pains” of managing your money. They’re symptoms of structured settlement mistakes that could have—and should have—been avoided.
The Mistake Behind the Mistakes
In our experience, the biggest problems arise when a non-fiduciary planner or broker is handed the reins at the last minute—without clear oversight or accountability.
It’s not that these people mean harm. It’s that they’re operating with a sales mindset, not a legal one.
They may prioritize product commissions over long-term benefits. Or they may simply lack the training to recognize how benefits eligibility, trust design, or future legal needs intersect with your payout structure.
What Happens When It Goes Sideways
Here are just a few outcomes we’ve seen when injured clients were rushed into a structure without true fiduciary guidance:
- A child’s settlement structured in the wrong name—triggering a tax mess
- A disabled adult losing SSI and Medicaid because the wrong trust was used
- A family pressured into a lump sum by a non-fiduciary—without a plan, it was gone in under three years
In every case, the client was left to deal with the fallout. Structured settlement mistakes like these can take years to unwind—and some can’t be undone at all.
What This Means for You
You shouldn’t have to know the difference between a vendor and a fiduciary. But if you’ve already experienced unexpected issues with your structured settlement—or feel like something doesn’t quite add up—you’re not alone.
These mistakes are more common than you’d think. But they can be fixed. And even more importantly, they can be prevented—if the right legal guidance is involved from the start.
How The Architected Settlement Law Group™ Can Help
Our legal team doesn’t just clean up settlement mistakes—we prevent them.
We work with your lawyer to make sure every financial decision made at settlement serves your long-term goals and protects your legal rights. We help you avoid:
- Confusing or restrictive payout terms
- Disruption of government benefits
- Gaps in your future legal options
And if things have already gone off track, we can step in and help your legal team find a better way forward.
Your settlement should support you—not become another source of stress.
Let’s talk about how to make it work for you, not against you.
