What to do after winning the lottery?
There are some important steps you need to follow if you win a large sum of money in a state lottery or one of the national lotteries like the Powerball and Mega Millions. The first and most important step - Keep Quiet and Don't tell anyone, including your family members and co-workers. Don't tell your wife or husband, your partner, or your kids. As hard as it is to contain your excitement, this is actually a very important step. Anonymity is the name of the game when it comes to successfully dealing with your lottery winnings and setting up the proper legal approach to claiming your fortune.
Next you need to find a qualified attorney. Not just any attorney, but an attorney that specializes in high net worth individuals typically focusing on estate planning and who has experience assisting lottery winners. Your attorney should immediately direct you to set up a blind trust. In many states, it is legal for blind trusts to claim lottery winnings. This keeps your identity out of the public record. However, even though it's a blind trust, be aware that many states require that the trust divulge it's beneficiaries internally to the state. This is done to match the names of beneficiaries against the child support claims.
