WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) has updated its Guide to the Transfer of Structured Settlements Annuities. The supplement to the guidebook, published in CD ROM format, is available upon request to all judges and judicial officers as well as their staff.
The book was written by the Honorable Norma L. Shapiro, who presides over The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and William J. Skyrm, Esq., vice president of legal affairs for Bryn Mawr, PA-based J.G. Wentworth, a business involved in the purchase and securitization of structured settlements.
According to NAWJ executive director Drucilla Ramey A Guide to the Transfer of Structured Settlements Annuities was first published by the NAWJ in 2005 in response to the growing incidence of court-ordered structured settlement transfers. "Consistent with our mission to provide the judiciary with timely information relevant to cases before them, we decided that an updated version of the guide was necessary because nine more states adopted structured settlement legislation and three have amended existing legislation since our initial release of the guide in 2005."
According to Judge Shapiro, the guidebook was initially developed in response to the increasing appearance of petitions in state courts for transferring structured settlements. "For many judges, this is still a new area of the law, and we felt that the absence of any substantive guidance was a disservice to all concerned. We determined this problem could be substantially alleviated with a comprehensive guidebook."
According to Wentworth's Skyrm, "We need to make sure that judges have all the information they need to preside over such cases."
The guidebook contains background information about structured settlements and their transfers, an analysis of the model act, utilized by state legislators in adopting state laws, and a step-by-step explanation of a typical structured settlement transfer including sample petitions to common disclosures. In addition, the appendix contains the full text of individual state laws.
To request an updated copy A Guide to the Transfer of Structured Settlements Annuities, contact the National Association of Women Judges at 202-393-0222 or visit the website at www.nawj.org.
About the National Association of Women Judges
The National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) provides strong, committed judicial leadership to ensure fairness and gender equality in American courts. Through effective judicial education and interaction, the NAWJ promotes equal access to justice for vulnerable populations and offers professional and personal support to enable our members to achieve their full potential on the bench.
About J.G. Wentworth
J.G. Wentworth is a finance company that specializes in structured settlements and is headquartered in Bryn Mawr, PA.