I’m a lottery lawyer – see why you have to act fast to protect your winnings if you bought your ticket in certain ways
Lottery winners who bought their tickets through a lottery syndicate, for example, must have a backup protection plan in place, a law firm warns.
Of course, raising money in a group of friends, co-workers, or family members to buy lottery tickets is a great way to increase your chances of winning the lottery.
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However, the New Jersey-based law firm Aiello, Harris, Marth, Tunnero & Schiffman, PC has warned lottery winners who buy their tickets this way to act quickly if they win.
Aiello & Harris explained on his website: “Everyone understands the appeal of teaming up with a group of friends or co-workers to increase the odds of winning a million in a state lottery.”
“Unfortunately, these agreements tend to be very loose, and the prospect of an unexpected windfall can wreak havoc on the person charged with buying the tickets.”
For example, a Maryland woman had a mega-million lottery dispute with her colleagues at McDonald’s. She is accused of trying to be the only person to win a share of the recent $656 million jackpot.
Additionally, five New Jersey construction workers are suing one of their crew members who they allege “cheated their weekly lottery.”
Her colleague eventually cashed the $24 million ticket, but a Superior Court jury came to a different conclusion and offered the plaintiffs $20 million.
The law firm said the construction workers’ case required “quick action” on the part of the colleagues’ lawyer.
Fortunately, the quick response resulted in a court order “to freeze the assets until trial could begin.”
“When multiple individuals have been defrauded of funds by the same party, their collective allegations can carry significant weight in the court’s decision to allow a lawsuit to proceed,” said Aiello & Harris.
“However, they must act as quickly as possible to ensure illegally withheld lottery proceeds can be located and held securely until justice is served.”
The law firm points out that lottery winning problems between people are not the only type of gambling problem that can arise.
Casino winnings and other valuable prizes are also controversial when the people involved in the winnings disagree on how the winnings should be distributed.
The law firm adds, “These cases present many of the same fundamental legal challenges as contract disputes and other commercial dispute matters.”
“Due to the important tax implications and other complexities, people who feel they have been cheated by anyone, from a lottery syndicate leader to a business partner, can discuss their legal options with an attorney.”
Meanwhile, a group of call center workers were previously sued by nine colleagues over a $50 million lottery jackpot.
And a pizza delivery man sued his friends after they won a whopping $1 million in the lottery.