Portland, Oregon, January 10, 2012 — The Society of Settlement Planners (SSP), whose membership includes both financial as well as legal settlement planning professionals from across the United States, is now opening membership to all individuals currently working as Settlement Planners, and those interested in becoming Settlement Planners, as well as those persons with a genuine interest in the settlement planning field and profession.

This announcement is a marked departure from the SSP’s prior membership requirements, which restricted membership to individuals that could certify that more than 50% of their professional efforts were on direct behalf, and at the request of, personal injury claimants and plaintiffs.

The SSP Membership overwhelmingly approved this change to the SSP’s bylaws in a special meeting and vote held on November 18, 2011.

“In the 10 years since the inception of the SSP, it was high time to make this change,” said current SSP President Jack Meligan.  “Times have changed, and so should we.  I applaud the Membership’s near-unanimous approval of opening up SSP Membership to all professionals working in the settlement planning field, without regard to which side originates their case assignments.  What is important is that ultimately, injury victims are the beneficiaries of professional settlement planning services and advice from trained and certified practitioners that adhere to a strict Code of Ethics.”

The SSP expects this change to result in a membership surge in 2012, as many industry participants had earlier cited the previous membership restrictions as a major obstacle to entry.

SSP Membership applications can be downloaded from http://www.SocietyofSettlementPlanners.com and submitted to any SSP Board Member for consideration.  While Board approval is still required, Meligan commented that, “we expect that most applicants will be accepted.”

About the Society of Settlement Planners —  Since 2001, the SSP and its members have been promoting the practice of Settlement Planning as a more comprehensive solution for the financial issues facing personal injury victims and their families, and the profession of Settlement Planning as the next evolutionary step for members of the financial and legal communities that serve these injured Americans.  For more information, visit http://www.SocietyofSettlementPlanners.com.