Revocable living trusts offer important benefits: they keep your affairs private, avoid or streamline probate for assets funded into the trust, and allow you to revise arrangements as life changes. They also enable a trusted successor to manage affairs during incapacity, reduce court involvement, and provide a clear plan for guardianship of dependents.
Integrated documents ensure consistency across powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and trusts, reducing conflicting instructions and improving decision-making when it matters most.
Our team combines practical guidance, thoughtful planning, and a commitment to clear communication. We work with you to design a trust that reflects your goals, protects loved ones, and aligns with applicable laws.
After funding, we finalize documents, provide copies to key institutions, and establish a secure recordkeeping system for ongoing management and future updates.
A revocable living trust is a trust you can change or revoke during your lifetime. It allows you to manage assets and specify how they pass to beneficiaries, while keeping details private. When funded, the trust can help avoid or simplify probate, provide for smooth asset management if you become incapacitated, and enable a successor to act without court involvement. This structure also supports privacy and family harmony by reducing disputes and streamlining administration.
Yes, revocable living trusts can avoid or reduce probate for assets funded to the trust. Assets held in the trust generally pass outside the probate process, preserving privacy and speeding distribution to heirs. The extent of probate avoidance depends on funding and state law. We review titles, beneficiary designations, and asset types to maximize the efficiency and privacy of your estate plan.
A revocable living trust can hold most personal, real estate, and financial assets you own or co-own, including bank accounts, investment accounts, and sometimes business interests. Certain assets may require retitling (like real property) or beneficiary changes. We help you document what to transfer and how to structure ownership to reflect your goals.
Yes, you can change beneficiaries or trustees at any time while the trust remains revocable. Updates are common after life events such as marriage, birth, or changes in financial goals. Keeping documents current helps avoid disputes and ensures your intentions are carried out. We guide you through the amendment process, updating riders, and notifying institutions so changes take effect smoothly.
Setting up a revocable living trust typically takes a few weeks, depending on asset complexity, client responsiveness, and whether funding requires new titles or beneficiary updates. More complex estates with multiple properties, business interests, or tax considerations may require additional time for careful planning, document drafting, and institutional coordination.
Costs vary by complexity and location, but many clients find revocable living trusts cost-effective when considering probate avoidance, ongoing asset management, and the value of having a clear plan for incapacity. We provide transparent pricing and options, including initial consultations, drafting, funding guidance, and updates, with a clear estimate before you proceed.
Even with a revocable living trust, many clients keep a pour-over will to capture assets not funded into the trust at death, ensuring a complete plan and handling any gaps. Wills also appoint guardians for minor children and can address personal items; our team helps determine the best combination for your family.
Bring identification, current wills and trusts, property deeds, account numbers, investment statements, and a list of assets and liabilities. Also gather information on dependents, guardianship wishes, and any existing powers of attorney or healthcare directives. Having copies of important documents helps us assess funding needs and tailor a plan efficiently, saving time and clarifying your goals.
Funding assets into the trust is essential to achieving probate avoidance, because only assets owned by the trust avoid probate at death. Without funding, assets may pass through the probate process despite having a trust. Our team reviews titles, deeds, and beneficiary designations to ensure assets are properly owned by the trust and aligned with your goals.
Set up a revocable living trust over a period of weeks to months depending on asset complexity and required funding steps. You should expect to gather documents, review drafts, and coordinate with financial institutions. After signing, we help you fund assets and implement the plan, with future reviews as life changes occur.
