Choosing a revocable living trust helps families maintain privacy, avoid probate, and retain control over assets during life. It supports orderly asset distribution, flexible modifications, and potential tax planning opportunities, all while reducing court oversight for durable decisions during incapacity or after death.
By funding assets into a revocable living trust, you reduce public probate exposure and maintain privacy around distributions, while ensuring a controlled, orderly transfer of wealth according to your plan and preferences.
Choosing our firm means working with attorneys who prioritize clear communication, transparent pricing, and practical solutions. We translate complex estate planning concepts into actionable steps that fit your life and budget while complying with North Carolina law.
We provide secure storage options and summary instructions for your executor and family, helping preserve the documents’ integrity and accessibility when they are needed most.
A revocable living trust is a flexible estate planning tool that holds assets during your lifetime and specifies how they should be managed and distributed after your death. You remain in control as the grantor, with the ability to modify or revoke the trust as your circumstances change. This structure can provide privacy and simplify future transfers.
Funding a trust involves transferring ownership of assets from individual names into the trust’s name. This may include real estate, bank and investment accounts, and other titled property. Proper funding is essential to ensure that distributions occur as intended and probate is minimized.
Yes. A revocable living trust supports incapacity planning by naming a trusted successor trustee who can manage assets and make decisions if you become unable to act. This avoids court-supervised guardianship and helps ensure your wishes are followed during life and after.
Assets that can be placed in a revocable living trust include real estate, bank and investment accounts, business interests, and valuable personal property. Vehicles, retirement assets, and certain digital assets can also be included or coordinated with the trust to ensure consistent disposition.
In North Carolina, a revocable living trust can work alongside a will so that assets not placed into the trust during your lifetime pass according to your will. This dual approach provides flexibility while maintaining privacy for the assets already funded into the trust.
Regular reviews are advisable after life events such as marriage, divorce, birth of children, relocation, or changes in asset composition. Periodic checks help ensure your plan reflects current laws, personal wishes, and financial circumstances for continued effectiveness.
Upon death, assets funded into the trust pass to beneficiaries according to the trust terms, outside of probate in many cases. The successor trustee administers distributions, settling debts and taxes as outlined, and then transfers remaining assets to the designated beneficiaries.
