Use Trusts to Protect Your Family
Trusts may be set up as part of an estate plan for several reasons. For example, a living trust can help with estate tax issues, help avoid probate and address certain family circumstances. A living trust is a trust that is established during lifetime. It distributes assets similar to a will.
Avoiding probate can save your family both time and money. However, if your living trust is not set up properly and your assets have not been correctly transferred to it, your good intentions may be in vain.
Testamentary Trusts are created after your death, by the terms of your will. The assets to fund a testamentary trust usually go through probate. A common example of a testamentary trust is one created by a parent leaving assets to a child. The testamentary trust is administered by a trustee until the child reaches a stated age, at which point the assets are then transferred to the child.
Creating a trust for minor children allows you to set rules for the use of your assets. For example, you can dictate that a child can access the funds only after they reach a certain age. Until your child reaches the designated age, the named trustee could be allowed to use funds in the trust to pay for your children’s health care, education or upbringing. You could also, for example, stipulate that certain funds could only be used for college tuition payments.
Trusts are a great way to safeguard your children by making sure your money is protected and that it’s used to care for your kids according to your wishes. Depending on your family and your life, a provider attorney can tailor a Trust to meet your specific needs. Each state has laws governing Trusts. Join LegalShield today and contact your provider law firm for assistance.
Should you use a Living Trust, Testamentary Trust or a Revocable Trust?
There are a variety of types of trusts and each one provides different benefits. Trusts can help you:
- Manage Estate Tax
- Designate Heirs
- Care for Children with Special Needs
- Care for Minor Children
- Give to Charity
Without a proper Estate Plan, your assets - that is, your money, your home, anything you own - will be tied up in the probate court system.
Probate can take up to 2 years to resolve an estate, running up legal bills of more than $12,000, on average. Transferring assets to a trust allows them to pass without the hassle of probate. Trusts are a powerful tool to avoid probate and available for estates of any size.
Learn more about the documents which make up an estate plan.
A Legal Plan is the Easy, Affordable Solution
Starting at just $24.95 per month, a Legal Plan from LegalShield gets you access to an entire provider law firm in your state.
It’s the simple, stress-free way to cross this critical item off your task list.
- Advice & Consultation: Have questions? A legal plan lets you speak to an experienced estate planning attorney about an unlimited number of personal legal issues. If they're not available at the time, your provider attorney will always call you back in 4 business hours or less.
- Last Will & Testament: Your provider attorney will collect information from you, draft a Last Will & Testament for you, and provide consultation about the document. Our provider attorneys are committed to preparing your Will in 5 business days or less.
- Power of Attorney: Your provider attorney can prepare a Power of Attorney and consult with you about the document.
- Living Will: Your provider attorney can create an Advanced Directive document, also known as a Living Will.
- Annual Updates: Get a provider attorney to update your Will every year as your life changes, at no additional charge.
