A trust is a legal document that provides for an individual’s testamentary wishes. There are many benefits to creating a trust, irrevocable or revocable, that will aid the family or beneficiaries of the Decedent. This post will highlight only the benefits of creating a revocable living trust.
The main purpose, and likely most popular reason for creating a trust, is that a trust will allow for the transfer of assets upon the death of an individual without the necessity of probate. Probate can be a dreaded word for some, and a trust circumvents the entire probate process. Probate can be time consuming and expensive, even with a trusted and experienced law firm such as Clear Counsel Law Group. A trust will facilitate the distribution and transfer of assets from a decedent’s estate to his designated beneficiaries without the hassle and expense of probate.
A trust illustration
For a more illustrative view of trusts, think of a trust as a large box. The language of the instrument dictates who is to be in charge after the death of the grantor or trustee, (the successor trustee), and who is to receive assets from the grantor’s trust, (the beneficiaries). However, the trust terms apply only to assets that are placed inside the box. Missing this step of actually placing the assets inside of the box can have disastrous consequences for the beneficiaries. An asset that is not placed inside the box will not be under the purview of the trust, and in order for the asset to be transferred to the designated beneficiary, a probate estate would be required in the county that the individual died.
Personal property, such as home furnishings, paintings, televisions, electronics and jewelry are easily transferred into the trust, or placed in the box, without any effort. However, bank accounts or brokerage accounts and real property1)real estate require a bit more effort. In order to move these latter assets into the box, a change of title on the financial account and a change of ownership on the deed is necessary to transfer these assets into a trust. The grantor will have the same power and authority to transfer, mortgage, or sell the assets, but now the assets are owned by the grantor as trustee of the trust.
A properly funded trust will allow for grieving family and friends to fulfill the final wishes of the decedent without the cost and time of a probate.
If you would like to speak with an experienced estate planning attorney about establishing a trust, or if you set up a trust years ago and would like a review of the your trust documents, please do not hesitate to contact Clear Counsel Law Group for a free consultation.
Footnotes
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