Trusts
Revocable living trusts
You stay fully in charge while you are alive and well. The trust simply makes the hand-off smooth, private and quick when the time comes.
In plain words
A trust lets the people you choose step in quietly, without probate court, if you die or can no longer manage things.
A revocable living trust is a legal container you set up while you are alive. You move your home and accounts into it, and you stay in charge as the trustee. Revocable means you can change it or cancel it whenever you like.
When you die, or if you become unable to handle your affairs, the person you picked as successor trustee takes over. Because the trust already owns your things, there is usually no need for probate court, and nothing becomes public.
A trust only works for what is inside it. Moving things into the trust is called funding. It is the step most often skipped, which is why we record your home deed ourselves and walk through every account with you.
Is this for you?
It may be a good fit if any of these sound familiar.
- You own a home, or a cottage up north or in another state
- You would like your affairs kept private and out of court
- You worry about who would manage things if you had a stroke or dementia
- Your children are young adults and you would rather they inherit in stages
- You have a blended family and want each side treated as you intend
What's included
Everything we do for you, written down
- Your trust agreement, written around your family
- A pour-over will and guardian nominations
- The deed moving your main home into the trust, recorded by us
- Letters and a checklist for each bank and brokerage account
- Financial power of attorney and health care documents
- A plan binder plus a secure digital copy for your successor trustee
Funding your trust
What happens after you sign
Funding is where good trusts quietly fail. Here is the order we follow so yours does not.
-
Signing week
Stage 1: Your home deed
We prepare and record the deed that moves your house into the trust. You keep living there exactly as before.
-
Weeks 1 to 3
Stage 2: Bank and brokerage accounts
We send ready-to-sign letters to each institution. Most retitle within a few weeks.
-
Weeks 2 to 6
Stage 3: Retirement accounts and insurance
These usually stay in your name. We update the beneficiary forms so they line up with the trust.
-
From then on
Stage 4: New accounts
Open them in the trust's name. Your binder has a one-page reminder of exactly how.
A cottage or land in another state needs its own deed. We coordinate it and tell you any extra cost up front.
How it works
-
Step 1: A first conversation
We talk about your family, your home and your worries. If a will would do, we say so.
-
Step 2: A design meeting
We sketch who receives what, when, and who is in charge, on one page you can follow.
-
Step 3: Signing day
About an hour. You sign the trust, will and other documents, and we record the deed the same week.
-
Step 4: Funding, together
We send the account letters and check in until every account is titled the right way.
What it costs
Included in the Trust Plan
From $3,400 for one person or $3,900 for a couple, including the deed for your main home and help with funding.
A flat fee, agreed in writing at the end of your free first meeting. It only changes if you ask us to add something.
Do I lose control of my money?
No. You are the trustee. You buy, sell, spend and change your mind just as you do now. The trust only matters when someone else needs to step in.
Does a living trust protect assets from nursing home costs?
No. A revocable trust does not shelter assets from long-term care costs. That is a different kind of planning with real trade-offs, and we will explain it honestly if it applies to you.
Will I file a separate tax return?
Not while you are alive. A revocable trust uses your own Social Security number and your usual tax return.
How can we help?
The first consultation is free and takes about an hour, at our office, in your home or by video. You will leave knowing what you need and what it costs.
Book a free consultation