Planning your future is important. But it’s not just important for you: It’s important for the people you care about. When you contact a living trust lawyer, you’re taking a major step towards planning ahead and keeping your family and friends stable through their time of grief.
As a trust attorney in Roseville, CA from a firm like the Yee Law Group, P.C. can explain, not many people like to think about their own mortality. It makes sense. It’s a gloomy subject, and it’s not healthy to dwell on it. But eventually, you have to think about what will be done with everything you’ve built up for yourself, your family, and your friends upon your death.
A will or a living trust is a great way to make sure your last wishes are honored and your legacy is carried on through your beneficiaries. But what makes a trust such an appealing option? Read on to learn more about living trusts, and see how a trust lawyer can help.
What Is a Living Trust?
Living trusts – called “living” because you actively manage the trust while you’re still alive – are important documents that include a list of your assets and your beneficiaries. A trust also provides instructions for what should be done with your estate after your death.
So far, trusts sound a lot like wills. Both are important lists of what you have, who you want to receive your assets, and what should be done upon your death. But the similarities stop there. A will is only active after your death, unlike a living trust which can be modified during your lifetime.
When you create a living trust, you also protect your family from probate. Probate is a lengthy and complicated legal process by which the contents of a will are distributed to beneficiaries, and it can be a major headache for your loved ones. To make probate even worse, there’s plenty of opportunity for legal challenges at every step. Living trusts cut out probate, and trusts are also much harder to contest.
Why Do I Need a Trust Lawyer?
It’s possible for you to create your own living trust, but it’s very risky. A living trust comes with many hoops, and you may not know what to keep an eye out for when you create your trust. An improperly prepared trust can be easily thrown out, so it’s important to have a lawyer on your side to make sure it’s all done right.
A living trust lawyer can make sure your trust is legally enforceable. They can also help you keep your stress in check. As mentioned before, nobody likes to dwell on their own mortality, and if you have a large estate it can be challenging to come up with the proper recipient for every little thing you’ve accumulated over the years.
When you get in touch with a living trust lawyer, you can also include instructions that provide any dependent family members with the same quality of life they enjoyed when you were looking after them. You and your trust lawyer can plan for guardianship – or even powers of attorney, if your family has a history of Alzheimer’s or dementia and you want to make sure you have someone you can trust making decisions on your behalf.
Contact a Trust Lawyer Today
When you get in touch with a trust lawyer, you’re taking an important step to securing your future – and the future of your family. It’s never too soon to start planning ahead. Get in touch with a trust lawyer today.