About trusts & wills

Protect What Matters Most: Your Legacy, Your Loved Ones

Planning for the future isn’t just about finances — it’s about peace of mind, family harmony, and ensuring your wishes are honored. Whether you're raising children, caring for aging parents, or enjoying retirement, creating a Living Trust or a Will  is one of the most important steps you can take to safeguard your legacy.

This page will walk you through the purpose of each document, explain their differences, and help you decide which option best fits your life stage and goals.

A Living Trust is a more comprehensive estate planning tool that allows you to transfer ownership of your assets into a trust while you're still alive. You retain control as the trustee and can make changes at any time. Upon your death or incapacity, a successor trustee steps in to manage or distribute your assets according to your instructions.

Living Trusts are especially beneficial for:

• Seniors who want to avoid probate and maintain privacy
• Families with complex assets or multiple beneficiaries
• Individuals concerned about managing affairs during incapacity

Benefits of a Living Trust:

• Avoids probate, saving time and legal costs
• Keeps your affairs private
• Allows for asset management if you become incapacitated
• Can include detailed instructions for long-term care, inheritance, and charitable giving

Limitations:

• More expensive and complex to set up
• Requires ongoing management (e.g., transferring assets into the trust)
• May not be necessary for very simple estates

A Will is a legal document that outlines how your assets and responsibilities should be handled after your death. It’s often the first step in estate planning and is especially useful for families with young children or modest estates.

With a Will, you can:

• Designate guardians for minor children
• Name an executor to carry out your wishes
• Specify how your property and possessions should be distributed
• Include instructions for funeral arrangements

Benefits of a Will:

• Straightforward and affordable to create
• Easy to update as life changes
• Ideal for individuals or families with simple estates

Limitations:

• Must go through probate, a court-supervised process that can take months
• Becomes part of the public record
• Offers no protection during incapacity