Estate plans are very different and vary based on the individuals who make them. When making an estate plan, every person is other, and so are the assets they have accumulated; this means each estate plan should be custom tailored. Among the different kinds of estate plans, trusts tend to be one of the common factors, and you will find that many different kinds of beliefs fit additional requirements when it comes to estate planning. One such popular kind of Trust is the Revocable Trust.
What is Revocable Trust?
A revocable trust is one kind of agreement that indicates how a person’s property can be managed and distributed in their life or after they are no longer around. A revocable trust has many benefits; one use is it avoids Probate. Probate is a comprehensive and highly time-consuming official process where the court determines how one can distribute an individual’s assets after death.
Another benefit of a revocable trust is that it helps guard your privacy. Probated will become a public record, and a revocable trust stays private; too many, this can play a significant role. Furthermore, if you become incapacitated and have a trust established, your descendant trustee can take over your asset management. Let us look at the pros and cons to get complete details on revocable Trust:
Pros of Revocable Trust
It allows you to avoid Probate.
After your death, your assets held in a revocable trust will bypass Probate. Confused? Let me explain to you in detail; it means that they will pass to your heirs easily without putting all your assets through the probate procedure with courts which will be troublesome, costly, and time-consuming. Your beneficiaries may take over without any court oversight.
Gets protection from court challenges
There are hardly any challenges when it comes to a revocable trust; even if there are, it is tough, if not close to impossible, to change anything once you are no longer around. A Will has to undergo Probate, leaving room for someone to contest it. Setting up a Revocable Trust is one of the best ways to ensure that your true wishes for the pass-through of assets are met.
Makes you organized
Suppose you’re interested in creating a Revocable Trust; it is an excellent opportunity to get yourself organized and simplify asset distribution or asset research for your loved ones. Most people tend to keep their business and assets private, and therefore at times, neither their spouse nor their kids know of all the support they have accumulated or of all the investments they have made. Therefore, creating a revocable trust that discloses all your help and assets and how they should be distributed is a great idea.
Keeping Assets Private
Probate is a public process, and anyone who wishes to do so can follow. For example, do you have several children yet want to leave more to one versus the other? Creating a revocable trust would be the best way to keep everything private regarding what you leave behind; this can help avoid a family feud. Also, as mentioned before, it is the best way to avoid Probate and the potential of family members contesting your wishes and turning this into a long and costly court battle.
Cons of Revocable Trust
Whereas many people will agree that the pros of a revocable trust will outweigh its cons, you need to know there are a few disadvantages you need to be aware of. So, let us have a close at them:
Costs more
If you compare it to a will, you are paying a little more upfront to make the revocable Trust. However, it will save your estate time and money in the long run by avoiding Probate and with potential tax savings.
It can take time to fund.
Funding is the process of moving your current assets or retitling them into the name of the Trust. You will have to contact a title company if you own real estate to re-deed your property into the name of the Trust and your insurance company to name your Trust as beneficiary, to name a few examples.
Dealing with a Trustee
If you do not have a close family member or friend that you can trust to act as your trustee, then you may run into some costs associated with a company that renders such a service. These fees can potentially chip away over the years at the overall estate.
Wrapping Up!
Thus, a Revocable Trust is one of the most helpful estate planning tools. Take time to educate yourself on the topic by reading up online or speaking with an Estate Planning Lawyer. Our office offers potential clients the initial consultation free of charge. Call us today to learn more about how a Revocable Trust can benefit you.
