Some people assume that unless your estate size is substantial, that you can skip out on enhanced protections provided by something, such as a trust. You might even assume that it’s not necessary to hire an attorney to create a will for you. 

However, a knowledgeable lawyer will take the big picture look at all of the issues in your estate plan including those you have not considered and provide you with a step by step roadmap that minimizes the potential of exposure to will contests and other lawsuits. Your attorney can also help connect the dots between your situation and the strategies available to you, such as the benefits of creating a trust.

Creating a trust enables a grantor or the person developing this trust to have more control over what their heirs do with money and assets and the manner in which the heirs receive this information. This can be especially important if you have younger heirs and you are concerned about their ability to effectively receive and manage these assets. A trust can include specific rules designed at your discretion so that the heirs don’t, for example, receive all of the inheritance at once or they receive it after completing their college education, for example.

Additionally, by creating a trust you can also transfer property without exposing your assets to public record or going through probate court. If you don’t yet have a trust as a component of your estate plan, schedule a consultation with a lawyer today.