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There are many different types of financial trusts. Which is the best type of trust for you?
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Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trusts
What’s the difference between a revocable and an irrevocable trust, and how do you know which you need?
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When two people own property together, it can make sense to put that jointly owned property into a joint trust. Often, joint living trusts are the best type of trust for married couples.
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Do You Need an Attorney to Set Up a Living Trust?
Hiring a trusts lawyer to create your living trust is often best, but in some circumstances, it’s safe and efficient to make a living trust without an attorney.
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Alternatives to Making a Living Trust
Other estate planning tools provide many of the same benefits as living trusts. In fact, if your only goal is to distribute your property, avoid probate, or plan for incapacity, you might not need a living trust.
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What Is a Special Needs Trust?
Understand how to set up a special needs trust, including how they work, what type you need, and different ways of funding the trust.
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Trust vs. Will: Do You Need Both?
When you start planning your estate, you might wonder if you need a will, a trust, or both. Each one helps you pass on your property, but they work in different way.
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Understand what estate planning involves, from listing your assets and choosing trusted decision-makers to preparing legal documents and keeping your plan current.
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How to Find an Estate Planning Lawyer
Know how estate planning attorneys help secure your assets and wishes. Find tips on choosing the right lawyer to guide you through the estate planning process.
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Learn why you should avoid probate and learn the best probate avoidance methods, like living trusts, beneficiary designations, POD accounts, and more.
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Learn about estate and inheritance taxes and learn the best strategies to reduce or avoid federal and state taxes at your death.
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Writing a Final Wishes Document
Learn how to make a last wishes document to outline your funeral, burial, or cremation preferences, and ensure your end-of-life plans are honored.
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Pre-Planning a Funeral: How Much Does a Funeral Cost
Learn the steps for preplanning and paying for funeral expenses, burial and cremation, ceremonies, and other end-of-life options.
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Writing a Meaningful Obituary: What You Need to Know
Understand what to include in an obituary that honors a loved one (or how to write your own), including where and when to publish and how to create a meaningful tribute.
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What Is a Durable Power of Attorney for Finances?
A durable power of attorney for finances is a legal document that allows you to appoint a trusted person to manage your financial affairs if you become unable to do so.
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When Does a Durable Power of Attorney Take Effect?
A durable power of attorney can take effect immediately or when you become incapacitated; it doesn't end until your death unless you revoke it.
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What Powers Can a Financial Power of Attorney Include?
When you assign someone power of attorney duties, you authorize them to manage your financial affairs and make important decisions on your behalf.
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Signing and Notarizing a Durable Power of Attorney
Learn the steps to signing and notarizing a durable power of attorney, and know whether the document also needs to be witnessed and recorded.
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When Does a Power of Attorney End?
Learn how to revoke a power of attorney and understand that a POA may also end or expire due to death, divorce, or if it is invalidated.
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How to Make a Power of Attorney
Learn the steps to make a power of attorney document using a template, state form, or a lawyer’s help.
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Attorney-in-Fact: Meaning, Powers, and Responsibilities
Understand the duties, responsibilities, and powers your attorney-in-fact has when you make a durable power of attorney
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This article explains how to choose the best attorney-in-fact and avoid the complications of naming co-attorneys-in-fact or co-agents
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Understand the benefits of a will and how it can protect your loved ones. Learn the costs of making a will and whether you can do it yourself.
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Learn about the different types of wills, such as simple wills, testamentary trusts, holographic wills, and pour-over wills, so you can choose the one that fits your needs.
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Understand what a will covers so you know what to include in your will and what a will can and cannot do for you.
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What Happens When You Die Without a Will
If someone dies without a will, their property typically passes to their closest relatives, known as their next of kin. This process, called intestate succession, follows your state’s laws. Here, we’ll cover what happens to your property, who might inherit, and whether it’s ever okay not to die
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Naming a Child's Guardian in Your Will
Understand how to choose and name a legal guardian for your children in your will, including key steps, legal tips, and what courts consider in their decision.
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Naming a Pet Guardian in Your Will or Trust
Choose the right pet guardian, add a pet clause to your will or make a pet trust, and understand what happens to your pets if you don’t make a will.
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Learn the fundamentals of making a will, including how to distribute your property, appoint an executor, and select the most effective method for writing a will document.
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Understand the steps for signing your will, the benefits of a self-proving affidavit, and how to amend your will or revoke it when necessary.
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How to Make a Will Without a Lawyer
Learn how to make your own will without hiring a lawyer, and know when you should get help from an attorney.
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What to Include in a Will: Assets and Property
Know what property to put in your will, including personal items, real estate, bank and investment accounts, digital assets, business interests, and more
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Understand how to choose the executor of your will, the executor’s duties, and other important parts of an executor’s role.
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Learn the types of beneficiaries, including primary beneficiaries, residuary beneficiaries, and contingent beneficiaries.
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Property Management for Minors in Estate Planning
When making an estate plan, it’s a good idea to set up property management for your minor children as well as any young people who could inherit from you.
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Setting Up a Trust for a Minor
You can create a child’s trust in your will or living trust to name a responsible person to manage a child’s property.
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Property Managers for Children's Inheritance
Understand the types of property managers for a child’s inheritance, including trustees, UTMA custodians, and property guardians.
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Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA): How It Works
Learn about Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) custodianships, their advantages and drawbacks, and tips for selecting the ideal UTMA account custodian.
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An advance directive is a type of health care directive—that is, a document in which you set out instructions or wishes for your medical care in case you can’t speak for yourself.
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Power of Attorney for Health Care: What Powers Can You Grant?
A durable power of attorney for health care lets you choose someone you trust to make medical decisions for you if you can't speak for yourself.
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Naming a Health Care Agent and Primary Physician
Choosing a health care agent—also known as a health care proxy, medical proxy, representative, or surrogate—is a crucial step in documenting your health care wishes.
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Advance Health Care Planning: Specifying Your Wishes
Advance care planning is the process of thinking about and documenting the kind of medical care you do or do not want if you are unable to communicate your wishes.
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Advance Care Planning for Different Medical Conditions
Understand how you can make advance medical decisions for conditions including terminal illness, permanent coma, Alzheimer’s, and pregnancy.
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Expressing Organ Donation Wishes in Your Health Care Directive
In most states, you can use your health care directive to state whether you want to donate your organs, tissues, or body after death.
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Witness and Notary Requirements for Advance Directives
Finalize your advance directive with proper signing, witnessing, and notarization. Requirements vary by state, so follow these steps to ensure your health care wishes are legally valid.
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Storing, Sharing, or Revoking Your Medical Power of Attorney
Learn who needs copies of your health care powers of attorney, how state registries work, when to update your directives, and what could terminate or override your documents
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DNR Order vs. POLST Form: What’s the Difference?
Working with your health care provider to create POLSTs and DNRs can ensure your end-of-life treatment wishes are clearly communicated and honored.
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Learn how to set up a living trust and understand the essential steps involved in the process.
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What Property Should You Put in Your Living Trust?
Your living trust can control only the property you transfer into it (a step lawyers call "funding" your trust), so it’s important to understand what kinds of property to transfer (and not transfer) into your trust.
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How to Transfer Property to Your Living Trust
Learn how to transfer real estate and other assets into your living trust, so you can make sure your trust avoids probate as intended.
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How to Choose a Trustee for Your Living Trust
A trustee is the person or company you choose to look after the assets in your trust and manage them according to your wishes.
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What Is a Successor Trustee and How to Choose One
The successor trustee is the person or institution that steps in to manage your trust after you die or if you become incapacitated.
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How to Sign and Notarize Your Living Trust
Your living trust doesn’t do anything until you finish a few formalities: signing, notarizing, and actually transferring assets into the trust.
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Curious about making a living trust online? Here is some useful information about WillMaker.
