Trust-Based Estate Plan Solutions

Yes.  This type of Trust is called a Joint Revocable Living Trust.  It is for married couples with an estate up to the exemption amount ($27.98 million in 2025).  

Yes, you can certainly have both a Will and a Trust. In fact, this is quite common in estate planning. A Will can cover any property that is only in your name when you die, while a Trust covers only the property that has been transferred into the trust. Having both allows you to have a more comprehensive estate plan. 

Technically, yes, but it's not advisable. Without a Will or Trust, your estate will be distributed according to the intestacy laws of your state. This means you have no control over who receives your assets, who raises your minor children or pets and the state's decisions may not align with your wishes. Moreover, it may lead to a long, costly process and potential conflicts among heirs. 

Yes.  In fact one of the major reasons why people choose to do a Living Trust over a Will is because when properly funded, a trust will bypass the expensive, time consuming, and public process called PROBATE.  To learn more on why you want to avoid probate at all costs, go to our Education tab and click on Probate.

Generally, the fees involved in drafting a Living Trust document will be double or triple the cost of an ordinary Will. With a Will, however, you get a bonus...your estate gets to go through Probate! You should not only count the cost to BEGIN an Estate Plan, but also include the FINAL costs to go through the settlement of your estate at death. When you add in the costs of Probate and legal representation, Gift Tax, Capital Gains Tax, and Federal Estate Taxes, the cost of the Will is universally more expensive . . . by tens of thousands in most cases! The average cost to do a Living Trust in most states (according to AARP 2019) is around $2,800 for the initial trust and then for any amendments to the trust, you should expect to pay an average of $625 per page to make any amendments to the trust (this is where lawyers really make their money).

Your estate value consists of the following; It is the total sum of your investments, your property value, bank accounts, personal property value and any life insurance you have.  For a lot of Americans, when you add all this up... the estate value is significantly over the minimum (each state sets this amount, but the average is around $75k) estate value to avoid probate.

This is not everything to consider, but a few points that might help you make a decision.  If you don't have any children to take care of... a Will might be better. If you don't need control of how your assets are spent after you die, then a will might be a good fit. If your estate value is less than $200,000 (includes assets, investments, property & life insurance)... mathematically it may not make sense to do a Trust.  Most states have a simplified probate process if your estate value is less than 50k or 75k, but if your estate is over that amount... it will go through probate unless you have a Living Trust.  

However if you have no current estate plan, have minor children and are on a extremely tight budget... then choose a Will now (much better than nothing), and then upgrade to a Trust down the road when you can.  If you have minor children with no estate plan and the parents pass away, the children become wards of the state and the state makes all the decisions... it would be foolish to put your family through that. This can be avoided with a Will or a Trust. Ultimately you just need to make your estate planning a priority, your family is counting on you.

You will receive state specific Revocable Living Trust legal document (hard copy priority mailed to you in our Deluxe Trust Binder with Slipcase, plus access to the digital copy).  In addition, you will also receive: Full access to our "Total Planning" client portal.  One full year of free revisions to your Trust-Based Estate Plan documents. Documents included: Revocable Living Trust, 1 Quitclaim Deed, Schedule of Assets, Pour Over Will, Last Will & Testament, HIPAA Authorization, Living Will, Certification of Trust, Healthcare Directive, and Financial Power of Attorney.

As long as you're over 18 years old, there's no wrong time to start estate planning or to speak to an estate planning attorney. Most people start estate planning after a major life event such as getting married, buying a home, or having kids, or after a death in the family. But everyone can benefit from planning ahead.  

In order for a trust to be effective, it must be 'funded' with assets. This means transferring ownership of your assets (like real estate, bank accounts, or investment accounts) to the trust. This involves changing titles and beneficiary designations. It's an essential step in the establishment of the trust, as without assets, the trust can't carry out its purpose.  

As long as you're over 18 years old, there's no wrong time to start estate planning or to speak to an estate planning attorney. Most people start estate planning after a major life event such as getting married, buying a home, or having kids, or after a death in the family. But everyone can benefit from planning ahead.  

Any of the above mentioned couples could do a Joint Trust.  However, many attorneys suggest getting an "A/A" Trust over a Joint Trust if you are a non-traditional couple due to legal changes that can/have occurred in many states, which could nullify the validity of the trust in the future. Some of these court rulings in the past don't grandfather someone who may have had a legal union previously under different laws.  Having two Individual Trusts solves this potential issue.  Many attorneys suggest doing it this way to take that risk off the table. You decide which type of Trust is right for your situation.

We can do "A/A" Trusts (this involves the production of 2 separate Individual Trusts - for long term domestic partners, same sex marriages, non-traditional couples, etc.). We don't list this as an option on our pricing sheet, but we do offer it if you desire to go this way... ask one of our client care specialist's about our 25% OFF discount we offer when purchasing TWO Individual Trusts (A/A Trust) and completing them at the same time, our price is $2,998 (saving you $1,000 off from ordering 2 Individual Trusts separately).  

While a Last Will & Testament and a Living Trust both lay out how to transfer your assets and personal property after your death, there are some key differences. A Will may be easier to set up, but it often needs to go through the court probate process after your death. A funded Living Trust can avoid probate, but transferring your assets into a trust can take time and require additional paperwork. 

Take our Will vs Trust Quiz to find out what most people do in your situation, click here.

We specialize in Revocable Living Trusts, which are the right fit for the vast majority of Americans.  These have different names depending on your situation.  We do Individual Trusts (for single/individuals up to the exemption amount... 13.99 million in 2025), sometimes referred to as an "A" Trust. We do Joint Trusts (for married couples up to the exemption amount... $27.98 million in 2025), sometimes referred to as an A/B Trust. 

We can also do "A/A" Trusts (this involves the production of 2 separate Individual Trusts - for long term domestic partners, same sex marriages, non-traditional couples, etc.). Even though you can get a Joint Trust if any of these situations apply to you, many attorneys suggest getting an A/A Trust over a Joint Trust if you are a non-traditional couple due to legal changes that can/have occurred in many states, which could nullify the validity of the trust in the future. Having two individual trusts solves this potential issue.  We don't list this as an option on our pricing sheet, but we do offer it if you desire to go this way... ask our client care specialist's about our discount we offer if this is what you want.

Entrust Estate Solutions DOES NOT do the following types of trusts:  Q-TIP Trusts (estates over the exemption limit), Q-DOT Trusts (trust for non-citizens or aliens), Testamentary Trusts (often referred to as a Poor Mans Trust, which does not avoid probate), ILIT Trusts (Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust) or Land Trusts (transfer of ownership of real estate to a trustee).