When you set up a trust, one of the pivotal decisions you will make is selecting the right trustee. This person or entity will be responsible for managing your trust's assets, ensuring they reach the right beneficiaries according to your wishes. Many people choose a...
Trusts
Should you use an incentive trust in your estate plan?
Do you want to use your estate plan to motivate your loved ones to do something great? If so, then an incentive trust might be a viable option for you. Here, you identify a beneficiary to the trust, but that beneficiary will only receive the trust’s assets once they...
How a trust helps your assets avoid the probate process
When Florida residents are beginning to look at estate planning, they probably have plenty of questions about trusts and how a trust might help them as a crucial part of the plan. Most likely, this is because there are many different types of trust to choose from and...
Why would I consider using a trust instead of a will?
People in the Tampa area may have heard that it is almost always better to create a trust instead of just drafting a will. There is some truth to that. In many cases, a trust really is the best estate planning device for a Florida family. To give just one common...
How do I select a trustee for my trust?
If you are creating a trust in Florida, one of the most important decisions you will have to make is who will serve as your trustee. A trustee is the person or entity that manages the assets of the trust and distributes them to the beneficiaries according to your...
What is funding a trust?
Many people choose to create a living trust as part of their estate plans. A trust serves as an estate planning tool that allows for certain assets to be distributed when the time comes. As the person creating and funding the trust, you are the grantor or settler of...
How do I choose a trustee for a trust?
We often discuss trusts on this blog. In a recent post, we discussed the question of whether you could use more than one trustee. Another key question that deserves its own post: How do I choose a trustee for a trust? The family option When setting up a trust, there...
Trusts and wills: can I include a no contest clause?
The last thing someone who is doing their estate planning wants is for the product of their efforts to become embroiled in litigation. You structure your trust or your will to ensure your beneficiaries are provided for in the manner you think is best. And you may...
Benefits of a living trust
Estate planning is complicated. Everyone has unique objectives and interests they want to protect – there is no one-size-fits-all approach. This being said, one of the most versatile estate planning tools is the living trust. The living trust isn’t for everyone, but...
How to select a trustee for a Florida Trust
As you begin the estate planning process, you may discover that creating a trust is the best option for you and your beneficiaries. If you choose to create a trust, you as the grantor must name someone to serve as a trustee for the trust. The trustee will have the...