You know what it means to work hard, and after a lifetime of earning a living, it only makes sense that you and your family should enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Unfortunately, things don’t always work the way we intend. Aging can bring a host of unanticipated medical and financial problems that can eat away at your legacy for your children and your family. Programs like Medicaid exist as an important safety net, but one that can also drain your assets dry before your heirs can enjoy what you’ve left them. And children, grandchildren, or other beneficiaries might face unexpected and unfortunate physical and mental health issues that need to be addressed.

That’s where Davillier Law Group comes in. Our firm can help you build a trust customized for your needs, which is one of the best ways to safeguard what you’ve earned. There are thousands of different ways to develop a trust, but the basic idea is simple: by creating a trust and moving your assets into it, you can rest assured that what you’ve worked so hard to create will benefit those you intend.

There are dozens of different types of trust for a wide variety of situations, as well as countless ways to order your assets, assign beneficiaries, and plan for the unexpected. To make sure that you are building a trust that meets your goals and needs, you will want to speak to an experienced trust attorney to help you organize your thoughts.

One type of trust that allows you to protect your assets and plan for potential future medical issues by assigning control to trustees is the “irrevocable trust.” These are a useful, but restrictive tool, and require careful planning.

Others might prefer the benefits of a “revocable living trust,” which is a trust that allows you to retain control of the trust and its property while you are alive and can be revoked or modified at any time (an irrevocable trust cannot be revoked or modified after it is signed).

There are many other types of trusts, such as supplemental needs trusts which account for the particular needs of beneficiaries who may not be best served by having unrestricted and immediate access to the funds in the trust. Even within these categories, though, a revocable or irrevocable trust might look completely different for one family compared to another; they are as varied as the needs of their beneficiaries. As a result, the most important thing you can do is speak with an attorney you trust to get the personalized answers you need.

Setting up a living trust to transfer your property to your loved ones after you pass can save them stress, time, and money because property left through a trust does not need to go through the probate process, unlike for a will. Typically, trust property can simply be distributed to your beneficiaries immediately.

You will still need a will, though, even if you do have a trust. Among other reasons, wills are good backups in case you forget to transfer property to your trust that you acquire after the trust is formed.

Trusts are important documents that can protect your assets and ensure they land in the right hands. A thoroughly written trust can streamline the process of property distribution for your loved ones after you pass, and Davillier Law Group is here to make sure that happens.