A pour-over will is commonly used with a living trust. It helps direct certain remaining assets into the trust if they were not fully transferred before death. That coordination is one reason many estate plans use both a trust and a will rather than relying on only one document.
Last reviewed: March 9, 2026
Reviewed against: estate planning and trust source materials listed on the sources page.
Publisher: Larry Trustee AI Editorial Team | hello@larrytrustee.ai
Living trust planning often includes a pour-over will worksheet and last will terms because real-world estate planning rarely depends on a single document alone.
A pour-over will is closely tied to will planning, but it solves a narrower coordination problem: moving remaining probate assets toward the trust plan instead of leaving those instructions disconnected.
It helps direct certain remaining assets into the trust plan when those assets were still outside the trust at death.
Not by itself. A pour-over will can coordinate probate assets with the trust instructions, but property outside the trust may still require probate administration.
It is included because trust-based estate plans often need a backstop document for assets that were not fully transferred before death.