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Trust and estate planning guide

This page is a practical starting point for trust and estate planning. It connects the core decisions people make about living trusts, wills, probate exposure, trustee selection, and trust funding so families can plan before urgency takes over.

Core trust and estate planning decisions

• How assets should transfer during incapacity and after death
• Who should serve as trustee, successor trustee, and executor
• Which assets should be funded into the trust
• How beneficiary designations coordinate with the trust and will
• How to reduce avoidable probate complexity and family conflict

Start with these high-intent guides

• Estate planning and life planning guide
• Trust types and trust information guide
• Living trust vs will
• Revocable living trust guide
• Last will and testament guide
• What is probate

Trust funding and administration workflow

• How to fund a living trust
• Trust funding checklist
• Common trust funding mistakes
• Assets left out of a trust
• Successor trustee duties
• Trustee vs executor

Specialized trust planning topics

• Irrevocable trust
• Special needs trust
• Asset protection trust
• Charitable trust
• Dynasty trust
• Grantor trust

Questions people ask about trust and estate planning

What is trust and estate planning?

Trust and estate planning combines trust setup, will planning, beneficiary coordination, and probate preparation so assets and authority transfer clearly.

Do most plans include both a trust and a will?

Many plans use both: a living trust for trust-held assets and a will for probate property, executor nominations, and backup distribution instructions.

When should trust documents be reviewed by an attorney?

Before signing, funding, recording, or relying on any trust or will documents, because state rules and execution requirements vary.

Important notice

Larry Trustee AI provides informational drafting support only and is not a law firm. Always have a licensed attorney review final trust and will documents before signing or filing.

Ready to continue? Use the full Trust and Estate Planning Guides index or create an account to unlock your trust packet workflow.