Some Good Reasons for Setting up a Trust

Although setting up a trust will not get rid of all the problems associated with settling an estate, they do offer a number of advatages in estate planning.

One advantage is taxes. While it is true that the recent changes in tax law raised the minimum size of an estate to be subject to estate taxes, the full benefit of the law will be phased in over time. Trusts may offer a solution for avoiding unnecessary estate taxes.

Another adavantage to trusts is probate. Because the fees for an attorney taking an estate through the probate process are based on the size of the estate, having a trust can help lower the attorney’s expenses in settling the estate.

Privacy is a big advantage to setting up a trust. The work of trustees is not public. Since a trust does not go through probate, the amount of your trust is not on public record.

Protection is another important advantage that you gain by setting up a trust. In case of conflict, it is more difficult to challenge a trust than a will. A trust is a means of minimizing possible conflict between heirs when your estate is being settled.

Source: CFE inTOUCH March 1998, p. 7

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