Why Choose a Living Trust?

Preserve and Maximize Assets
• By minimizing taxes during your life (income taxes, capital gains taxes, estate taxes on inheritances you expect to receive)
• By minimizing or eliminating estate taxes upon your death (up to 55% of your assets and life insurance benefits)
• By reducing estate administration costs through probate avoidance
• Avoid or limit MediCal claims on your assets should you require long-term care
• Ensure that a special needs beneficiary has assets that are protected from government seizure while retaining eligibility for needed services
• Ensure that your family has enough life insurance to provide a comfortable lifestyle no matter what
• By ensuring that your assets are passed to your descendants and not given away to outsiders, such as spouses, creditors or the government

Protect Yourself and Your Spouse
• From malpractice or other creditor claims
• From conservatorship proceedings (aka “living probate”) if you or your partner become incapacitated
• From probate delays and stress upon your death or the death of your partner
• From hospital policies requiring life sustaining procedures when you would rather not endure them
• From healthcare decisions made by people other than those you trust most

Protect Your Children or other Beneficiaries
• From predators who can discover inheritance amounts and target young or vulnerable beneficiaries
• From claims of divorced spouses to take half of your child or beneficiary’s inheritance
• From malpractice claims, for beneficiaries in the professions
• From other creditors’ claims (such as car accident plaintiffs)
• From the stress and delays of the average 16-month process of probate
• From the financial immaturity resulting in a quick loss of an inheritance
• From sharing assets with heirs you would rather disinherit
• From litigation claims by disinherited heirs
• For parents only: from relatives who would be poor, abusive or even dangerous guardians or from foster care
• For parents only: from acquaintances and relatives who should not be allowed to be alone with your children
• For special needs beneficiary only: from neglect in the government care system

Achieve your Dreams
• Have clarity about your life purpose, goals and dreams
• Benefit a charitable organization or activity
• Support a common family goal through coordinated planning
• For parents only: By providing guidelines for how your children should be supported while their assets are in trust.
• For special needs beneficiaries only: By providing instructions, people, and assets to support your special needs beneficiaries above a poverty lifestyle
• For business owners only: By providing for the orderly continuation and transfer of family business interests rather than a distress sale

Related Estate Planning Services

Estate planning is about love for your family and keeping the peace after you are gone. It is also about protecting your assets, avoiding probate and reducing or eliminating estate taxes for your loved ones—which a properly drafted living trust can do. We draft a complete customized estate plan because we know every family is different and their needs are different—no one size fits all trusts! Every adult must have a Will, Healthcare Power of Attorney and Durable Power of Attorney, whether or not they have any assets, to avoid Conservatorship. Conservatorships can become very expensive and frustrating. Read about Conservatorship below.

​PROBATE: If a person with substantial assets dies without a Trust their estate goes through the Probate court before the assets are distributed to the beneficiaries (named in their Will or as per the state laws if there is no Will). The probate process and the mechanisms that transfer property from you to your appointed heirs upon your death, are challenging, intricate, and require attention. Let our professional experience serve you in restoring your piece of mind and protecting your family's assets by avoiding Probate or by helping your loved with the process.

MEDI-CAL TRUSTS: For Medi-Cal Trusts, pre planning is the key because there is a look back period. Medi-Cal Trusts help you to be eligible for the State's Medi-Cal benefits but avoid the State liens on your assets so you can leave your assets to your loved ones lien free. It is a good idea for the children to have their elderly parents have a Medi-Cal trust to save their inheritance.

SPECIAL NEEDS TRUSTS: As a parent of a child with special needs, it pays to protect your child in the event of your death. A well-planned Special Needs Trust (SNT) enables your child to cover his/her immediate needs in the event something unexpected happens to you. Special Needs Trusts are designed to supplement, not replace, the kind of basic support provided by government programs like Medical and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Special Needs Trusts pay for comforts and luxuries -- "special needs" -- that could not be paid for by public assistance funds. Do not rely on a family member to take care of special needs beneficiary without a SNT. Majority of SNT litigations involve a family member abusing their powers and neglecting the SN beneficiary.

BUSINESS: Starting a Business? Corporation or LLC? Which one is a better choice? Buying a Business? Need a Buy-Sell agreement? Starting a Non-Profit organization? Want to create a Charitable Trust? Need a Contract or want to get one reviewed or have a contract dispute? Have a Contract dispute? We can help!

If you weren't here... Who would care for your child? Appoint a Guardian Today! You want the best for your children, even if you're not there. Don't leave your child's guardianship to chance. Let SNC Law Offices help you create an estate plan that gives your child the future and protection they deserve. If the parents are deceased and you need help to appoint yourself as the guardians of minors, we can help. Please contact us.

Related Insurance Services