Set up a revocable living trust and actually fund it
A decision made on whether a trust beats a will in your state, the trust executed with the right trustee and successor structure, and the assets actually retitled — deeds recorded, accounts moved, beneficiary designations aligned — with a pour-over will as the backstop.
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Who it's for
Homeowners and parents in probate-heavy states who have been told to “get a trust” and do not know that an unfunded trust does nothing. Also for anyone whose estate includes real estate, bank or brokerage accounts, or life insurance who wants the paperwork done without a $1,500–$4,000 attorney bill.
About this playbook
This guide takes you from “I should get a trust” to a trust that is actually funded — the step most online trust mills never mention. You first decide whether a revocable living trust beats a will, a transfer-on-death deed, and beneficiary designations in your state, so you do not pay for a document you do not need. Then you design the structure — trustee, successors, beneficiaries, distribution terms — draft and execute the documents with the signing formalities your state requires, and, as the heart of the guide, retitle every intended asset: recorded deeds, trust bank and brokerage accounts, and aligned insurance and retirement beneficiaries. You finish with a pour-over will as a backstop, a funding audit that catches what was missed, and a maintenance routine for the years ahead. It does not cover irrevocable trusts, Medicaid planning, or probate of a complex estate, and nothing here replaces legal or tax advice for your specific situation.
What you'll do, step by stepFree preview
Only a sample is open: 4 of 21 steps can be read in full. The rest unlock when you buy.
Phase 1: Decide whether a trust beats the alternatives
3 stepsPhase 2: Design the trust's people and terms
4 stepsPhase 3: Draft and execute the trust documents
4 stepsPhase 4: Fund the trust, asset by asset
6 stepsPhase 5: Backstop, verify, and keep it funded
4 steps
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What you need first
You own assets you want to keep out of probate — a home, savings, investments, or a life insurance policy. If you are married, both spouses are prepared to sign and cooperate. You can gather current deeds, account statements, and policy documents, and you accept that retirement accounts (IRAs, 401(k)s) are not retitled into the trust. You have access to your state's forms — a kit or an attorney — and to a notary, plus witnesses where your state requires them.
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