Trust Planning in the United States
You may know who should inherit your U.S. assets. Deciding who will manage them, and how your family will receive them, can take more thought.
A trust can help you put those instructions in place. LOIGICA helps you explore your options and prepare a structure that reflects your family, your assets, and the control you want to retain.
Whether you live in the United States or abroad, you can start with the questions you have today.
Tell us what you would like to plan for. You do not need to choose a type of trust before contacting us.
What a Trust Can Do
A trust is a legal arrangement in which a trustee holds and manages assets for beneficiaries under specified terms. You establish those terms as the person creating the trust, often called the grantor or settlor.
The terms can address who benefits from the assets and when distributions take place. Depending on the structure, a trust may also provide for someone to manage its assets if you become unable to do so.
When Trust Planning May Be Useful
You may want to explore a trust if:
For example, you might want to help a child with education now while reserving other assets for later. We can discuss whether a trust would support that goal and what responsibilities it would create.
Explore Your Trust Options
The structure depends on your objectives and how much flexibility you need. We can help you understand the differences before you commit.
Revocable Living TrustA revocable living trust generally allows you to change its terms while you have legal capacity. It can support asset management during your lifetime and provide instructions for what happens after your death.
Irrevocable TrustAn irrevocable trust places greater limits on your ability to change the arrangement. It may serve specific tax or asset protection objectives. The potential benefits require careful review alongside the control you would give up.
Trust AdministrationIf a trust already exists, your question may be how to carry out its terms. Administration involves responsibilities such as managing assets, keeping records, and making distributions to beneficiaries.
Revocable Living Trust
A revocable living trust generally allows you to change its terms while you have legal capacity. It can support asset management during your lifetime and provide instructions for what happens after your death.
Explore Revocable Living Trusts →Irrevocable Trust
An irrevocable trust places greater limits on your ability to change the arrangement. It may serve specific tax or asset protection objectives. The potential benefits require careful review alongside the control you would give up.
Explore Irrevocable Trusts →Trust Administration
If a trust already exists, your question may be how to carry out its terms. Administration involves responsibilities such as managing assets, keeping records, and making distributions to beneficiaries.
Explore Trust Administration →
Planning When Your Family or Assets Are Abroad
Living outside the United States adds questions that deserve attention early. Where you and your beneficiaries live can affect the legal and tax review. The choice of trustee also matters.
We look at the U.S. assets involved and how a proposed trust would fit with your existing arrangements. A trust under U.S. state law is not automatically a domestic trust for federal tax purposes.
If another country is involved, the plan may require input from advisors there. Any expected tax benefit needs review under the rules that apply to your circumstances.
Trust Planning Services at LOIGICA
Our trust services begin with the decisions you need to make. We help you:
We also identify implementation questions, including which assets are suitable for the trust. The agreed scope should make clear who will handle transfers and any additional legal or tax work.
How Setting Up a Trust Works
Tell us who you want to provide for, what you own, and what concerns brought you here. Existing documents help us understand where to begin.
We discuss the proposed structure, trustee, and distribution terms. You can ask about control, costs, and the responsibilities involved.
We prepare the document and explain its provisions. After agreed revisions, we address the signing requirements that apply.
Trust formation also requires attention to funding: placing appropriate assets into the arrangement. We clarify the next steps and who is responsible for them.
1
Discuss your priorities
Tell us who you want to provide for, what you own, and what concerns brought you here. Existing documents help us understand where to begin.
2
Work through the choices
We discuss the proposed structure, trustee, and distribution terms. You can ask about control, costs, and the responsibilities involved.
3
Review and sign the agreement
We prepare the document and explain its provisions. After agreed revisions, we address the signing requirements that apply.
4
Plan the asset transfers
Trust formation also requires attention to funding: placing appropriate assets into the arrangement. We clarify the next steps and who is responsible for them.
Working With LOIGICA
You can bring us an objective before you have a solution. We explain how the proposed terms would work for your family and discuss the choices they leave you.
For international clients, that conversation includes how the U.S. plan connects with life abroad. You should understand what the document covers and what still needs attention before relying on it.
Discuss Your Trust OptionsFrequently Asked Questions
Do I need substantial wealth to create a trust?
Asset value is one consideration. Your family’s needs, the property involved, and your distribution goals also matter. The decision should weigh the practical benefit against the cost and ongoing administration.
Will a trust avoid probate?
Assets properly held in a living trust generally pass under its terms without probate. Assets left outside it may still require probate. Signing the agreement alone does not transfer everything you own into the trust.
Will a trust reduce my taxes or protect assets from creditors?
Neither benefit is automatic. A revocable trust generally does not remove assets from your taxable estate or shield them from your own creditors. Other structures require a separate review of the terms, transfers, and applicable law.
Do I still need a will?
A will often remains part of the plan. It can address assets outside the trust and nominate guardians for minor children. A pour-over will can direct probate assets into the trust after death, but those assets may still go through probate.
Can I use a trust I already have in another country?
We would need to review it alongside your U.S. assets and objectives. Its treatment may differ between countries, and U.S. tax or reporting obligations may apply. Share the existing document before deciding whether a new trust is needed.
How much does trust creation cost?
The scope depends on the structure, assets, and jurisdictions involved. Ask what the proposed fee includes, whether asset transfers require separate work, and what ongoing administration may cost.
Talk With Us About Your Plans
Tell us what you want to arrange for your family and whether you already have a trust or estate plan. Our team will review your inquiry and contact you about the next step.
A brief description is enough to start.