Revocable Living Trust in the United States
You want to make things easier for your family while keeping the ability to change your plans.
A revocable living trust can help you arrange who will manage your assets and how your loved ones will receive them. You can generally revise those instructions during your lifetime while you have the required legal capacity.
LOIGICA helps you decide whether this approach fits your U.S. assets and prepare the document around your circumstances.
Tell us what you want to arrange. We can help you work through the decisions.
How a Revocable Living Trust Works
You create the trust during your lifetime and place appropriate assets into it. The trustee manages those assets under the trust’s terms for the people you name as beneficiaries.
You may serve as the initial trustee and continue using the assets for your benefit. You also name a successor who can take over when the conditions in the document apply, such as incapacity or death.
The agreement sets out how that transition works. It can also direct whether beneficiaries receive assets outright or over time.
When This Approach May Fit Your Plans
You may want to explore a revocable trust if:
The decision also depends on what you own and how it is currently titled. We discuss the likely value of a trust alongside its setup and administration costs.
Funding a Revocable Living Trust
Funding means placing assets into the trust. Signing the agreement does not automatically move your property or accounts into it.
The steps depend on the asset. Real estate may require a deed. A bank or brokerage account may require an ownership change and institution-specific documents. Each transfer needs review before you make it.
Some assets call for a different approach. Retirement accounts, for example, need separate advice about ownership and beneficiary designations because changes can have tax consequences.
A funding plan should identify the assets involved and who will complete each step. That helps you see what remains to be done after signing.
Preparing Your Trust With LOIGICA
Our revocable living trust services address the choices behind the document. We help you:
You can ask practical questions throughout: Can I change this later? Who takes over if my first choice cannot serve? What still needs attention? We work through these points so you can make informed choices.
Planning From Outside the United States
If you live abroad, your U.S. plan needs to fit with your circumstances there. Tell us where you live, where your assets are, and whom you would appoint as trustee.
Who controls the trust’s decisions can affect its U.S. tax classification. A trust created under U.S. state law is not automatically domestic for federal tax purposes.
We identify questions that need coordination with tax professionals or advisors in another country. The review also needs to address how you will sign and complete any agreed transfers.
Setting Up a Revocable Living Trust With LOIGICA
We discuss your objectives, assets, and existing documents. You do not need a complete inventory to make the first inquiry.
We work through trustee appointments, beneficiaries, distribution instructions, and the flexibility you want to retain.
We draft the document, explain its provisions, and address your questions before moving to the applicable signing formalities.
We identify the next steps for appropriate assets. The agreed service scope should specify who handles deeds, account changes, and any additional work.
1
Review what you have and what you want to arrange
We discuss your objectives, assets, and existing documents. You do not need a complete inventory to make the first inquiry.
2
Make the key decisions
We work through trustee appointments, beneficiaries, distribution instructions, and the flexibility you want to retain.
3
Prepare and review the agreement
We draft the document, explain its provisions, and address your questions before moving to the applicable signing formalities.
4
Clarify the implementation work
We identify the next steps for appropriate assets. The agreed service scope should specify who handles deeds, account changes, and any additional work.
What This Trust Does Not Do
A revocable living trust generally does not reduce estate tax simply because you create it. It also generally does not shield your assets from your own creditors.
If tax planning or creditor protection is your main concern, raise that at the start. Those objectives require a separate assessment.
Explore Other Trust Options →Frequently Asked Questions
Will a revocable living trust avoid probate?
Assets properly held in the trust generally pass under its terms without probate. Assets outside it may still need probate. A trust also has its own administration requirements; avoiding probate does not mean immediate distribution.
Can I change or cancel the trust later?
Generally, yes, while you have the required legal capacity. Follow the agreement’s provisions and applicable law. A joint trust may limit what one person can change, so its terms need particular attention.
Can I be my own trustee?
Often, yes. You can generally manage the trust assets and use them for your benefit. Your residency and any international connections need review before deciding who should serve or succeed you.
How much does a revocable living trust cost?
The fee depends on the drafting and implementation work involved. Property transfers, multiple jurisdictions, or coordination with other advisors can affect the scope. Ask what the proposed fee covers and which tasks require separate arrangements.
Do I still need a will and a power of attorney?
They often remain useful. A will can address assets outside the trust. A financial power of attorney can authorize someone to handle matters beyond trust property. Each document needs to work with the others.
What happens after I die?
The successor trustee carries out the trust’s instructions and duties under applicable law. That may include gathering assets, addressing expenses and taxes, and distributing property. The terms may also require continued management for beneficiaries.
Start With What You Want to Arrange
If you want to create a revocable living trust, tell us about your U.S. assets and the people you want to provide for. Our team will review your inquiry and contact you about the next step.
A short description is enough to begin.