Estate Planning Attorney Drafting Trusts in Sacramento

Proficient in a wide variety of trusts and estate planning techniques

If you are a trustee, you have fiduciary duties that you must carry out. The Bedell Law Office assists trustees with proper management and administration of a trust to avoid potentially costly and lengthy probate litigation. As a trustee, you are required to separate your own assets from those of the trust, provide regular accounts to the beneficiaries and potentially file for tax returns on behalf of the trust. Managing the trust may also include transferring assets to beneficiaries, such as property or bank accounts. The administration responsibilities can add up. From trust creation to ongoing administration, the Bedell Law Office ensures that you and your loved ones fully benefit from our meticulous trust drafting.

What is a trust? What are the benefits of creating a trust?

A trust is a legal document that establishes the rules for how your property is held for the eventual benefit of your beneficiaries. A common and effective technique of estate planning, creating a trust includes several benefits. Property in a living trust, for instance, does not need to go through probate — a costly and lengthy process. Trusts are often used to reduce federal and state inheritance tax liability and, unlike drafting a will, drafting a trust does not require that the document be made public. A trust even allows its creator to name alternate beneficiaries should something happen to primary beneficiaries. Perhaps one of the most important benefits of a trust, however, is that it helps avoid family member disputes that arise from probate.

What are the most common types of trusts?

At the Bedell Law Office, we draft a wide variety of trusts and work closely with you to determine the best trust in your unique situation. Some of the trusts we draft include:

• Revocable living trusts: These have become prevalent in California because they hold property during your lifetime and avoid probate upon your death. You have the right to revoke or change the terms of the trust for any reason during your lifetime.
• Irrevocable trusts: This is a trust whose terms cannot be changed after it is executed. These trusts are usually part of an estate planning strategy to avoid gift, estate or generation-skipping transfer tax, protect assets or prevent creditors from taking assets from the beneficiaries.
• Special needs trusts: These types of trusts are established for people who have received government benefits. A special needs trust allows a beneficiary to receive items from the trust without relinquishing eligibility for future government benefits.
• Charitable trusts: Created for the benefit of a specific charity or the public, charitable trusts are generally included in an estate plan to reduce or avoid federal estate taxes and gift taxes.
• Asset-protection trusts: As the name suggests, asset-protection trusts are established to deter creditors from making claims on the assets of the trust.
  

Get personal guidance from an experienced estate planner

The Bedell Law Office develops strong working relationships with our clients to best advise them on their most complex trust matters. Call 916-473-1067 or contact us online for your free initial consultation — we respond within 24 hours. We price our services fairly and honestly for all our clients.