How can a Living Trust help?

To 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

To 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