A Revocable Living Trust is a type of trust that takes effect during your lifetime and can be changed or terminated at any time. You retain control over the property in the trust by naming yourself as the Trustee and naming a successor Trustee to take over the trust administration at the time of your death. It can be an important tool that allows you to continue to enjoy the use of your property during your life and avoid the necessity of a probate procedure for the distribution of your property after death. These trusts are often used to avoid probate because the title of the property is transferred to the trust, and is not considered property of the deceased upon death, thus making the property unavailable for probate. As soon as you sign your trust agreement, you should change the title of all property you are placing in the trust from your name to the name of the Trust. This process will include preparing new deeds for the transfer of real estate, changing title on bank and brokerage accounts, changing title on stock certificates and changing title on business interests. Once your assets are in the trust, you can manage your personal investment portfolio
and maintain full control of your assets.
