A legal arrangement known as an irrevocable trust cannot be terminated, and its conditions cannot be altered without the stated beneficiary's consent. However, to save taxes and safeguard assets from claims made by creditors or other parties after the death of the trust's creator, some clients decide to establish irrevocable trusts.
Generally, people prefer revocable trusts because of their flexibility. However, there are specific reasons and advantages to choosing irrevocable trusts instead.
Let's look at what those advantages are, as advised by our prescreened Estate Planning Attorneys in Los Angeles:
What Are The Benefits Of Getting Irrevocable Trusts In California?
There are several possible benefits for irrevocable trusts, including:
- Offering a tax haven
- Defending property against creditors
- Meeting the prerequisites for receiving various government benefits in terms of income
- A special needs trust (i.e., might be used to cater to beneficiaries who are disabled, etc.)
The general rule of choosing irrevocable trusts is knowing what you're getting into. So, before making that crucial decision, research or seek advice from a prescreened Los Angeles Estate Planning Lawyer.
How Does A California Irrevocable Trust Work?
Before delving into how it works, let's define some essential terms:
- The term "grantor" refers to the person who establishes a trust.
- The "trustee," who may also be the grantor, refers to the person who oversees the trust.
- "Beneficiaries" are the individuals or groups for whom the trust was established.
The trust's assets are contributed to by the grantor. The assets are no longer under the grantor's control and are registered or titled in the trust's name.
The trust's assets are distributed to beneficiaries through the written conditions after the grantor passes away. This approach also enables the grantor to impose restrictions on distributions, such as limiting access to the funds for minors to a specific age, milestone, or time frame.
Revocable Vs. Irrevocable Trusts: What's The Difference?
Revocable or irrevocable trusts are both possible. A revocable trust allows the grantor to change the beneficiaries and cancel or revoke the trust in its entirety while maintaining complete control over the assets.
The grantor of an irrevocable trust relinquishes control over the trust and its assets.
The grantor is not permitted to take an asset out of the trust once ownership has been transferred to it. Additionally, the grantor cannot alter the trust's beneficiaries, its conditions, or revoke it.
Benefits of Irrevocable Trusts
An irrevocable trust, for instance, can enable the grantor to circumvent the Medicaid income requirement because assets placed in the trust are no longer the grantor's property. Additionally, irrevocable trusts can safeguard assets that could otherwise be forfeited to creditors.
A variety of irrevocable living trusts are made to avoid or minimize state and federal estate taxes. For instance, spouses can postpone paying taxes until the second spouse's death by using AB, bypass, or QTIP trusts. Similar benefits are provided by generation-skipping trusts, which postpone taxes until the grandchild, rather than the grantor's child, passes away (subject to the generation-skipping tax).
Is An Irrevocable Trust The Best For You?
When it comes to important estate planning decisions, whichever you choose should be beneficial specifically to your case. After all, not everyone will need or benefit from an irrevocable trust, so it's always best to weigh and consider your options.
As these are legal documents that could significantly influence you, your future, and your beneficiaries, you should have a California estate lawyer sort through your legal needs before they're put in writing. Remember, being able to explicitly state what you want as you mean is crucial in California estate law.
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