Estate planning through a trust can provide peace of mind that your assets will be protected and distributed according to your wishes. While establishing a trust can be more expensive and time-consuming than establishing a will, trusts offer several potential benefits, including:

• Avoiding probate, simplifying, and speeding up the distribution of your assets.

• Providing greater flexibility and control through specific instructions on not only who receives your assets but also how (e.g., spread out over time, at the discretion of someone else, etc.).

• Minimizing conflict, as trust instructions cannot be contested in court like wills can.

• Maintaining privacy by keeping your assets from becoming public records as part of the probate process.

• Protecting assets from creditors and lawsuits.

• Minimizing taxes, as certain types of trusts can reduce estate, gift, or income taxes.