Estate Planning & Trusts
Without a Trust, Probate Court Decides How Your Life's Work Is Distributed
The real question isn't what a trust costs, it's how much a trust can save your family from the delays, fees, and court exposure that come with probate. We create your plan and ensure it's actually funded.
3–7%
Of estate lost to probate fees
12–18
Months average probate timeline
50%
Of trusts never properly funded
Why This Matters Now
Probate Is Not a Formality — It's a Financial Event
6–10%
Your estate pays to distribute itself
Attorney fees, executor commissions, court filing costs, and appraisal fees are calculated as a percentage of your gross estate, not your net. On a $1,000,000 estate, that's between $60,000 and $100,000 gone before a dollar reaches your family.
18–36 months
Your family waits, sometimes years
Probate courts are backlogged. During this time, assets can be frozen, a family home may need to be sold to satisfy liquidity requirements, and your heirs have no access to the estate they're entitled to.
More than 50%
Of trusts are never properly funded
A trust document that hasn't been funded is a trust that doesn't work. If accounts, real estate, and assets aren't retitled into the trust, those assets still go through probate, rendering the document nearly useless.
Understanding Your Options
There Are Only Three Ways to Leave an Estate
Every person who passes away falls into one of three categories. The category you land in determines who controls the distribution, how long it takes, how much it costs, and whether your wishes are actually honored.
State 01 — No Plan
Dying Intestate
No will, no trust: the state decides
Who decidesState intestacy laws, a formula, not your wishes
ProbateRequired. Full court supervision of every asset
Timeline1–3+ years, often longer for contested estates
PrivacyBecomes full public record
Cost6–10% of gross estate in fees and court costs
⚠ Real example: Prince died intestate in 2016. A $300M estate spent years in court — tens of millions consumed in legal fees before a single heir received anything.
State 02 — Partial Plan
Dying With a Will
Instructions exist, but court still controls
Who decidesYour instructions, but enforced through probate court
ProbateStill required. A will is a probate document
Timeline9 months–2 years, depending on complexity
PrivacyPublic record, anyone can view your estate details
CostStill subject to 6-10% probate fees and executor commissions
⚡ Real example: James Gandolfini's will was made public immediately. His estate faced significant tax exposure and a lengthy court process that a trust could have largely avoided.
State 03 — Full Plan
Dying With a Trust
You stay in control, even after you're gone
Who decidesYou. Through your trustee instructions
ProbateBypassed entirely, assets transfer directly
TimelineWeeks to months, no court involvement
PrivacyCompletely private, never enters public record
CostUpfront planning cost only, probate fees eliminated
✓ The only path that keeps your family out of court, out of public record, and in control of what you spent a lifetime building.
ProbateEdge™ Technology
Proprietary Diagnostic Tool
See Exactly What Probate Would Cost Your Estate Before You Leave It to Chance
ProbateEdge™ is our proprietary diagnostic technology. During your consultation, we input your estate details and instantly model two things no generic worksheet can show you: your real probate fee exposure and whether your estate has the liquidity to actually pay those costs or whether your family would be forced to sell assets under court timelines.
- Probate Fee Modeling — calculates your estimated probate costs based on your actual estate value and asset composition, not a generic percentage
- Liquidity Gauge — shows whether your liquid assets are sufficient to cover probate costs, or whether non-liquid holdings like real estate and business interests create a forced-sale risk
- Side-by-Side Comparison — your estate with no plan vs. with a properly funded trust, so the savings are concrete, not theoretical
Try the estimator → Input your numbers to see a preview of your exposure. The full ProbateEdge™ analysis runs during your complimentary review.
Get Your Probate Exposure Checklist →The Ascend Difference
Most Planners Stop at the Documents. We Don't.
Step One — Document Creation
We Draft Every Document Your Estate Requires
Your complete estate plan, every document coordinated and legally sound, built around your specific wishes and family circumstances.
- ✓Revocable Living Trust (Family Trust)
- ✓Pour-Over Will & Last Will & Testament
- ✓Financial & Healthcare Powers of Attorney
- ✓Living Will & Advanced Healthcare Directives
Step Two — Trust Funding & Verification
Then We Make Sure the Trust Actually Works
Because we are financial planners, not just document drafters, we execute the funding and verify it's complete. A signed trust that isn't funded is a trust that fails your family.
- ✓Retitle accounts, property & investments into the trust
- ✓Audit and correct all beneficiary designations
- ✓Verify funding completion across every asset
- ✓Ongoing reviews as assets and laws change
50% of existing trusts are never properly funded. The attorney's job ends when the ink dries. Ours doesn't. We track, verify, and confirm that every asset has been properly transferred, so the plan you paid for actually protects the people you love.
What's Included
A Complete Estate Plan — Every Document, Fully Coordinated
Revocable Living Trust (Family Trust)
The cornerstone of a complete estate plan. Holds your assets outside of probate, transfers wealth immediately to beneficiaries, and keeps your affairs entirely private. Fully revocable and adjustable during your lifetime.
Pour-Over Will
A safety net for your trust. Captures any assets inadvertently left outside your trust and directs them into it, ensuring no asset is accidentally exposed to the full intestacy process.
Financial Power of Attorney
Designates a trusted individual to manage your financial affairs if you become incapacitated. Without this, your family may need a court-supervised conservatorship to step in on your behalf.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Authorizes your designated agent to make medical decisions on your behalf. Gives someone the authority to act, not just instructions to follow, when it matters most.
Last Will & Testament
Establishes guardianship for minor children, names an executor, and provides final directives for assets not held in trust. Works in concert with your revocable trust, not as a replacement for it.
Living Will & Advanced Healthcare Directives
Documents your specific wishes regarding end-of-life care. Removes impossible decisions from your family and ensures your values guide your care, not the default of a medical system.
Common Questions
Estate Planning Questions We Hear Every Day
A will is a set of instructions enforced through probate court. It's a public document, requires court oversight, and typically takes 12–18 months to execute. A trust is a legal entity that holds your assets and transfers them directly at death, bypassing probate entirely. A properly funded trust is private, immediate, and eliminates court involvement altogether.
Probate costs are calculated on your gross estate, before debts, and typically range from 3% to 7%. On a $1 million estate, that's $30,000 to $70,000 in attorney fees, executor commissions, court costs, and appraisals. These fees are paid before your heirs receive anything. Add 12–18 months of frozen assets, and the true cost to your family becomes much clearer.
Funding a trust means retitling your assets, bank accounts, brokerage accounts, real estate, business interests, etc. so they are legally owned by the trust, not by you individually. A trust document without funded assets is an empty container. Assets that remain in your name still go through probate regardless of what the trust document says. This is why 50% of existing trusts fail to protect families: the documents were signed, but the funding was never completed.
Yes, a Revocable Living Trust is fully amendable during your lifetime. You can change beneficiaries, add or remove assets, change trustees, or revoke the trust entirely. You maintain complete control. This flexibility is one of the primary advantages of a revocable trust. Irrevocable trusts, used for specific tax or asset protection goals, have different rules, your advisor will explain when each structure is appropriate.
Estate planning isn't about the size of your estate, it's about control, privacy, and protecting your family from unnecessary burden. Probate applies to estates of all sizes. Without a Healthcare Power of Attorney, your family may face a court process just to make medical decisions during an incapacity. Without a trust, even a modest home can expose your heirs to months of delays and legal fees. An estate plan is one of the most considerate things you can do for the people you love.
Most estate attorneys create the documents and consider the job complete. As financial planners, we see the complete picture, your investment accounts, retirement assets, real estate, insurance, and tax situation. Our ProbateEdge™ technology models your specific probate exposure before we begin, and our process ensures every asset is properly funded into your trust when we're done. We don't just hand you documents. We make sure your plan works.
Further Reading
What Real Estates Teach Us About Planning Ahead
Take the Next Step
Your Family Deserves a Plan That Actually Works
The question was never whether you could afford an estate plan. It's whether your family can afford to inherit without one. We'll run your ProbateEdge™ analysis and walk you through exactly where you stand, no obligation.
No cost. No obligation. Conversations are confidential.